More sustainability: Last year, the bottles of Gutswein – 63 percent of the volume – were switched to lightweight glass, this year the weight of the bottles for the Grosse Gewächse is to be reduced by around a third to 550 grams.
(Photo: dpa)
Mainz According to estimates by the top wineries, sustainability in viticulture will be standard in Germany in five to ten years. “In viticulture, we notice more than others how the climate is changing and therefore have all the more need to make a contribution so that it doesn’t get so serious,” said VDP President Steffen Christmann of the German Press Agency before the start of the wine exchange his association in Mainz.
Around a quarter of the 201 VDP companies already have a certificate for sustainability, and they should all have one by 2025. “There will be a general pull from this unique selling proposition.”
The trend of drinking less wine but higher quality is continuing. “The prices will have to continue to rise because of the much higher costs,” said Christmann. On average, a three-quarter liter bottle costs 2.78 euros in Germany. For the top wines of the VDP it is 11 euros and 37 euros for the large sites – the highest quality level.
Every year, a “milestone” is added to the certification of the VDP companies for sustainability, said the Palatinate winemaker. Last year, the Gutswein bottles – 63 percent of the volume – were switched to lightweight glass, this year the weight of the bottles for the Grosse Gewächse is to be reduced by around a third to 550 grams.
The reason: “Almost 70 percent of the CO2 emissions in the wine industry are caused by transport and packaging.” Sustainability also includes the minimum wage, “a huge challenge because we do a lot of manual work”.
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