Bioland Managing Director Dr. Christian Eichert presented the Bioland contract to Lord Mayor Fritz Kuhn and the head of the winery, Timo Saier, on Thursday, August 6.
Lord Mayor Fritz Kuhn said: “We are proud of our winery. This pride is also based on the fact that the winery is continuing its conversion to organic viticulture: since 2017, the winery has already refrained from using glyphosate. The aim is to become a certified Bioland winery in three years’ time.”
Bioland Managing Director Dr. Christian Eichert said: “With the winery of the city of Stuttgart, a unique municipal winery in Germany is now being managed according to the guidelines of our association - and can lead the way as a lighthouse project for other wineries”.
The city administration of Stuttgart runs its own vineyard with around eight hectares each of red and white wine, making it the only state capital in Germany with a vineyard that it also runs itself. The historic vineyards characterize the special cityscape of Stuttgart from Bad Cannstatt to Degerloch, from Hasenberg to Obertürkheim.
Operations manager Timo Saier explains: “Most of the inner-city vineyards are steep slopes and require a lot of manual labor as well as expertise to maintain and cultivate them. I am delighted to have a team of young, committed winemakers at my side who are passionate about managing the winery - and who are so motivated to support the switch to organic farming,” says Saier, who wants to bring the winery’s first organic wine to market in 2023.
Dr. Eichert adds: “Farming according to organic guidelines ensures the preservation and enhancement of natural soil fertility. Through targeted measures, such as the year-round, natural greening of the fallow land between the vines, Timo Saier and his team positively shape the proportion of organic matter in the soil and promote natural biocoenoses”.
Bioland viticulture consultant Veronica Ullrich, who is assisting the city of Stuttgart with the conversion, explains how this works: “By sowing deep-rooted plants such as ribwort plantain, the soil is always well loosened and aerated. This keeps the soil alive. This protects the soil and provides a habitat for a colorful variety of insects, which are attracted not least by the colorful flowers of the seed. Organic winegrowers thus promote a self-regulating ecosystem that manages without chemical pesticides and readily soluble nitrogen fertilizers.” He continues: “With the winery of the city of Stuttgart, a company with large areas and the associated long travel times is converting - which requires the targeted application of organic fertilizer, for example. Compared to conventional viticulture, this means more work, but also higher quality wines. With this courage to go the extra mile, the city’s winery can set an example for other wineries in the region.”
More about the winery of the city of Stuttgart (opens in a new tab)
More about the Bioland Landesverband Baden-Württemberg e.V (opens in a new tab).