Laudatio Freddy Price 2009

Laudatio zur Verleihung der silbernen Ehrennadel an Freddy Price während der Eröffnung der Weinbörse 2009

Steffen Christmann:

His first experience in the wine trade in London was in 1953, as an apprentice working in a cellar and learning how to set up barrels containing wines from all over the world. This also included fining, filtering, and bottling them. German Wine were the most difficult, because of the danger of refermentation. This was his first contact with Riesling.

Working hard at the trade also had positive effects: a 50 pound bonus which enabled him to travel to the birthplaces of the wines which he had worked with back in London. He travelled to Champagne, Alsace and finally to Germany, where he stayed and worked in the cellars of Deinhard in Koblenz.

Back home in London, he joined a company whose boss was one of the first Englishman ever to be educated in Geisenheim. An inspiring source of knowledge about Riesling. For the next 30 years, Freddy worked for this company. This was the beginning of his love for German Riesling.

At the end of the 80s Freddy reached the peak of his career, when he started his own business and created the “Magnificent Seven. ” It was a low time for German Riesling, but he managed to get 7 of the top German Riesling producers to come to Great Britain for annual tastings. He succeeded in promoting the grower and their wines. A great effort for which we all are very thankful.

Also during this time, he started his journalistic career, writing and sampling wines for Decanter Magazine and in 1997, starting his own book project, called “The Riesling Renaissance.” For the next 6 years he dedicated his and his wife’s work – she is a photographer - to this huge project. They visited about 100 wineries in Germany and about 300 in other countries. The result: a standard work on German Riesling at the turn of the new century. Another one of his great efforts which was instrumental in helping top German Riesling Producers regain the image they deserved.

For the last 40 years he has been a great supporter of the VDP.
He generously offered his input and criticism of the VDP Classification ever since it was born.

Today, he is not only a fan of German Riesling, but also of German Pinots. As he says: “Today, the best German Pinot Noir can challenge great Burgundies” . That makes us very proud.

Today, I have the honor of awarding you the VDP’s special trophy “Made in Germany. ”

Because Freddy Price helped developed the foundation of the Riesling Renaissance and has been so loyal to German Riesling culture, we, the Prädikat Wine Estates, want to thank you for your life time’s work.Thank you very much Freddy Price!

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