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 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 , , later from Franken, 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 (, Spätlese, , ,

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 , 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 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 ““;

▪ 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:

• : 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 • -Saar-Ruwer: RR; PB: 7/13 • : 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 ; • 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 “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 in 1849;

• Currently 52 hectars of vineyards; • The most prestigeous RR producer in Germany for over 150 years;

• The „youngest“ vineyars is 50 years old; • The best-known vineyards: Pechstein, Jesuitengarten, Reiterpfad, etc. Raichsrat von Buhl Number of VDP Number of VDP "GG" wine Number of VDP locations with wineries with "GG" vintages “GG” wines "GG" wines

2016/2015 620 324 173

2015/2014 587 340 178

2014/2013 506 295 164

2013/2012 515 294 167

2012/2011 511 300 168

2011/2010 444 262 156

2010/2009 420 255 152

2009/2008 465 262 158

2008/2007 364 224 145

2007/2006 405 233 141

2006/2005 279 177 111

2005/2004 272 177 117

2004/2003 266 166 113

2003/2002 269 157 113

2002/2001 189 125 97

2001/2000 108 80 58

ACREAGE VDP AREA % VDP

LOCATION [ACRES] [ACRES] ACREAGE

BADEN 39 079 1 352 3.5%

AHR 1 389 143 10.3%

FRANKEN 15 093 2 110 14.0%

MITTELRHEIN 1 142 140 12.3%

MOSEL-SAAR-RUWER 21 658 1 129 5.2%

NAHE 10 309 575 5.6%

PFALZ 58 042 1 747 3.0%

RHEINGAU+HESSISCHE BERGSTRASSE 7 771 3 076 39.6%

RHEINHESSEN 65 521 758 1.2%

SACHSEN /SAALE-UNSTRUT 1 216 227 18.7%

WURTENBERG 28 068 943 3.4%

TOTAL 249 288 12 200 4.9%

Hectares: VDP hectares: % VDP 2 1 ac = 4046.8564224 m 100 883 4 937 4.9 % IN CZ 4.9 % of 17,823 ha of vineyards (ÚKZUZ 2017) ….. 873 ha (compared to Germany?) VDP TASTING Munich 22 January 2018:

• 133 wineries from 10 wine regions: AHR, BADEN,

FRANKEN, MITTELRHEIN, MOSEL-SAAR-RUWER, NAHE,

PFALZ, RHEINGAU, RHEINHESSEN and WURTTEMBERG;

• 580 samples of dry wines (+ several “specialities” from Moselle etc.):

• RIESLING 369 samples,

• 109 samples,

• 33 samples,

• SYLVANER 25 samples,

• 14 samples, • BLUE FRANKISH 22 samples. VDP TASTING Berlin 2 September 2018 – original hall: VDP TASTING Berlin 2 September 2018 – today’s hall: VDP TASTING Berlin 2 September 2018: VDP TASTING Berlin 2 September 2018: VDP TASTING Berlin 2 September 2018:

VDP TASTING Munich 28 January 2019:

• 138 wineries from total 11 wine regions: AHR (3),

BADEN (13), FRANKEN (17), MITTELRHEIN (4),

MOSEL-SAAR-RUWER (21), NAHE (9),

PFALZ (22), RHEINGAU (23), RHEINHESSEN (13),

WURTTEMBERG (10), SACHSEN/SAALE-UNSTRUT (3);

• 620 samples, approx. 5 samples per winery,

• 501 samples out of them were GG (80.8 %).

2018/2019: 5 wineries more, 40 samples more. VDP TASTING Munich 28 January 2019:

• RHINE RIESLING 420 samples (324 GG, 77 %),

• PINOT NOIR 93 samples (87 GG, 93.5 %),

• PINOT BLANC 38 samples (24 GG, 63.2 %),

• SYLVANER 39 samples (37 GG, 94.9 %),

• PINOT GRIS 14 samples (4 GG, 28.6 %),

• BLUE FRANKISH 17 samples (17 GG, 100 %),

• 6 samples (6 GG, 100 %),

• TRAMINER 3 samples (2 GG, 66.7 %). VDP Munich 28 January 2019 – BMW Welt, Olympiapark VDP Munich 28 January 2019 – BMW Welt, Olympiapark VDP Munich 28 January 2019 – BMW Welt, Olympiapark VDP Munich 28 January 2019 – BMW Welt, Olympiapark

Dr. Hugo Erben Thanis

(Moselle) VDP Munich 28 January 2019 – BMW Welt, Olympiapark

Thank you for

your attention

Ing. Lubomír Dvořáček, Ph.D. [email protected] +420 731 546 542