Rattey (dpa/mv) – The winegrowers in Rattey (Mecklenburg Lake District) – the largest winery in northern Germany – have had a record harvest. As winery manager Stefan Schmidt announced on Monday, grapes for around 41,000 liters of must were harvested in six weeks. So far, the record was around 25,000 liters of must in 2018.
Schmidt had already expected a record, since in 2022 grapes were harvested for the first time on twelve hectares, previously it had been five hectares. A total of 16 different grape varieties are now grown on 30 hectares in the Rattey winery. However, not all of the fields are ready for harvest.
“We are not only satisfied with the yield but also with the quality,” said Schmidt. In many places, the somewhat rainy September gave the grapes, which were suffering from a lack of water in the summer, a growth spurt, while the golden October allowed the grapes to ripen splendidly. The sugar content of the grapes, at 80 to 100 Oechsle, is well above the average of recent years.
Around 20 million euros are currently being invested in a new winery, another hotel and a brewery on the grounds of the castle. The winery and castle are operated by Inselmühle Usedom GmbH.
