Le Carline, italian organic wine-maker, is back to Biofach
Le Carline, italian wine maker from Venice, is once more back to Biofach Messe (19/22 february 2009) with his organic wine, sparkling wine, grappa and organic olive oil (OKOLOGISCHE WEIN, SEKT, GRAPPA and EXTRA NATIVES OLIVENOL).
Le Carline Agricultural Company from Venice, Italy, is available at Halle 4A Stand 4a-309 and is proud to make you taste two red wines by organic grapes:
– REFOSCO RISERVA 2006 DOC LISON PRAMAGGIORE, from Refosco grapes, a typical grape of North-East Italy
– CARLINE ROSSO 2003 IGT VENETO ORIENTALE, a beautiful aged bordeaux blend.
Download mini map of Biofach 2009
Download mini map of Biofach 2009 (italian)
“BioFach 2009: Organic wine continues its success story
– Organic wine as distinctive segment for the trade
– EU to present new cellar directives for winegrowing in 2009
– Deadline for International Organic Wine Award entries: 17 October 2008
Some 2,900 exhibitors and again more than 46,000 trade visitors are expected at BioFach, the World Organic Trade Fair, and Vivaness, the World Trade Fair for Natural Personal Care and Wellness, in 2009. Organic wine moved into its new home in the Wine Hall 4A in 2008 and the world-leading exhibition BioFach again promises variety, quality and enjoyment in the growth segment of wine in 2009. 347 wine exhibitors from 23 nations presented their top wines from certified organic cultivation to an interested professional audience in 2008. Some 10 % more wine exhibitors are expected in 2009. Winegrowers from all over the world can present their fine wines for tasting for the International Organic Wine Award on 22-23 November 2008 and compete for one of the coveted prizes. The deadline for entries is 17 October 2008.
“The positive response to the new wine hall clearly shows that our decision to upgrade the wine segment was right. I am sure the most attractive aspects of organic wine will be available to experience again at BioFach in 2009,” says Udo Funke, Exhibition Director of BioFach and Vivaness.
Not only organic wine moved into the new day-lit hall at BioFach 2008; organic olive oil was also presented in the Wine Hall 4A. Here the visitors can taste and enjoy all the facets of olive oil again in 2009 and choose the winners in the second competition for the best organic olive oil at the Olive Oil Bar.
The thirst for organic wine knowledge can be quenched at the forum and on stage as part of the congress programme and the top gastronomes in the restaurant in hall 4A prepare culinary delights for the visitors. The winners of the BioFach International Organic Wine Award can be tasted in the Vinotheque, the tasting area of the Wine Hall. More information about the Wine Award is available at: www.biofach.de/wineaward.
More organic wine in catering and the conventional trade
The sale of wine from certified organic grapes is developing extremely positively despite increased costs for energy and food. The trend to organic wine can meanwhile be observed in all sales channels. The organic range has not only grown strongly in the classic supermarket segment. “Organic wine is also increasing in the catering trade and conventional wine merchants are now noticing a broad interest in organic,” says industry insider and wine importer Peter Riegel of Orsingen. Wine merchant Christof L. Pistorius of Saarbrücken also thinks similarly: “The fig-leaf mentality among wine merchants is making way for real interest and the image is now very good.”
Following the good response to their organic food ranges, large chains and discounters are taking a more long-term view of wine than before. “Organic has become a distinctive segment. It is also apparent that establishing the distribution of organic wines as wine brands is far more difficult. This is due mainly to the limited availability of the individual product,” explains industry expert and wine merchant Ralph Hintz of Traben-Trarbach. This should be changed now. Particularly in countries like France, Spain and Italy, large cooperatives or other grower associations exist that have converted sufficient vineyards to organic cultivation, but there are often not enough basic wines of convincing quality to provide an ample supply for the large chains.
Origin and fair trade gaining importance
More and more consumers would like to know where the wines come from and who produced them where and how. In the German trade, however, organic wine from Germany is not generally preferred. Spain and Italy are still expanding, whereas the demand for organic wine from France has had to accept slight drops. Wines from South Africa and from Chile and Argentina are selling very well, say experts. There is still some potential here in the classic organic shop, organic supermarket and the specialist trade and this could be utilized by overseas producers. The situation in the classic conventional retail food trade is partly different. “There is a strong demand in Germany, Italy, France and Spain in that order. Overseas countries and Eastern Europe are currently of no great significance, and Eastern Europe still lacks credibility among consumers,” says market expert Irene Becker-Volkmann of Hamburg. The fair trade issue is a major exception here. “The consumers’ awareness of fair trade has now also reached the wine segment in addition to coffee, bananas and chocolate, and especially fair-traded wines from South Africa have profited from this until now,” explains Dirk Haux of Radolfzell, supplier of wine to the conventional retail food trade.
Sales focus in the German trade: South European wines
South European wines sell best in the international organic wine segment in the German trade. Of the Italian wines, Prosecco, Pinot Grigio and Merlot end up in the shopping basket particularly often. On the other hand, the demand for wines from France is mainly for Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, whereas Tempranillo is especially popular from Spain. The leaders among the German wines are Riesling, Silvaner, Müller-Thurgau, Dornfelder and Spätburgunder, but Regent is also increasing.
Top quality and higher price segment catching on
In the meantime, organic wine has long been established in higher price segments too. “Wines costing around 10 EUR or more sell very well,” observes Peter Riegel. The most frequently sold wines, however, are in the up to 4.99 EUR category. With a few exceptions, the shelf prices of organic wines in the conventional retail food trade start at 2.99 EUR. More and more consumers also accept higher prices for wine of organic quality. German wines can even cost a little more, with prices up to
5.99 EUR.
New EU directive for aging in the cellar
In the field of certification, the industry is eagerly awaiting the EU decisions regarding the cellar directives for organic wine, which are planned for 2009. Industry insiders hope these will be based on the rather strict regulations of associations like Ecovin, Bioland, Naturland, Bio Austria, Bio Suisse or Nature et Progres. The EU authorities could also orientate the new guidelines to Demeter or Biodynamic®. At the
11th general meeting of Demeter International in Austria this year, 30 representatives from 17 countries, including Argentina, Brazil and New Zealand, approved minimum criteria for certified biodynamic wines with the Demeter label. The directives focus on the most natural vinification possible. The addition of sulphur and sugar have been controlled and the possibilities of acid regulation defined out of consideration for worldwide biodynamic winegrowing and climate differences.“
