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The following factors that must be embedded in a logical overall concept are required and inspected:
Quality and quality assurance of the products
25% of the wines of an estate or a cooperative must participate successfully in official quality wine tests. In addition further wines are selected in the course of the tests that are passed to an impartial DLG Commission and subjected to blind tasting. Naturally these wines must also be of good quality.
The special customer orientation in marketing
The DLG-recommended wine estate and winegrowers´ cooperatives should offer personal, committed servicing for customers. Tasting and selection of wines should not only be fun. Wine lovers should also be able to obtain the desired background knowledge through well-founded, expert advice on matters concerning the wine. Buyers should feel well looked after and advised on all aspects at the producer's. Skilful wine presentation, appropriate tasting facilities, and individual customer service are important pillars of the producer's marketing to which much value is attached during tests.
Convincing overall impression of the producer's buildings and estate
A wine-grower's property should radiate hospitality and feel-good atmosphere, appear inviting to visitors, and foster the buying mood. The first impression counts, and there is no second chance to make a first impression. Our testers put themselves in the position of customers or guests and examine the feelings or wishes that the producer waiting to be certified evokes. Aspects include, for instance, poor signposting, parking facilities, or unattractive areas in the yard.
Expert competence of the unit manager
During testing attention is paid to whether the manager of the wine-producing unit has appropriate technical qualifications and makes use of upgrading opportunities within the wine estate or winegrowers´ cooperative. This is important in order to identify trends and developments at an early stage and react appropriately for the benefit of the customers.
Viticulture under the motto of quality as well as good condition of the vineyards.
Quality concepts still start in the vineyard. Consumers want harmonious wines, made as far as possible from healthy grapes. This can be achieved by wine-growing measures. It is important here for the estate and especially the cooperative to be able to exert sufficient influence on its members, not least with regard to a holistic attitude to nature.
Qualitypromoting and product-conserving winemaking
High standards are also set for grape processing, wine making and wine storage. The true winemakers show their skills and do honour to their profession when it comes to questions of mash processing, yeast contact time, acid harmonising and residual sugar design, maturation in wooden casks, fermentation steering or completion of the wines in blends. Winemaker such as are to be found in the recommended wine estates and wine growers´ cooperatives.
Sound condition of the unit facilities and their expert use
Of course the sound and fully functioning condition of the machinery and installations is a basic prerequisite for meeting the requirements in wine growing, wine making and marketing. These facilities can only lead to the desired goals if they are operated properly. Here too, the principle applies that only those who know what they are doing can do it properly.
Traceability of production from the finished wine to the vineyard
Food safety and production are hotly discussed topics these days. In the past consumers often felt left alone with their fears. This prompted the DLG to react. The production process is recorded and checked through all stages and the corresponding documents are studied. This ensures transparency of production in all stages, as well as traceability.
Thus DLG certification is the result of stringent, sector-specific testing of all aspects of the wine producer. The demands are high and accordingly the group of participating units will initially be small.
For your benefit!
[ more information in German ... ]
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