Galler Winery: The Pioneer of Piwi Wine Production and Sustainability in Germany
The Galler Winery is not just a winery, but a pioneer in sustainability and innovation in Germany. With its pioneering practice of using Piwi vines – fungus-resistant new varieties – for its premium wines, the Galler winery has become an outstanding role model for organic viticulture. The impressive carbon footprint of these wines is just one of the many environmental benefits they offer.
Innovation in viticulture
The Galler family thinks ahead and goes one step further. It revolutionized the wine market by offering wine in conventional beer deposit bottles. They are using an existing, proven system, which is not only practical, but also environmentally friendly.
The person behind the brand
Ansgar Galler, together with Katja Galler, runs the winery with passion and vision. Their ambition is to keep the interference with nature as low as possible, while producing top quality wines. Their wines, created under the motto “Pure pleasure from happy grapes,” are a testament to their commitment to quality and sustainability.
Ansgar, let’s start with your idea of putting wine in a beer deposit bottle.
Ansgar laughs: “Yes – it was the perfect idea at the right time. It felt like we were in all the media. Even TV Total visited us at ProWein. The discussion about sustainable packaging is currently raging in the wine industry, and rightly so. Many ideas are popping up, from cardboard to lightweight bottles. But what are they really good for? The real returnable glass bottle, which we have only saved as a beer and soda bottle so far, has demonstrably the best CO2 balance, and the system works nationwide in a very uncomplicated way.”
Ansgar, what do you think of Lidl’s “Die Kreislaufflasche” campaign, or rather the Schwarz Group, and its testimonial Günther Jauch?
Ansgar laughs again: “Günther Jauch has received an invitation from us to visit us at the winery and a 2/4 wine deposit bottle – in other words, a genuine circulation bottle. We would be happy if he uses his positive publicity for a really good cause. The recirculating bottle story is a consumer deception and requires some research. Who’s going to do that? A beer deposit bottle is simple and honest.”
Have you heard of Him?
Ansgar: “No, not yet.”
If I open the 2/4 bottle of wine now, what can I enjoy?
Ansgar: “Piwi wine of course! We have filled the 2/4 bottle with an uncomplicated cuvée of Johanniter and Sauvignac. It should be suitable for any occasion. 2/4 is also a good amount for an evening for two – each a quarter. And by the way, this beautiful cuvée even won an award – gold at the International Wine Awards.”
Which brings us to the Piwis. That is, after all, your real issue.
Ansgar: “Yes, we live sustainability and winemaking. We have been using Piwi grape varieties for almost 12 years. They are strong, hardly need any plant protection and cope very well with nature and all its imponderables. With such grape varieties, we can consistently implement our philosophy in the vineyard and cellar: “Controlled doing nothing”. Nature can do everything itself – and, of course, very good wine.”
Hence your slogan – “Pure pleasure from happy grapes.”
Ansgar: “The ecological benefit would be invalid without the enjoyment factor. In the end, there must be a wine that speaks for itself and appeals to people at the same time. The success of recent years and the many awards for our wines speak for themselves. So we are also happy winemakers.”
What do you want from consumers and retailers?
Ansgar: “It’s quite clear that we need to follow courageous paths that make sense. Whether it’s grape varieties whose names still sound foreign, or wine that suddenly appears in a deposit bottle in the store. There is so much to discover when you leave familiar paths.”
Where do customers find your wines, the 2/4 wine, and are you planning more of that?
Ansgar: “It varies across the country. Basic, Käfer and good organic stores are perfect places to go for our wines. If you don’t want to search for a long time, you can find the complete range in our online store. So one can make oneself besides a picture of the whole variety. With the 2/4 wine, we will certainly soon follow up with red and rosé.”
And how should the Galler winery develop down the line?
Ansgar: “On the one hand, we are pleased that people now know us and that our wines are well received. We want to build on this. Our lifelong dream is to create a sustainable, resource-conserving and self-sufficient organic winery ourselves – with our own energy generation. So we need ideas to make better use of rainwater and process water. We want to continue our future-oriented and at the same time produce top wines.”
An organic winery through and through
As a family-run organic winery, Galler has been certified according to the strict guidelines of Bioland since 2017. They have been planting only fungus-resistant grape varieties on their 13 hectares of vineyards since 2012, with 75% of the varieties now being piwis. This enables them to reduce crop protection to a minimum and to practice more sustainable viticulture that conserves resources.
Galler Winery: Wines with character
Ansgar Galler attaches great importance to authenticity and individuality in his wines. They have a lively profile and represent the special character of each site and vintage. Their wine names – Heinrich, Feodora, Kunigunde and Friedrich – are a tribute to their origins: the Leininger Land and its counts.
Recognition and awards for the wines of the Galler Winery
The Galler winery’s high quality and commitment to craftsmanship and sustainability are recognized annually by high awards, such as the International PIWI WINE Award, the Falstaff Piwi Trophy, the Focus Weintest, and positive mentions in the Eichelmann and Falstaff Wine Guide. These recognitions are further proof of the excellence and commitment of the Galler winery.
Galler Winery
Bissersheimer Str. 13, 67281 Kirchheim/Weinstraße
weingut-galler.de