Austria bounces back with stronger 2025 harvest

By Hamish Graham

Published: 12 September, 2025

This year’s Austrian harvest is anticipated to see an increase compared to 2024’s small grape gathering. Austrian Wine expects a harvest of 2.5m hls which is a strong uplift compared to 2024’s 1.87m hl take.

The production volume for 2025 looks to be returning towards the norm of recent years, with the average during 2020-2024 having been 2.32m hls.

Harvest has already begun in several regions including in some parts of Niederösterreich and Wien during the first week of September. The main harvest in both of these regions, as well as Steiermark, will begin in earnest during the second and third weeks of this month.

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President of the Austrian Winegrowners’ Association, Johannes Schmuckenschlager, charts this year’s harvest: “Despite the extremely challenging market situation, this year’s harvest and the high quality of the grapes are giving winemakers new drive and motivation.

“The 2025 harvest is expected to yield a fruity, somewhat lighter vintage – precisely the style of wine that is in high demand at the moment, both in Austria and in the international wine markets. This vintage has the potential to give an important boost to the whole wine market.

“We can look forward to grapes with a good balance of sugar to acidity and delicate aromatics. In the case of red wines, too, we expect harmonious, fruity wines, which fits perfectly with the current trend towards lighter red wines – ones that can readily be drunk a little cooler.”

The weather conditions of the 2025 growing season sees the harvest start at the expected time of year, rather than the early harvest seen in 2024. The winter period was cooler than the year prior, while spring was marked with variable temperatures. Cold spells at the beginning of April did not affect vines as they had yet to bud, with this ultimately taking place halfway through the month.

A dry spring was followed by a wetter May and June allowing for a good supply of water. Hot spells were seen in June and the start of July, accelerating growth, while cooler weather later in July brought well-needed rains. August saw warm day and cool nights which according to Austrian Wine provided “perfect conditions for optimum ripening and the development of delicate aromas”.

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