The Germans drink less wine overall. However, the demand for the top wines from the Großes Gewächs quality wine estates is stable – despite rising prices.
The price for the top dry wines of the Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweine (VDP) continues to rise: At an average of 45 euros, a bottle of the Große Gewächse of the VDP in 2023 costs an average of 5 euros more than in the previous year – and 17 euros more than in 2012, according to the VDP President Steffen Christmann of the German Press Agency said. Großes Gewächs are dry wines from one of the best German vineyards (VDP Große Lage).
The new vintage with such white wines, mostly harvested in 2022 and red wines harvested in 2021, will be on the market this Friday (September 1st). According to the association, this includes 599 wines, of which an average of around 3000 bottles each were produced. Demand in this high price segment is stable, said Christmann. According to the VDP, the range goes up to 225 euros.
“Unlike 20 or 30 years ago, there is no longer a year in which we cannot harvest very good wines,” said Christmann. So-called top vintages no longer exist. “Nevertheless, every year is very different.” The current year is “very promising”. “We were lucky that moisture came at the right time and it’s now getting cooler again,” said the VDP President, looking ahead to the start of the 2023 harvest. “The last four weeks are crucial.”
Significant impact on the entire industry
With its specifications for production and a pyramid of quality levels, the VDP has a significant impact on the entire industry. The association currently has 201 member companies. According to the VDP, around five percent of the vineyards in Germany belong to the VDP. The companies read three percent of the total quantity and thus achieve ten to twelve percent of the turnover.
For comparison: According to the German Wine Institute, domestic suppliers had to accept volume losses of 14 percent and sales declines of 8 percent in 2022 at an average price of 4.18 euros per liter.
Source: Stern
