Why?

Wine law of 1971

Germany has a long and successful viticultural tradition. The German wine law of 1971 created an enormous number of designations that not only confuse the majority of wine lovers, but also make it very difficult to identify/recognize which wines truly offer exceptional quality.

1. Vineyard site names have lost their significance.
   1. The 1971 wine law enables quality wines to be produced from any vineyard site within the German wine-growing regions.
   2. Thousands of vineyards have been consolidated (from ca. 30,000 to ca. 2,700) and often named after the best-known site now within the borders of the newly created site. Vineyard names that had been traditionally associated with high quality wines can now be used for wines of all qualities.
   3. The wine law established two types of vineyard sites: Einzellage (individual site) and Grosslage (collective vineyard site, i.e. made up of several individual sites – often including vineyards of many wine villages). There is no indication on the label as to whether a wine originates from an individual site that imparts site-specific characteristics (reflects its terroir) or from a collective site.
2. Traditional terms associated with wine quality have lost their significance.
   1. The use of the term “natur” or “natural” (not chaptalized) was forbidden.
   2. A quality wine category (QbA) was introduced and wines of this category can be chaptalized.
   3. The overall volume of Prädikat wines on the market has been greatly inflated, because qualification for a Prädikat now depends exclusively on must weight.
   4. The traditional term “Cabinet” that once denoted particularly fine wines now denotes the simplest of the Prädikat wines, Kabinett.
3. There is no correlation between a quality category and style (taste profile).
   1. New methods of cellar technology (e.g. the use of sweet reserve) enable winemakers to produce wines with residual sweetness at will, whereby this style was formerly achieved naturally.
   2. For quite a period of time, it was difficult to find high-quality dry wines on the market.
   3. Traditional terms, such as Spätlese, no longer have a specific taste profile.

VDP measures

Since 1984, members of the VDP have developed an internal system of vineyard classification in an attempt to remedy some of the less-than-positive consequences of the wine law of 1971. The stringent criteria for membership in the VDP (statute of 1990) are comparable with an estate classification. The VDP’s vineyard classification is continually being refined, with the following goals in mind:

with reference to 1.
To restore significance to the names of Germany’s finest vineyard sites by producing wines from those sites that impart discernible terroir qualities and to do so according to strict quality criteria

with reference to 2.
To help return Germany’s outstanding dry wines to their previous (renowned) status

with reference to 3.
To resume the practice of correlating the Prädikats with their traditional taste profiles.

Since 2001, the VDP has refined its internal classification model step by step, taking into consideration recommendations and comments made by customers and by members of the trade and press. Just as “Rome was not built in a day,” the wine-law-related problems that have emerged over the past 35 years cannot be rectified in one step. Furthermore, the VDP must also work within the existing legal framework (respect labelling laws, for example). In the long run, the successfully establishment and clarification of the apex of the VDP ERSTE LAGE    classificatory pyramid is expected to lead to a similar clarification of the other wine categories defined by the VDP
(Klassifizierte Lagenweine - wines from classified sites, and “Gutsweine” – an estate’s basic wine).

Key changes agreed upon at the VDP general meeting in 2006

(Goal: to implement the changes in all regions no later than 2015.)

• VDP ERSTE LAGE is the uniform umbrella term in all regions for all wines of the top category. These wines can be recognized by the logo   on the label and/or embossed on the bottle.
  This logo stands for “originating in one of the finest vineyards in Germany.”
• All wines that are designated VDP ERSTE LAGE will be produced according to the same strict, terroir-oriented criteria (cf. VDP classification statute of 2002).
  These production criteria guarantee a wine of outstanding quality.
  stands for “Germany’s Grand Cru wines.”
• VDP ERSTE LAGE dry wines will be denoted as Grosses Gewächs (great growths), e.g. STEIN Grosses Gewächs.
  As of vintage 2006, these wines will all be dry in style, i.e. have a maximum residual sugar level of nine grams per liter, as prescribed by law.
• VDP ERSTE LAGE wines with noticable sweetness will be denoted by the traditional Prädikats, from Spätlese and Auslese to Trockenbeerenauslese.  For each vineyard, the relevant regional VDP will define which taste profile(s) are optimal for reflecting a vineyard site’s terroir.
  VDP ERSTE LAGE wines will have a defined taste profile that is clearly identifiable on the label.
• In the future, in addition to vineyard sites classified as 'Erste Lage' there will be a second tier of classified vineyards. A vineyard will fall under one of these classificatory tiers or the other, but its name would not be permitted to appear on labels for wines of more than one tier.
  ERSTE LAGEN (TOP SITES) are unique.

Last but not least...

...a résumé by Steffen Christmann, president of the VDP

“The VDP views itself as a pioneer in introducing a system of designations (and logos, until some of the VDP terminology is legally recognized and thus, permitted on labels...not yet so, as of this writing) to help consumers easily identify/recognize top-quality wines that originate from Germany’s finest vineyard sites, i.e. those sites that impart site-specific characteristics. At this writing, many in the wine trade are in favor of this approach – others are not – but the fact that the VDP classification system has sparked lively discussion and the fact that their classification model is now being emulated by numerous other wine organizations confirms that the VDP is on the right track. The Prädikat wine estates realize that sometimes, detours are necessary to reach the goal, not least due to legal constraints, but also due to varying regional traditions.

The goal of all these efforts on the part of the VDP is to ensure the future of top-quality German viticulture in producing handcrafted, culturally inspired, terroir-oriented wines, and at the same time, to preserve the great diversity of styles of German wines – unique in the world. We have tremendous potential resources with our multitude of soil types, microclimates, and grape varieties as well as the dedication of our wine-growers. If we utilize these resources properly, we can guarantee the future of our estates and fulfill the growing desire for authentic pleasure within the realm of the great wines of the world.”