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VDP-Präsident Steffen Christmann With the new wine law, the VDP classification levels of Erste Gewächs and Großen Gewächs are opening up to all German wineries for the first time - in addition to the traditional single vineyard. VDP President Steffen Christmann explains the opportunities, risks and problems in an interview with Kristine Bäder: "We expect there to be changes."

For you, does the new wine law contain aspects that you consider positive?

Christmann: In my opinion, wine lovers basically have a hard time finding their way around. I feel the same way myself. In my private wine cellar, I sometimes have to write the prices of the wines of my fellow winegrowers on the bottles to know to which level a wine with a fancy name belongs. Regions like Burgundy have shown us how to do it more clearly. There, from the simple Bourgogne to the Village wines to the Grands Crus, you know what to expect. In the old wine law with the predicate levels, this was conceived in the same way, until you could buy Spätlese wines for 1.49 euros and for 499 euros. The new wine law certainly offers consumers the chance to orient themselves.

Would it be necessary to set price points for the individual categories of origin?

Christmann: Basically, we are not allowed to set price points in our market economy. The framework conditions of production must therefore be the key. To put it simply: if only 5,000 litres can be harvested on one hectare for a Großes Gewächs and 10,000 litres for a Gutswein, then the production costs double. This means that cheap prices for a Großes Gewächs no longer make sense.

Despite all its weaknesses, does the new wine law meet with your approval?

Christmann: Overall, we can live with the weaknesses of the new wine law because we have taken a first step with it. Even if it is only a small step.

You accept the medium-term continuation of the large vineyards after all?

Christmann: The Großlage still has three types of relevance. Firstly, for wineries that receive individual enquiries from abroad precisely for such names. Smaller wineries try to use the instrument of Großlagen wines to differentiate themselves from large wineries in order to achieve some individuality. And on a larger scale for cooperatives, because they hope to achieve differentiation and a kind of brand identity. But that succeeds less and less there.

If I want to profile the location, there must be no conflict between Großlage and Großer Lage.

Do you hope that the future development of sales will end the conflict by itself?

Christmann: If you look at the proportion of wines that are marketed under the name of a Großlage, it is only a small proportion today compared to the past. For the buyers of such wines, the Großlage functions like a brand name. But if you take the chance of the new law, every good marketer is able to weed out these denominations and replace them with a new brand that the customer continues to buy. I don't think the cooperatives have yet realised the opportunity for them to improve their own reputation with a clear pyramid of origin. And to achieve higher prices. At the same time, we observe that many businesses have already set out on this path. Bottled wine marketers in particular have long been on this path, especially if the farm managers are under 40 years old. This also applies to some cooperatives. And here I understand their criticism of our position. Because we observe that the process is happening on its own. So we could have left the issue alone and watched it for another ten or 15 years. But it prevents stringency in the wine law. If I want to raise the profile of the vineyard, there must be no conflict between Großlage and Großer Lage.

What do wine-growing countries like France do differently to achieve consensus on designations of origin among winegrowers and cooperatives? And why doesn't that work in Germany?

Christmann: In Germany, with the previous egalitarian system, origin has been irrelevant so far. That was never the case in other countries, above all France. Nor have we ever understood in Germany what constitutes wines of origin. But it is perhaps not a typical German problem that the path to a distinguished origin is so difficult. It has not always worked smoothly in other countries either. In Germany, we will now see that there are wine-growing regions such as the Rheingau or the Ahr that are able to establish a clear profile relatively quickly. I see the problems more in Rheinhessen or the Palatinate. These large wine-growing regions are more heterogeneous and diverse. For them, it will be another path to origin.

What aspects of the Grosses Gewächs and Erstes Gewächs are non-negotiable for the VDP in the future detailed regulations of the Schutzgemeinschaften?

Christmann: We absolutely need the reference to the quality of the origin. The grapes for Erste Gewächse or Große Gewächse can only grow in vineyards of outstanding quality. At the same time, it is not realistic to give bonuses to all German vineyards. We want to introduce a real site classification. Every vineyard that is to produce a Erstes Gewächs or Großes Gewächs must go through a recognition process. As long as this reference is missing, it would again just be a selection wine that ignores the origin.

German winemaking goes out on a limb when it proclaims a Premier Cru and a Grand Cru.

How can the connection be made?

Christmann: Ideally, one would first produce single vineyards for five years, from which the best origins and wines would be approved for the production of Erstes Gewächse and from these, after another five years, the Grosses Gewächse would be developed. German viticulture is going out on a limb by proclaiming a Premier Cru and a Grand Cru. The danger of embarrassing oneself is enormous. So far, many details are still unclear. For example, the minimum must weight for Grand Cru wines is set at 90 degrees Oechsle. This excludes great wines, especially in regions like the Mosel. That is not logical and makes no sense to me. Here, ultimately, the regulation is stuck in the old thinking of must weight.

The designations single vineyard, Erstes Gewächs and Großes Gewächs are now in competition with each other. Doesn't that create even more confusion for consumers?

Christmann: It would be wonderful if we had created an all-encompassing, coherent system from the very first minute. In the VDP, we have long thought about the classification of sites based on current knowledge and historical classifications. But even that can never be final and fixed forever. With the opening up of the wine law, new, hitherto unknown vineyards will gradually emerge. In this respect, there must be the possibility of initially bottling wines from such a vineyard as a normal single vineyard. If the site proves itself, it can move up in the hierarchy.

We are facing the serious challenge of creating Grand Crus for Germany.

The cornerstones of the guidelines for a "VDP.Grosses Gewächs" have by and large been incorporated into the new law. What consequences does that have for you?

Christmann: We are at the beginning of a process with great opportunities and great risks. In my opinion, we are too early with this part of the law and would have needed a few more years. The federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate in particular, with its wine-growing regions of Rheinhessen, Pfalz, Mosel, Nahe and Ahr, has rejected the introduction of Great Growths at this point in time, but other federal states have pushed the issue and prevailed. And now we are facing the serious challenge of creating Grand Crus for Germany.

What does that mean for the VDP?

Christmann: A Großes Gewächs will only be finally established and recognised when it is not established as a trademark by an association like the VDP, but is regulated in wine law as the Grand Cru of an entire region. We were always clear about the fact that in the end this would have to be transferred into a comprehensive regulation. But what has now been laid down was already in the law under the heading "Selection" - and it did not work. It won't work now either, if you only change the names but don't define any other parameters. We are following the issue positively and with commitment. And we expect that there will be corresponding changes. If these changes do not come, we as the VDP will think about other ways.

What are your thoughts on this?

Christmann: We are getting involved in the process with the aim of achieving a good result. But if we don't succeed, we will stick to the idea of "Great Wines from Great Sites". We may have to market them under a different name. But perhaps it will suffice to say that it is a "VDP.Grosses Gewächs". We will see. But we have hope that the new wine law will be recognised as an opportunity and that German viticulture will establish itself on an equal footing with other wine-growing countries. The extent to which the VDP regional associations get involved in this will depend on what rules can be achieved with the protective associations in the wine ordinance and in the regions.

Photos: © VDP

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