VDP. Die Prädikatsweingüter | Qualifications for membership

Membership is limited to proprietors of wine estates.
The estate is solely responsible for determining vineyard practices, cellar techniques and marketing strategies.
The estate is a full-time enterprise with
- high quality standards that have been been demonstrated for a long time,
- a good reputation in Germany and abroad
- a stock of older vintages and rarities.
The estate has holdings in good and top quality vineyards.
At least 80 % of an estate’s vineyards are planted with traditional grape varieties that are typical of the region (as determined by the regional associations, respectively).
The estate’s viticultural practices are in harmony with nature.
The estate limits yields to improve quality.
The estate’s quality categories are based on starting must weights that are higher (+ 8° Oechsle) than those prescribed by law.
The estate’s proportion of Prädikat wines is higher than the regional average.
The estate does not produce wines that bear the name of a collective vineyard site.
The estate harvests grapes that qualify for Auslese, BA, TBA and Eiswein by hand.
The estate’s portfolio offers wines of above-average quality and from several vintages.
The estate buildings and grounds have a respectable appearance and the estate has its own winemaking facilities.
The estate’s wine capsules feature the VDP logo: a stylized eagle bearing a cluster of grapes.

Estates must meet and maintain the criteria outlined above. Estates are inspected on a regular basis to ensure compliance with VDP standards.

Qualifications for membership