Winemaker Florian Lauer from the Saar is overjoyed. A new EU regulation now makes it possible to do what he has not been able to do legally so far: Sparkling wine may be sold without a foil capsule on the bottleneck. Many large sparkling wine producers are skeptical.
“Consumers can immediately recognize a sparkling wine from the outside by the characteristic sparkling wine glass bottle and the film covering the bottle neck,” states Oliver Hennes from the Association of German Sektkellereien. This could change with the new EU regulation. “One advantage is the greater optical variety on the market, since the design possibilities of the presentation are increasing.” However, it is important to the association, which is responsible for 95 percent of sparkling wine production in Germany, “that the traditional sparkling wine equipment that consumers have learned as a quality feature” remains a guide.
“The champagne capsule has always been a visual feature of quality sparkling wines,” agrees Angelina Demeuth from Henkell
Problems caused by delivery bottlenecks
Volker Raumland from the VDP sparkling wine of the same name in Flörsheim-Dalsheim calls the decision “timely”. It will help to be able to react more flexibly in the future. “The obligation to attach a champagne capsule used to make sense in order to be able to distinguish sparkling wines in traditional bottle fermentation from other products – to protect the sparkling wine from cheaper semi-sparkling wines.”
In the past, however, Raumland sometimes had to wait up to two years for its champagne capsules, for example due to supply bottlenecks with the materials. “One of the largest capsule suppliers was based in Ukraine.” Production came to a standstill there after the start of Russia’s war of aggression. “All of this meant that we had to pause the sale of some sparkling wines or use a simple neutral capsule.”
For reasons of sustainability alone, Raumland will omit the capsule from some products such as its sparkling wines using the so-called Méthode Ancestrale. Now it can be considered which other sects will no longer wear a capsule in the future. “However, what remains important is that the closure of the champagne bottle must ensure that there is no “risk” when storing or opening the bottle,” he emphasizes. “The correct attachment of the clasp – the metal plate with metal wire – ensures that the cork cannot easily pop out or escape.”
DWI: EU regulation helps with cost savings
The German Wine Institute (DWI) welcomes the EU regulation. It makes sense, for operational reasons to save costs and avoid waste, to be able to dispense with the use of capsule films for sparkling wine bottles if the member states and producers decide so, says DWI spokesman Ernst Büscher.
Anne Schmidt from Rotkäppchen-Mumm Sektkellereien in Eltville emphasizes: “Regardless of the EU regulations on sparkling wine packaging, we are constantly working on optimizing the design and packaging of our products, which also include the capsule.”
Lauer von der Saar is “extremely happy about the political help from the EU” and an application from Italy “that got things moving”. The question was whether the film could be left out when exporting to countries outside the EU. In Germany, neither the Ministry of Economic Affairs nor the Greens supported his request, says Lauer, disappointed. Around two years ago, he unsuccessfully tried – with the support of like-minded people – to have champagne bottles sold without foil before the Trier Administrative Court.
“Terrifying Plastic Stopper with Bail-Agraff”
After the EU decision he feels a little like David who won against Goliath. Because he himself only fills around 15,000 bottles of sparkling wine a year, the almost 70 winegrowers who support his cause, together an estimated one of the several hundred million bottles in Germany. “The legal process is very long and incredibly expensive,” says Lauer. The appeal before the Koblenz Higher Administrative Court was admitted and he actually wanted to go as far as the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg – but the legal action is now hopefully superfluous.
“Why should we use a non-recyclable film?” asks Moselle winegrower Stephan Steinmetz, who, like Lauer, advocates bottles without capsules. However, the winegrowers are not only concerned with environmental protection, says Lauer, but also with the unnecessary costs for the films. And about the look, the presentation of the handcrafted product with natural cork and attractively designed clasp plates. These would look very different from some “terrifying plastic stoppers with a clip fastener”.
