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The 2021 vintage was "extremely challenging" for the German organic winegrowing estates, reports the Federal Association of Organic Winegrowing Ecovin in a press release. The good grape qualities and quantities were surprising in view of the difficulties such as damp and cool weather with late vine blossoming, high disease pressure, late grape ripening and harvest losses. According to the report, Ecovin farms in the Baden, Mosel and Ahr wine-growing regions were hardest hit by harvest losses. In some locations, late frosts, hail and fungal diseases as well as infestation by cherry vinegar flies led to total crop failures.
From September onwards, the grapes that had remained healthy until then would have benefited from the dry and warm weather. Thus, the Ecovin wineries had produced a vintage that could be described as "classic" after three very hot years. Erik Riffel, chairman of Ecovin Rheinhessen, writes: "In the white wines, which benefit from higher acidity levels, we brought in good qualities. In the red wines, rather below average." The chairman of Ecovin Baden, Paulin Köpfer, advocates the increased use of fungus-resistant grape varieties (Piwis) in organic viticulture: "Most Piwis have been able to show their full potential this year. Many remained stable against fungal diseases and produced full yields in best qualities." According to the association, Ecovin member companies have planted an average of ten percent of their areas with Piwi grape varieties. In Germany as a whole, their share is around 2.5 percent.
In view of the situation, Ecovin's national chairman Andreas Hatteme demands: "In addition to robust grape varieties, we need means and strategies for plant protection so that German organic viticulture has a long-term perspective. The farms cannot tremble every year whether they will be able to harvest something or not".
(al / Source: Ecovin; Photo: www.ecovin.de)
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