The exception is the new rule.

Exceptionally dry and warm years that keep setting new climate records are becoming more common.

The winegrowers belong to that professional group with whom one cannot argue about climate change.

Since the end of the 1980s, they have experienced on a daily basis that climate change is not about an aloof debate, but about their own existence in the long term.

Climate change has already changed viticulture, although winegrowers think in generations and a vineyard is planted for 30 or 40 years.

Ice wine is only available in exceptional years.

On the other hand, new pests such as the spotted drosophila and cicadas are on the rise.

The winegrowers are observing previously unknown phenomena such as sunburn on grapes in the vineyards.

The beginning of the Riesling harvest has long since advanced to the month of September.

The budding of the vines in spring happens so early that late frosts pose a great risk to the plant that then buds.

Riesling in the future at higher altitudes

More sun is usually associated with higher must weights in the berries and thus higher alcohol levels and lower acid levels in the wine.

This is a threat to the typical taste of the flagship variety Riesling, which still grows on almost 80 percent of the Rheingau vineyard soil.

Because there is often no rain for longer periods, young plants in particular have to be watered.

When precipitation does come, it is more and more frequent in the form of heavy rain, which contributes to the erosion of the vineyards.

What's next?

Convinced Riesling winegrowers switch to higher vineyards or cooler side valleys, which once fell fallow as less good locations.

It is to be expected that more red wines will be planted.

Even those varieties for which Germany was previously considered too cool.

Viticulture migrates north.

The south of Great Britain is already regarded as the Dorado of sparkling wine producers.

It was not without reason that a strategically far-sighted company like Henkell Freixenet in Wiesbaden took over the British sparkling wine and winery Bolney a year ago.

For the Rheingau winegrowers, who are tied to the plaice, the question of future strategy arises.

There are still viticultural instruments to hold on to Riesling despite climate change.

As a precaution, however, there will be no way around experimenting with new, more resistant grape varieties.

Even if it is still unclear whether really great wines can be made from these new varieties.