New VDP classification and scores of loop holes - Part I

The mountain labored and brought forth - presumably a mice circus. During a members’ assembly in Neustadt/Weinstraße, the executive board of the “VDP. Die Prädikatsweingüter” presented a draft resolution that even beforehand had caused excitement not only among the association’s members but had been approved unanimously.

Parts of the reflections had been presented to wine journalists beforehand during a “fireside chat”, the board members pointing out that the assembly has to approve everything before. Shortly afterwards, a hasty journalist presented apparent truths and, thus, he caused some turbulences within the scene. He reported the abolition of the “Erste Gewächs” (dry wines from Germany’s best vineyards) for VDP members in the Rheingau region and a prohibition of the declaration “trockener Kabinett” (“dry cabinet”).

One could say that this journalist indirectly anticipated later facts, but one could say he did not. As the VDP has left open scores of loop holes to its regional associations and members to decide themselves about origins, declarations of vineyards and tastes. However, let’s first stick to the core points of the new VDP regulations. In the future, from 2012 on, it is planned to establish a four level system:

• Große Lage(new top level vineyard)
• Erste Lage(top level vineyards that yield dry wines that are designated Grosses Gewächs and Erstes Gewächs)
• Ortswein (or terroir wine; only wines of Superior quality from classified second level vineyards bear the name of a vineyard)
• Gutswein(third level vineyards – high quality wines that reflect regional character)

The “Große Lagen” are being classified within the regions, and one regions wineries agree upon if they want to classify some vineyards “Erste Lage”; in other words: each region’s vintners can decide themselves if they want to have “Große Lage” and “Erste Lage” or only “Große Lage”, so, if they want to have a three level system or a four level system. So far, the “Große Gewächse” (for dry wines) and the “Erste Lage” (for fruity top wines) have been existing in parallel – how confusing. The simple and middle vineyards are now classified among the “Gutsweine” (third level category) and the “Ortsweine” (for instance “Niersteiner Riesling”). So, they are once second level wines and once third level wines, depending on the regional VDP group.

The background to the new regulations is the international classification. In Burgundy, “Grand Cru” is the top classification, a “Premier Cru” (“Erste Lage”) is, thus, the second level origin. In the Bordeaux region, it is still something different; as you know, there is the classification “Grand Cru” (“Großes Gewächs”), which does not refer to a vineyard but to a château. In the Médoc region, there are 61 wineries with Grand Cru-Status, but the top level wineries (Lafite, Latour, Margaux, Mouton-Rothschild and haut-Brion) are classified “Premier Cru” – not easily to understand for people who do not know the wine branch perfectly… (r.knoll)

… but let’s go back to the VDP (read more):

"New VDP classification and scores of loop holes - Part II"