VDP (association of German Prädikat wine estates)
German: VDP Pronunciation: fau-de-pe Also known as: Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter
Association of German Prädikat wine estates: a group of wineries with its own stricter quality rules and a vineyard classification.
The VDP is an association of German wine estates that binds its members to quality rules going beyond wine law. These include limited yields, hand harvesting and requirements for grape varieties and sites. It is recognisable by the grape eagle on the capsule.
The association developed a four-tier classification from Gutswein through Ortswein and Erste Lage to Grosse Lage, oriented on origin. It is voluntary and not a state system, but widely recognised in trade. Not every good wine estate is a member.
Related terms
Gutswein (estate wine)Lagenwein (single-vineyard wine)Ortswein (village wine)Quality wine (Qualitätswein)
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