"We are happy to work together to make steep slope wine even more attractive as a very special product in our region and beyond," says District Administrator Allgaier. In recent years, the old cultural landscape in the district has gradually changed. "In many places, you can now see that the vineyard terraces along the Neckar and Enz rivers, which are over 1,000 years old, are becoming overgrown. We still have a small window of opportunity to intervene here. We need to join forces for this." Representatives of the private wineries Herzog von Württemberg and exNicrum Weinmanufaktur as well as the member of the state parliament Tobias Vogt and environmental expert Claus-Peter Hutter were also part of the discussion group.
The situation of winegrowers is difficult - prioritization as part of the solution
The representatives of the winegrowers described the current situation with a difficult autumn for Trollinger, bureaucratic hurdles and a lack of young talent. As a result, more and more wineries are giving up. During the discussion, it became clear that the historically grown stock of vineyards on steep slopes cannot be completely preserved. "We have to take a new course and that means prioritization," the district administrator concluded from the feedback. The municipalities are also called upon to work together with the cooperatives and businesses concerned to define which sites are particularly characteristic of the landscape, suitable for viticulture and important for the population.
Citizens share responsibility as consumers
However, the district administrator also appealed to the citizens, who, as consumers, also decide how much the preservation of steep slopes as a cultural landscape is worth to them. In addition to this, public support for steep slopes is necessary. "This must not fail because it is presented as a distortion of competition in favor of German winegrowers that is contrary to EU law," continued the district administrator. Rather, the subsidies serve to preserve the cultural landscape and bring the winegrowers to an internationally competitive level.
Understanding for displeasure - EU must soften bureaucratic shackles
The experts also spoke with the district administrator about new grape varieties that are better adapted to today's climatic conditions and from which high-quality wines can be produced. The "Steile Weine" project already has a concept for this. "So we don't have to reinvent the wheel, but we do have to move forward," said the district administrator. He showed understanding for the displeasure of winegrowers, some of whom did not apply for public funding simply because the procedures were too complex. "The EU must soften the bureaucratic shackles here." In addition, the EU must be prevented from banning all plant protection in protected areas. If necessary, landscape conservation areas would have to be redefined.
Work on steep slopes is laborious - district administrator acknowledges commitment
The District Administrator praised the efforts of the winegrowers to date, who still painstakingly tend the steep vineyards, as well as the initiatives of cooperatives, municipalities and private actors to halt the decline of this unique cultural and natural heritage. "But time, generational change and the effects of climate change are working against us. That's why we have to tackle this at all levels," emphasized Allgaier.
District office coordinates further process
"I will initiate a practical process under the coordination of the district administration office, which should lead to concrete decisions as quickly as possible and provide planning security for winegrowers and municipalities," the district administrator promised. "Our steep slopes must be preserved in important representative areas. That is clear to me."
