VDP Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter Basic information, inspiration, opportunities for Moravian winemakers, … Introduction of Great Wines of Great Vineyards assiciation History and facts: th • First winemakers’ associations in Germany at the end of 19 century; • 1910 – establishment of Verband Deutscher Naturweinversteigerer (VDNV) – association of winemakers to sell its “natural” wines; • 80 years later VDP national association unifies all the winemakers’ associations in Germany; • First winery from Rheingau, Moselle, later from Franken, Baden and others; • 1990: 161 VDP member wineries; • By the end of 2017 (27 years) +128 new members and at the same time -94 „members left“ i.e. 195 active members (0.4 % of 48,000 winemakers in Germany); • 34 mil. bottles of VDP wine in 2017, revenues of EUR 223 mil.: • 42% direct sales to consumers (“yard sale”), • 35% specialized retailers, • 17 % gastronomy + 6 % „others“, • TOTAL of 23% VDP wine exported, 50 % of the exports are dry wines (<4g). Average winery in VDP: • 26.5 ha of vineyards, • Annual production of 171,000 bottles. Total of 197 vineries in VDP (2018): • 3 % yields of all vineyards in Germany, • Farming on 5 % of German vineyards (5,250 ha). Reasons for the classification system introduction (1971): Preserve quality of original tracks: • Land reclassifying, thousands of tracks merged (from 30,000 to 2,658); • Preserving the best-known name of the location within the merged vineyards; • Loations with confusing names of original “single” vineyards; Use unambiguous quality classification: • Inflation usage of predicates (Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese, TBA, Eiswein); Incompatibility of quality label with typical taste: • Close to non-existence of quality dry wines; • Traditional predicates lost their value – used for various taste types. EXAMPLES: „PIESPORTER MICHELSBERG KABINETT, REBSORTE weiß, je nach Ernte“ • Moselle, municipality of Piesport, Michelsberg track (covering several villages); • Variety: „white, depends on vintage“; • 250 million bottles of this wine a year. „AUSLESE RHEINHESSEN PFALZ, REBSORTE weiß, je nach Ernte“ • Wine from either Rheinhessen or z Pfalz – totally different regions; • Variety: „white, depends on vintage“. Classification system: • 1984 (after 13 years) the best vineyards and their parts were defined; • 2006 hierarchy: VDP.GROSSE LAGE® VDP.ERSTE LAGE® VDP.ORTSWEIN (municipality) VDP.GUTSWEIN (winery) BASIC INFORMATION – VDP philosophy • Not subject to official German Wine Act; • Internal statute of selected German wineries; • Binding for all member firms; • Wine quality defined under “terroir” = connection of origin and quality; • Assessment of quality potential of the best wine locations; • Restoring respect for excellent dry wines; • Ensuring the future of a unique wine landscape; • Registered mark (eagle with a bunch of grapes) – symbol of pure wine delight, since 1926; • Wine = "joie de vivre" [žue d vir] = “joy of life”, art of wine drinking=art of living; drink wine => art of living! BASIC INFORMATION – four-layer classification • VDP.GROSSE LAGE® - peak of the pyramid: ▪ The best vineyards in Germany; ▪ Strictly limited best tracks within the vineyards; ▪ Distinctive wines with excellent aging potential; ▪ Traditional varieties, best adapted to specific position within the location. • VDP.ERSTE LAGE® - first class: ▪ First-class vineyards with characteristic features; ▪ Optimum time-proven conditions for growth; ▪ Traditional varieties for given region. BASIC INFORMATION – four-layer classification • VDP.ORTSWEIN – comes from excellent soils ▪ Wines from good traditional vineyards, specific wine municipality; ▪ Grape varieties typical for the region; ▪ Limited yields. • VDP.GUTSWEIN – „good start“ ▪ Regional wines originating from wineries within the region; ▪ Basic home-made wines meeting general quality standards required by VDP; ▪ Combining wine quality with its origin. VDP.GROSSE LAGE® - top of the pyramid: ▪ The best vineyards in Germany, strictly limited the best tracks within the vineyards; ▪ Distinctive wines with excellent aging potential; ▪ Traditional varieties best adapted to specific position within the location, ▪ Yield limited to 50 hl / ha; ▪ Manually harvested grapes, physiologically ripe; ▪ Wine produced entirely by traditional wine-making practices; ▪ Regular inspections to winery premises; ▪ Inspections in vineyards during vegetation and before harvest – focused mainly on measures affecting yields; ▪ Control tastings and evaluation of wines before bottling and after bottling; ▪ Selling wines with residual sugar on 1 May following harvest at the earliest. VDP.GROSSES GEWÄCHS® (GG) ▪ Dry wines from VDP.GROSSE LAGE®; ▪ Special bottles with “GG” marking or print on the front label (exceptionally); ▪ Obligatory attribute “trocken“; ▪ No other terminology is necessary; ▪ Selling white wines on 1 September of the year following harvest at the earliest; ▪ Selling red wines on 1 September of the second year after harvest at the earliest; ▪ Minimum a year maturing in oal barrels. VDP.GROSSE LAGE® - varieties by regions: • Ahr: PN, PNP; RR exclusively for naturally sweet wines; • Baden: RR, PB, PG, PN, CH; + exclusively in the districts of Badische Bergstrasse and Kraichgau: FR; • Franken: RR, Syl, PB, PN; 9 ODRŮD: • Hessische Bergstrasse: RR, PB, PG, PN; RR: 13/13 • Mittelrhein: RR, PN; PN: 10/13 • Mosel-Saar-Ruwer: RR; PB: 7/13 • Nahe: RR; Pfalz: RR, PB, PG; PG: 6/13 • Rheingau: RR, PN; Rheinhessen: RR, PN; PNP: 3/13 • Saale-Unstrut: RR, PB, PG, PN, Jk, TR, SZ; FR, Syl, TR: 2/13 • Sachsen: RR, PB, PG, PN, Jk, TR; CH: 1/13 • Württemberg: RR, PB, PG, PN, FR. VDP.ERSTE LAGE® - “first class“: ▪ First class vineyards with characteristic features; ▪ Optimal conditions supported by long-term cultivation; ▪ Locations carefully determined and defined by VDP regional associations; ▪ Traditional varieties, best fitting to given place or plot within the region; ▪ Yield limited to 60 hl / ha; ▪ Manually harvested grapes, physiologically ripe; ▪ Wine produced entirely by traditional wine-making practices; ▪ Inspections in vineyards during vegetation and before harvest – focused mainly on measures affecting yields; ▪ Check tastings and wine evaluation before granting ERSTE.LAGE status; ▪ Sale from the end of April following harvest (Mainzer Weinbörse fair). VDP.ERSTE LAGE® - VARIETIES: ▪ Varieties approved for VDP.GROSSE LAGE; ▪ + the regional VDP associations approved (11 other varieties in only 5 regions + conditionally): • Baden: Syl, SCH, TR, Muskateller, SG, Auxerrois, Pinot Meunier; + exclusively for natureally sweet wine: Rieslaner; • Franken: PG, SCH, Rieslaner, TR, PNP; upon special request: MT, CH, SG, Muskateller, FR; • Pfalz: PG, CH; exclusively for wines with residual sugar: SCH, TR, Muskateller; • Saale-Unstrut: ZW; • Württemberg: SZ, CH, Muskatrollinger, TR, Muskateller, SG, Samtrot, Pinot Meunier, Trollinger. VDP.ORTSWEINE: wines originating in quality traditional vineyards; varieties typical for the region; ▪ Minimum 80% of the land is planted with traditional varieties typical for the region; ▪ Yield limited to 75 hl / ha; ▪ Sale from 1 March following harvest. VDP.GUTSWEINE: basic wines, meeting general VDP standards; ▪ Good introduction to VDP hierarchy, joining wine quality with its origin; ▪ Minimum 80% of the land is planted with traditional varieties typical for the region; ▪ Yield limited to 75 hl / ha. VDP quality principles and philosophy • Basic principle of all activities – achieve top quality, world class; • Origin of grapes has fundamental influence on wine quality; • Wines produced in harmony with nature; • Priority in preserving vineyards - rioritou je zachování vinic – ecological agriculture; • Cultivating traditional varieties; • „Less is more“ (yields); • Vineyards and wine need time; • VDP is regarded the quality elite in German viticulture; • Membership in VDP cannot be boutht nor applied for! Invitations only for those whose long-term excellent wine quality has been recognized both in Germany and internationally and held interest of the existing VDP members resulting in invitation. VDP quality principles and philosophy - continued • In case a winery becomes a member or a regional VDP association, it automatically becomes a member of the national association; • Internal VDP criteria are substantially more demanding than those required by the Wine Act; • Special regional exceptions from the statutes – only if required by the natural conditions, factors taken into account: steepness of vineyards and number of shrubs per ha; • No later than every 5 years physical inspection of each winery; • The appearance and furnishings of the property must also create an appropriate image of high VDP quality standards; • Requirement: highly qualified personnel managing works in vineyards, cellar and marketing. VDP.GROSSES GEWÄCHS® - vintage 2016 (red wines of 2015): • Approx. 5 % of all VDP’s production; • Approx. 1,700,000 bottles; • Average price of € 32.00 per bottle. VDP Riesling “expertise”: • 23% hectars of all German vineyards planted with RR; • 55% VDP vineyards planted with RR, which means: o 5% of total RR production in Germany, and o 12% of total riesling vineyards in Germany, o 7% of total global RR production comes from VDP wineries; • Whole Germany > 8,000 ha of ecological vine growing, out of which 22% falls into VDP; • 21 % of VDP vineyards acreage is cultivated ecologically, 25% of VDP wineries are ecological. Raichsrat von Buhl winery (example) • PFALZ, Deidesheim; • Established