Reach age 35 and you’re out. Time to quit. You’re past it; too old. This is Germany’s Generation Riesling – a group for young growers, founded in 2006 (initially to challenge outdated perceptions of Germany in the UK market).

In early summer 2026, I visited six Generation Riesling domains. Young, I discovered, is simultaneously old: the newest domain was run by the third generation of the same family, the oldest by the 13th generation. Not only that, but a toddler was on hand to lend anarchic fun to the welcome at four of the wineries, and at least one of the winemakers was visibly pregnant (with her second child) – the following generation is on the way. It all felt very fecund – and consequently joyful.