After the second wine year in a row "in a state of emergency", the Association of Prädikat Wineries (VDP) celebrated the end of the pandemic with a new edition of the Mainz Wine Exchange.

The association, which represents around 200 wineries with a total annual turnover of 33 million bottles, spreads optimism.

The upswing is reflected, among other things, in "an increasing number of exports," said President Steffen Christmann at the opening of the trade fair in the Rheingoldhalle.

Because of the consequences of the pandemic and the Ukraine war, however, Christmann expects 30 percent higher sales costs for the VDP producers, whose sales are estimated at 444 million euros (2021).

Oliver Bock

Correspondent for the Rhein-Main-Zeitung for the Rheingau-Taunus district and for Wiesbaden.

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From the point of view of the VDP, the reopened gastronomy and increasing export figures give reason for hope.

Almost all VDP members have also succeeded in reacting to the changed consumer behavior in the pandemic with creativity and flexibility: "All in all, we have mastered the crisis well," says Christmann.

However, the winegrowers in the Ahr Valley have to contend with the devastating effects of the flood disaster and also - like all their colleagues - with adverse weather conditions: delayed budding after a cool spring, late vine flowering and a warm, humid summer with increased infection pressure from fungal diseases such as Oidium and downy mildew.

This pressure presented the organic farms with insurmountable challenges.

2021 will be remembered

"The wine harvest and the whole of 2021 will be remembered for a long time," says the association.

Despite yield losses and partly low must weights, "fine, elegant, long-lived wines" can be expected.

At almost 80 percent, domestic sales are of great importance for the VDP wineries, almost all of which also market “ex yard” and have also invested in online sales during the pandemic.

13 percent of the wines are sold through this channel.

Three quarters of the 200 VDP companies also work with online retailers and market another ten percent of the harvest through them.

Every fourth bottle is sold over the counter in brick-and-mortar retail.

Sales via the catering trade, which collapsed during the pandemic, are now back at 17 percent.

Sales of high-quality wines through food retailers have increased significantly.

According to the VDP, it increased by two points to ten percent.

Sales via the discounters, on the other hand, remain negligible at less than one percent.

When it comes to export, VDP goods see a recovery after the period of suffering caused by the effects of Brexit and the American punitive tariffs as well as the pandemic.

Compared to the previous year, an increase of three percentage points was recorded.

The VDP recognizes an “increasing international awareness of top German wine”.

"German wine is once again among the best in the world," says Christmann.

“Rare but better quality”

The most important export markets are Scandinavia, especially Denmark, as well as the USA and China.

They are followed by the Netherlands and Switzerland as well as the "opportunity market" Japan.

With a price of ten euros for the "Gutswein" as an entry-level drop, the VDP sees its members in a good position in view of an average price of only 3.70 euros for German wine, especially since the Gutswein accounts for 60 percent of the bottles sold.

The average price for local wines (18 percent) is 13.50 euros per bottle, and for single-vineyard wines (first location) 19.50 euros.

An average of 36 euros has to be paid for the top wines (Großes Gewächs).

According to VDP President Steffen Christmann, winegrowers feel that "behaviour when buying wine is changing".

The impression is reinforced that buyers "rather less often, but reach for higher-quality wines".

The VDP wants to operate "sustainably and ecologically" and produce "high-quality and authentic wines".

By 2025, all VDP goods want to be certified as sustainable.