Rheingau producers push label simplicity

Rheingau producers are looking to a more Burgundian way of classifying their wines and simplifying the look of their labels to try and help clear up much of the confusion that often clouds German wines.

Weingut Baron Knyphausen is particularly keen to use the Burgundian pyramid system of classifying its wines, believing that it would also allow it to better express each site’s individuality.

Speaking to the drinks business at the Great Rheingau Riesling Review 2011, Stanley Bronisz of Grape Vault Wine Investments said that the Burgundian system would enable estates to “express each vineyard with a wine rather than making lots of wines from one. It would make everything even more terroir-driven.”

Bronisz continued by saying that the system could also see estates not releasing a vintage from specific sites in certain years if the wine wasn’t good enough.

Other producers are not necessarily following the Burgundian system yet but have already looked at streamlining their labels, cutting sprawling coats of arms down to recognisable badges on plainer labels with non-gothic script.

Paul Graf von Schönborn of Domänenweingut Schloss Schönborn, explained that: “Label confusion exists in Germany too. I believe that the less you put on a label the more you say. Further information you can put on the back. Then as you go up in Prädikat and site specifics you can add more.”

Rupert Millar, 03.03.2011