Germany is among the most northerly wine-growing countries of the world. It is primarily the warm Gulf Stream and its tempering influence on western Europe's climate that enables grapes to ripen this far north. Nevertheless, the climate and weather in Germany's wine-growing regions pose challenges to viticulture that are unknown in the Mediterranean region. During vegetation, there is much less sunshine in Germany than in more southerly wine-growing regions. The bulk of precipitation in Germany occurs in the summer, while in the southern wine-growing countries, it rains primarily in the spring, autumn and winter.
In Germany, the quantity and quality of each vintage depends considerably on weather conditions, a factor that plays much less of a role further south.
