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The producers organised in the German Winegrowers' Association (DWV) have agreed on a line for the future designation right. After lengthy discussions, the regional winegrowers' associations, cooperative and special associations have agreed on unanimous resolutions on the profiling of origin. However, with the compromise that has now been negotiated, the controversial Großlagen will continue to exist. In addition, the DWV compromise now provides for a transitional period of even five years for the use of the previous designations on the label. The Federal Ministry of Agriculture had only granted three years in its draft law.
According to this, all regulations on the labelling of major vineyards, areas and single vineyards will remain unchanged for the 2020 to 2025 vintages. Only from the 2026 vintage on, the changes to the designations in the ministry's draft - and necessary due to EU law - are to become binding. In the process, the same wording is to be used on the front and back labels. The term "area" is to disappear from 2026 onwards; according to DWV, the term "region" must then be used uniformly in front of the name of the large vineyard. From this year on, the geographically non-binding municipality name for large vineyards will also disappear.
"A regulation on the use of smaller geographical units implemented in the draft bills has brought a new dynamic into our discussions of the last few years. It has encouraged our members to reach a compromise that provides for sufficiently long transition periods to make the necessary changeover," DWV President Klaus Schneider defended the move to Romance designation law.
(uka / Graphic: DWV)