One of the world's most renowned wine regions is suffering more than most from the downturn in wine consumption. More surprisingly, it is a white-wine region: the Mosel in Germany. According to Nomisma Wine Monitor, the wine-market observatory of Italian research firm Nomisma, which analysed the performance of major European appellations in the first four months of 2026, exports of Mosel Riesling fell 11 percent, compared with a 5.5 percent decline for German PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) wine as a whole.
The figure runs against the pattern emerging elsewhere in Europe. Across the report, white and sparkling wines generally recorded stronger export results than reds during the present contraction. The Mosel therefore cannot explain its setback simply by pointing to color, grape variety or a broad loss of interest in still wine.
The weakest part of the regional business is not the small collection of bottles fought over by collectors. Auctions for Mosel, Saar and Ruwer wines generated more than €1.5 million in 2025, and celebrated estates still obtain exceptional prices for scarce vineyard selections. Those transactions involve tiny quantities, however, and say little about the hundreds of growers selling Riesling at everyday prices.
At the other end of the chain, bulk wine may fetch only €0.60 to €0.70 a liter, while production can cost at least twice that amount. The arithmetic is especially punishing on the steep slate vineyards that define the Mosel, where pruning, canopy work and picking depend heavily on manual labor. Growers working almost entirely on these slopes have indicated that ex-cellar prices below roughly €7 or €8 a bottle leave little prospect of a sustainable income.
Pressure is also building in the middle of the market. Rieslings below €15 compete with whites from flatter, more mechanized regions, while estates without dependable importers or a recognizable name can be left holding unsold stocks.
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