ProWein 2012 Specialist Article Series December 2011

German consumers are considered particularly ecologically aware. In Germany “eco wine” has long since departed from its initial niche existence. Renowned producers like Bürklin-Wolf (Pfalz) and Wittmann in Rheinhessen, as well as an increasing number of cooperatives show that ecologically or bio-dynamically produced wines can boast outstanding quality. Organic cultivation is growing constantly; at present some 5,000 hectares are organically certified in Germany. “Organic cultivation now represents an extra benefit that consumers are also prepared to pay for. They associate the term organic with higher quality and wish to contribute here to eco-friendly food production,” explains Ernst Büscher from the German Wine Institute in Mainz. With organic wine boasting a 5% share of total area under cultivation German wine-growers rank highly worldwide alongside their Greek and Italian counterparts. The Austrians boast the highest proportion of organic production (almost 8%).