The Piwi Kollektiv

If the state government has its way, the proportion of organically farmed land in Baden-Württemberg should increase to up to 40 per cent by 2030. This also applies to viticulture. However, many small family businesses in Baden are traditionally organised in cooperatives and only cultivate their mostly small vineyards as a sideline. Even with the best will in the world, they are unable to cope with the effort involved in converting their operations and obtaining organic certification.

Martin Schmidt, owner of the Kiefer and Schmidt wineries in Eichstetten, and Philipp Rottmann thought about this and founded the Piwi Kollektiv.

The collective pursues a holistic concept. Winegrowers are advised on restructuring their vineyards with the aim of increasing the proportion of fungus-resistant grape varieties (in Germany known as Piwis), in the vineyards. The aim is to save 80 per cent of the pesticides used in conventional viticulture in this way.

Because the winegrowers' cooperatives have so far only taken very limited quantities of grapes from fungus-resistant varieties, the Piwi Kollektiv is also stepping in here.

In addition to a non-alcoholic sparkling wine and a semi-sparkling wine, Schmidt and Rottmann have two crémants in their programme that are truly impressive. One is made from Cabernet Blanc, Johanniter and Souvignier Gris, while the other, a rosé, is made from Souvignier Gris, Prior and Regent.

In both cases, these are perfectly balanced crémants with a fine perlage and delicate, floral fruit flavours. This reflects the potential of high-quality, fungus-resistant grape varieties for sparkling wine production in a special way – and this is also the reason why the Piwi Kollektiv has (so far) focussed exclusively on the production of sparkling beverages.