Natural hazard cover
In the vineyard this role is taken by hail and frost insurance, which replaces losses in yield and quality for the vintage.
Insurance broker / Business types / Farming and nature
Insurance for winegrowers, wine estates and wineries in Germany
One frosty night in April or ten minutes of hail in July, and the vintage is lost. Meanwhile the cellar holds the wine of recent years in tanks, barrels and bottles, often worth more than the building. This page shows how winegrowers in Germany protect vines, cellar and sales, and where the federal state helps with the premium.
The question almost everyone asks first
Is frost insurance worth it for my vineyards?
In winegrowing, frost is now a bigger risk than hail, and hail insurance on its own does not pay for frost. Combined hail and frost insurance costs more, but Rhineland-Palatinate and other federal states subsidise it with up to 50 percent of the premium. For sites in hollows or with early budburst it almost always pays off. We compare the quotes and keep an eye on the subsidy deadline.
What goes wrong in this trade
- 01
Late frost
After budburst, one night below minus two degrees is enough to freeze the young shoots. Whole sites are lost for the vintage.
- 02
Hail
Hail damages grapes and wood, the yield drops and the fruit rots. Often the following vintage is affected too.
- 03
Wine in the cellar
An open valve, a cracked tank, a forklift against a pallet of bottles: vintages are stored in a small space and are expensive.
- 04
Spraying on steep slopes
Drift onto housing, gardens or neighbours' organic vineyards leads to complaints and claims for damages.
- 05
Guests at the estate
Wine tastings, a seasonal wine tavern (Straußwirtschaft), a harvest festival: falls on stairs and in the cellar are classic liability cases.
- 06
Tractors on steep slopes
Rollovers with narrow track tractors and winch accidents are among the most serious accidents in winegrowing.
Compared with other trades, 1 low to 5 high.
The insurance you need
Essential
Business liability
Covers product liability for wine and sparkling wine, spray drift, guests at tastings and in the wine tavern, and environmental damage.
Business contents
Insures wine stocks, tanks, barrels and cellar equipment against fire and burglary and, with an extension, against wine running out.
Car insurance
Compulsory for narrow track tractors, grape harvesters and delivery vehicles on public roads.
Strongly advised
Commercial buildings
Press house, cellar, tasting room and farmhouse against fire, storm and hail at index linked new value.
Machinery breakdown
For grape harvester, press, cooling and narrow track tractor against breakdown and accidents in the vineyard.
Depends on the business
Business interruption
Secures running costs if the press house or tasting room is out of action after a fire during harvest.
Group accident insurance
Adds to the SVLFG for family and seasonal workers who work on steep slopes.
What it costs: example prices
In winegrowing, crop insurance is priced per hectare and site, while cellar and liability depend on stock and turnover. An estate with a tasting room and wine tavern also needs the building blocks of hospitality.
| Insurance | Example | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| Natural hazard cover | Hail insurance for vineyards, per hectare | around €60 to €120 a year |
| Natural hazard cover | Combined hail and frost insurance, per hectare, before subsidy | around €200 to €500 a year |
| Business liability | Wine estate with 10 hectares, direct sales and tastings | around €200 to €600 a year |
| Business contents | Wine stock and cellar equipment worth €400,000, including tank rupture | around €700 to €1,800 a year |
| Machinery breakdown | Grape harvester with a new value of €250,000 | around €1,200 to €3,000 a year |
For comparison: Hail insurance for one hectare of vines costs about as much a year as ten to twenty bottles of estate wine bought at the cellar door.
Guide figures excluding German insurance tax, as of September 2026. The hail range comes from published market examples; frost, cellar and machinery are guide figures from our own quoting. Rhineland-Palatinate subsidises combined hail and frost insurance with 50 percent of the premium up to a maximum per hectare. We obtain the exact quote.
Our suggestions: three packages
01
Part time
For: Small winegrowers delivering grapes to a cooperative or winery
- Natural hazard cover
- Business liability
- Car insurance
Together around €500 to €1,500 a year for 3 hectares
Request this package02
Wine estate
For: Estates bottling and selling their own wine, with cellar, tasting room and 10 to 20 hectares
- Natural hazard cover
- Business liability
- Business contents
- Commercial buildings
- Car insurance
- Machinery breakdown
Together around €4,000 to €12,000 a year, less subsidy
Request this package03
Estate with guests
For: Estates with a wine tavern, harvest festivals and seasonal workers
- Natural hazard cover
- Business liability
- Business contents
- Commercial buildings
- Car insurance
- Machinery breakdown
- Business interruption
- Group accident insurance
Together around €7,000 to €18,000 a year, less subsidy
Request this packageThe worst day at the wine estate
Six things that really happen to winegrowers, squeezed into one single day between budburst and harvest. Tap through and see who pays.
Damage so far€177,200
-
After a frosty night the young shoots in the valley site have frozen. 4 hectares are largely lost for the vintage.
-
During pumping over, a valve is left open. 6,000 litres of Riesling run into the cellar drain.
-
The sprayer catches the washing and garden pond in the new housing estate below.
-
A guest at a tasting falls down the cellar stairs and breaks an arm.
-
The afternoon hailstorm smashes grapes on 6 hectares just before harvest.
-
The grape harvester tips over on the slope, and hydraulics and cab are badly damaged.
Which package would you have had?
Illustrative amounts before any excess. Whether and how much is paid depends on the policy terms.
Practical tips from your broker
- Insure hail and frost together, because subsidy schemes usually require both perils in one combined policy.
- Watch the application deadline for the subsidy in your federal state; in Rhineland-Palatinate the application goes through the district administration and must be made again every year.
- Include wine running out of tanks and barrels expressly and adjust the sum after every harvest.
- Have tastings, the wine tavern and harvest festivals named in your general liability; they are not always included.
- For wine, check product liability for broken glass and foreign bodies, especially if you have sparkling wine made for you or bottle yourself.
- Protect your ability to work as well: SVLFG benefits are rarely enough after a rollover on a steep slope.
Why NAMMERT for your business
We calculate frost, hail and subsidy
Which site is worth insuring depends on budburst, hollows and grape variety. As a broker we obtain quotes from several insurers and factor in the subsidy.
We know liquid damage
In boat insurance we settle claims ourselves. We know how to prove quantities and values properly after a tank rupture.
Vineyard, cellar and tasting room
We look after harvest, buildings, guests, vehicles and your private cover with one contact, and can do it in English.
A family business since 1989
Wine estates are often family affairs, and so are we. Our work is free for you; the insurer pays our commission.
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
What does hail insurance cost in winegrowing?
According to published market examples, around €60 to €120 per hectare a year. With frost it becomes considerably more expensive, but several federal states offer a subsidy.
Is frost insurance subsidised?
Yes, for example in Rhineland-Palatinate with 50 percent of the premium up to a maximum per hectare, if hail and frost are insured in one policy. Bavaria and other states also offer subsidies.
Is wine that has run out in the cellar covered?
Only with an extension for escaping liquids or tank rupture. Burst pipe cover does not include it.
Do I need separate insurance for a wine tavern?
It must be included in your general liability. An extension to the farm policy is often enough; for larger hospitality you need a separate block.
Are harvest helpers insured?
At work they are covered by the SVLFG accident insurance as soon as they work for you. Register seasonal workers correctly.
What about wine that breaks at the customer's end?
Breakage in shipping is paid by transport insurance or by the parcel service within its liability. If someone is injured by a bursting bottle, product liability pays.
NAMMERT insurance broker
Request quotes for Vineyard and winery
The recommended covers are already ticked. Change what does not fit; we obtain quotes and come back with a comparison. You can write in English.
Thank you, we have your request.
We will be in touch within one working day. If it is urgent: +49 3375 29 12 77.
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Official classification
This page covers the following classes of the German WZ 2025 (identical to NACE at four digits):
- 01.21 Anbau von Wein- und Tafeltrauben
- 11.02 Herstellung von Traubenwein
Source: Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis), WZ 2025. All business types
Boat or yacht? Here we are not the broker but the underwriting agency, with our own policies and our own claims handling.
Boat insuranceNAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH, insurance broker licensed under section 34d(1) of the German Trade Regulation Act, broker register no. D-C08Q-TOSD4-37. For boat and yacht insurance we act as underwriting agency, not as broker. Statutory disclosure (German) · Updated