Sustainable certifications
Under the motto "Naturally More," the various certifications for sustainable wine and their unique characteristics are highlighted. In various specialty wine shops, a selection is presented to raise consumer awareness of the benefits of sustainably produced wines. These wines respect nature, promote biodiversity, contain no chemical residues, and have lower sulfite levels. This results in a better wine experience and a positive impact on the environment. In short, a true win-win situation: "Naturally More!"
Quality labels
Organic
After the harvest, the use of additives and purification agents is minimized. Organic wine contains less sulfite and complies with strict EU regulations. This makes it attractive to environmentally conscious consumers. Since 2021, Skal certification has been mandatory for all organic sales points, from stores to webshops. This ensures transparency and guarantees that organic products are genuinely organic. Skal’s certification checker assists businesses in complying with legislation.
Demeter
Demeter is a certification for biodynamic (BD) agriculture, which goes beyond organic standards. It focuses on the harmony between soil, plant, animal, and human, while considering cosmic influences such as the sun, moon, and stars. This approach enhances vital soil and strong plants.
BD farmers work without chemical agents and follow a closed-loop system. The soil is naturally nourished, making synthetic fertilizers unnecessary. This fosters complex flavors in grapes and results in pure wines with unique profiles. The focus is on quality and nature conservation, not maximum yield. BD agriculture is innovative; farmers often lead sustainable initiatives and use special preparations to strengthen soil and plants. This promotes biodiversity and environmental protection.
All sales points that offer biodynamic products are required to enter into a licensing agreement with DEMETER. This ensures consumers that what is sold as biodynamic is genuinely produced as such. Therefore, obtaining the correct licensing agreement is necessary before purchasing BD wines from us. This prevents potential issues.
For more information about this requirement, please visit the Demeter website.
Fair for Life
Fair for Life is a certification for Fairtrade products. The requirements set by Fair for Life largely align with those of Max Havelaar. The main difference is that there is no fixed Fairtrade premium on the minimum sales price; this is determined jointly by the producer and the buyer.
Terra Vitis
Terra Vitis-certified wineries believe in the power of nature and work with dedication and pride to develop an ecological concept. The focus is on protecting and managing the earth, vineyards, and biodiversity. From the vine to the bottling process, everything is continuously traceable (up to five years back) and transparent. By constantly developing new insights, the goal is to create the most sustainable wines. A Terra Vitis winemaker will only use pesticides when absolutely necessary.
Vin Nature
Vin Nature wines are often organic or even biodynamic, although this is not always the case. The key difference between Vin Nature wines and conventional wines lies in the cellar. A Vin Nature producer aims to create wines with minimal additives: no enzymes, no acids, and hardly any sulfite (only a small amount added just before bottling).
Fermentation takes place with natural yeast and malolactic fermentation, using only natural bacteria. The wine must not be filtered or clarified. Vin Nature can be fantastic, but due to the lack of sulfite, the wine is also more vulnerable. There is no official legislation for the term Vin Nature. The rules are established and followed by the producers themselves. However, European legislation for Vin Nature wines is expected in the coming years.
