With 116 Prädikat Wine Estates on hand, the VDP stand 4E15 at the ProWein trade fair from 18 to 20 March in Düsseldorf once again promises to be a major attraction of the fair. ProWein, International Trade Fair for Wines and Spirits, as well as the VDP’s own trade fair, the Weinbörse in Mainz a month later, are the keys to the sales markets of the world – the former is not far from, and the latter in the heart of, German wine country.
Year for year more than 30,000 professionals from the wine and restaurant trades as well as importers and exporters from more than 40 countries attend ProWein. The Prädikat Wine Estates, important image-makers for top-quality German wines, view the Düsseldorf fair as a top venue for establishing a wide range of international contacts. It is also an ideal platform for the first official presenta-tion of the new vintage to the trade. Just a few weeks later in Mainz, the VDP-Weinbörse (29–30 April 2007) provides an opportunity to follow up on initial contacts made in Düsseldorf.
The Auxiliary Program and Highlights at the VDP Stand
In conjunction with the German Wine and Sommelier School in Koblenz, the VDP is hosting a daily changing program of themed talks and tastings based on the motto “Wine/Dialogue/Changing Times”.
On Sunday, 18 March, there will be a critical look at the subject of terroir. Journalist Caro Maurer and professor Hans-Rainer Schultz (Geisenheim Research and Teaching Institute) address the topic “The Human Factor – How Much Leeway Does a Wine-grower Have?” as they take a look at the influence of changes in climate. At the end of the day, journalist/author Stuart Pigott takes a closer look at the goals of the “New Power Generation” in the VDP.
The “Steinzeit” (stone age) sets the stage on Monday, 19 March, when the the focus is on the site Würzburger Stein/Franken. At 2 p.m., Dr. Rainer Jung (Geisenheim) talks about alternatives to natural cork bottle closures. Also this afternoon, top sommelier Frank Kämmer discusses biodynamic viticulture as the key to terroir with advocates and opponents of this philosophy.
On Tuesday, 20 March, Astrid Ziegelmeyer of the German Wine School in Munich provides tips on how to profit from terroir in terms of sales. Last but not least, Dr. Steffen Maus discusses German Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) wines – ”Great Reds from Baden and the Pfalz – Are French Clones the Saving Grace?”
Preview: VDP Weinbörse, 29–30 April 2007
A complete range of 2006 wines from ca. 150 VDP members will be available for sam-pling on 29 and 30 April 2006 at the “Weinbörse,” the VDP’s annual trade fair in Mainz. Restaurateurs and members of the specialty trade in Germany and from abroad have flocked to Mainz for this fair for 30 years, not least because they appreciate the professional setting the Weinbörse affords for tasting wine. For additional information and registration: www.vdp.de
DATES FOR THE DIARY
VDP Wine Auctions 2007
21. September: Grosser Ring VDP Mosel-Saar-Ruwer – Europahalle, Trier
22. September: VDP Rheingau & Hessian State Wine Domains - Kloster Eberbach, Eltville
23. September: VDP Nahe-Ahr - Römerhalle, Bad Kreuznach
VDP Partners at the Stand at ProWein
• Gerolsteiner Mineralbrunnen (mineral water producers)
• Zwiesel Kristallglas AG (wine glass producers)
• German Wine and Sommelier School, Koblenz/Berlin/München/Hamburg
• Sommelier–Union Deutschland e.V.
VDP. The Prädikat Wine Estates
The Prädikat Wine Estates (VDP – Association of German Prädikat Wine Estates) has been synonymous with Germany’s finest wines for well over a century. Formerly known as the “Naturweinversteigerer” (estates that produced unchaptalized wines and sold them at auction), the VDP today comprises 194 member estates from all 13 German wine-growing regions.
VDP member estates are subject to strict “in-house” quality criteria that well exceed the minimums prescribed by law. This guarantees high quality standards from the vineyard to the bottle. VDP wines are easily recognized by the logo on the capsule – a stylized eagle bearing a cluster of grapes.
In 2002, the VDP instituted a private classification of its members’ vineyard sites. Wines from the best parcels of classified sites are designated “Grosse Gewächse” (great/first growths). They reflect the specific character of their terroir. These wines can be recognized by their logo –– the numeral “one” next to a stylized cluster of grapes – symbolizing wines from an “Erste Lage” (top site).
The VDP organizes domestic and international wine tastings as well as illustrious wine-related events, such as the German wine ball. As such, the Prädikat Wine Estates have signifi-cantly helped define the image of top-quality German wines at home and abroad. The VDP members’ annual vintage presentation, the trade fair “Weinbörse,” takes place in Mainz the last Sunday and Monday of April – a must for all German wine professionals.
VDP. Facts & Figures
• The VDP estates jointly harvest ca. 2% of Germany’s wine crop, cultivate 4% of Germany’s total vineyard area, and account for more than 8% of German wine sales.
• The average price per bottle (750 ml) is 7.50 Euro, nearly twice as much as the average price in Germany. Average annual sales volume per estate is one million Euro.
• Approximately 84% of sales are domestic, of which 45% are to the specialty trade and ca-tering industry. Exports are increasing. Key foreign markets are England, USA, The Nether-lands, and Japan.
• The Prädikat Wine Estates cultivate predominantly traditional grape varieties. Riesling is undeniably one of their areas of expertise and 54% of their joint holdings are planted with this variety. These 2,050 ha (5,066 acres) are equal to 6.5% of Riesling plantings worldwide and 10% of Germany’s surface area devoted to Riesling.
• Two-thirds of all VDP wines are marketed with an individual vineyard designation, i.e. the wines are from classified sites and/or qualify as Grosse Gewächse (great/first growths). VDP estates have abstained from using Grosslage (collective vineyard site) names since 1994. Furthermore, since the introduction of their classification system in 2002, VDP members have voluntarily agreed to restrict the use of individual site names to wines from classified sites, and to market their everyday wines simply as house wines with a proprietary, village or regional name.
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