The best wines from sustainable wine production, organic wines, wines from resistant and historical grape varieties as well as corresponding sparkling wines and sparkling wines from traditional bottle fermentation as well as experimental wines, natural and orange wines were honored on the occasion of EUROVINO in Karlsruhe.

All award-winning wines from the Fair Wine Awards could also be tasted on site in a special tasting zone during EUROVINO.

During the well-attended networking evening on Sunday, the initiators of the Fair Wine Awards selected the best wines in 5 categories as well as the wine merchants of the year in 4 categories and the wine bar of the year. The following retailers, restaurateurs and winegrowers received an award from Ms. Sabine Kurtz (MdL), State Secretary in the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Food, Rural Areas and Consumer Protection:

Independent retail category

• E-Center Zierles, Anja and Marc Zierles, Oer-Erkenschwick

Independent retail stores category

• REWE supermarket in the LÖMA-Center, Björn Keyser, Radebeul

Specialized wine trade category

• Pinard de Picard, Ralf Zimmermann and Dr. Martin Lehnen, Saarwellingen

Category Online trade

• Senti Vini, Bernhard Weigenthaler, Kirchheim near Munich

Wine bar category

• EAST GRAPE Wine Bar, Ralf Müller-Arnold, Frankfurt am Main

The winning wines

The three or, in the case of sparkling wines, four first-place winners with 4 and 5 stars in each of the participating competition categories:

Wines from sustainable production and organic wines

• 2017 Ambrosan Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG Classico Riserva, Soc. Agr. Nicolis Angelo e Figli, Valpolicella/Italy
• 2023 Chasselas Réserve dry, Wein- und Obsthof Rüdlin, Baden/Germany
• 2020 Château Mille Roses Haut-Médoc Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, EARL Château Mille Roses, Bordeaux/France

Wines from resistant grape varieties

• 2023 Vinneo Piwi Sauvitage dry, Johannes-Weine, Hörner GbR, Pfalz/Germany
• 2022 Cabernet Blanc dry, Schweder Winery, Palatinate/Germany
• 2022 Roesler Barrique Piwi, BioWeingut Amon, Lower Austria/Austria

Wines from historical grape varieties

• 2024 Viognier dry, Weingut Anselmann, Pfalz/Germany
• 2021 Roter Veltliner ‘S’, Sturm Winery, Palatinate/Germany
• 2023 Vintage Grüner Adelfränkisch, Genheimer Kiltz Winery, Nahe/Germany

Sparkling wine and sparkling wine from classic bottle fermentation

• 2019 Dosage Zero Picardon Blanc, SM SektManufaktur GmbH, Nahe/Germany
• 2020 Schwarzhofberger Riesling Sekt brut, Bischöfliche Weingüter Trier, Mosel/Germany –
• 2022 Silvaner brut, Huck-Wagner Winery, Baden/Germany
• 2021 Rosenzeit Gewürztraminer brut, Monopol Held Sekt b.A., Disibodenberg Winery, Palatinate/Germany

Natural wines, orange wines, experimental wines and wines from alternative fermentation and ageing containers

• 2022 Souvignier Gris “Gegenstück”, Albert Gälweiler Winery, Nahe/Germany
• 2023 Cortese di Gavi, “Orange – Ato Wines”, Castello di Tassarolo, Pirmont/Italy
• 2022 Pinot Gris “Genius”, Monschein Winery, Southeast Styria/Austria

The tasters

The award ceremony

Sustainable buildings require as little energy as possible and also use renewable energies. Heat losses are reduced through optimized insulation and combined with efficient systems and building technology for heat recovery. The right choice of building products that are safe for health and the environment is particularly important both in the manufacture and subsequent disposal of the materials.

Sustainable construction has been practiced in the wine industry for some time. The focus here is not only on residential buildings, but also on commercial buildings. The choice of location is already the first step towards a sustainable orientation.

• Is the property easily accessible?
• Are the operating processes optimally guaranteed by the location?
• Is future expansion possible?
• Can gravity be used as an important supporting factor in wine production?
• Is surface sealing reduced as much as possible?

The answers to these questions usually already lead to a minimization of energy requirements in the use phase through structural optimization.

The choice of building materials – often clearly visible in the outer shell of the building – is another important factor in ecological construction. This involves the use of reusable or recyclable building products and materials, the use of materials that have the lowest possible environmental impact during production and the use of sustainably produced, renewable raw materials (e.g. wood). Regional materials such as oak, as a local type of wood, and slate and granite, as locally available stones, are preferred for the architecture of wineries in particular.

In addition to building materials, there are also issues of energy and water consumption and their provision. The use of energy-efficient technical equipment to condition the rooms and the use of renewable energy sources is the basis for the energy issue here. When it comes to water, the focus is on the retention and use of rainwater and water-reduced production processes.

Sustainable construction is therefore an important building block in the wine industry, which not only influences the architecture but also, above all, the communication with the customer through its external impact and is ideally as timeless and long-term as possible.