Wine producers in the Nahe region are breathing a cautious sigh of relief following severe hail storms in the region.

The heavy hail that fell i nthe Nahe region Saturday before last has left clearly visible damage. The current warm weather could help to partly compensate for the losses, as it allows the damaged berries to dry completely without developing rot. However, in some parcels of vineyard in the communes of Monzingen, Martinstein and Weiler up to 60 per cent of the grapes were partly or completely damaged. The Emrich-Schönleber estate was more fortunate: losses of Rielsing there are moderate. Just a curious fact: unusually, the storm came in from the East. (WF)