Interview ProWein: 75th German Wine Queen Eva Brockmann from Franconia
On September 29, 2023, the 75th German Wine Queen was elected in Neustadt an der Weinstraße. Eva Brockmann is allowed to continue in office and was crowned by the former 74th German Wine Queen.
We wanted to get to know Eva Brockmann better and conducted a short interview with her on her special topic: wine. The challenges and trends that are particularly noticeable in her home country of Germany. We will be welcoming Eva for the first time at ProWein 2024 and look forward to a lively exchange and new insights for 2024 in the wine industry.
1. Tell us something about yourself. Who are you? Where are you from?
My name is Eva Brockmann, I am 24 years old, but I will already be 25 when ProWein takes place at the beginning of next year. I was born in Munich, but spent most of my childhood here in Aschaffenburg and more or less grew up here. However, I lived with my family in Budapest for a few years. I have been the 75th German Wine Queen since September 2023.
2. How did you come to love wine, viticulture and wine sales?
I discovered my love of viticulture and, above all, the profession of winemaker over eight years ago. At that time, I attended an agricultural college in the district of Ansbach in Triesdorf, where I completed my A-levels. During this time, I spent about a year every two weeks at a vineyard in my home district of Mildenberg. During this time, I was able to get a taste of almost every branch of the business and ask countless questions. It wasn't long before I discovered my love and passion for this profession. After graduating from high school, I first decided to do an apprenticeship as a winemaker in the district of Kitzingen. I completed this for two years until I held my journeyman's certificate in my hand.
This was followed by my studies in viticulture and oenology, which I completed in July 2023. Parallel to my studies, I took over the office of Franconian Wine Queen in May 2022, and since September 2023 I have been the 75th German Wine Queen.
3. Could you tell us something about the special challenges that German winegrowers face?
There are a number of challenges in, for and with the wine industry. But probably the biggest and most important concern that we in the industry are currently facing is the reluctance of our consumers and customers to spend as a result of the current economic situation and the high inflation rate. We are currently observing declining market figures in relation to the wine industry. Of course, this is causing us some concern and worry, but the two thousand and twenty-third vintage has just been harvested by our wine producers and we remain positive about the future.
Another hurdle that the wine industry currently has to overcome is the upcoming generational change among our customers and consumers. Generation Z is in the starting blocks, and with the emergence of this generation, we are noticing a decline in the consumption of alcohol in general, including in the wine sector. This is an issue that has preoccupied us in the wine industry for the last few years, but is becoming increasingly acute and topical. Nevertheless, we have already found a good response. For some years now, our non-alcoholic wines, sparkling wines and sparkling wines have been on the rise. They are on the rise and we will continue to rely on them. This means that the generational change will not be a problem for us either.
A third hurdle that has been on our minds for many years and is no longer in our control is climate change. In 2018, we experienced the very first really hot and dry year, followed by a succession of different climatic events. Sometimes it was too hot, then too wet, then too cold. The former "scheme F" in the wine industry, where you knew exactly what to do on which day in order to end up with a good wine, no longer exists. Wine producers can no longer work according to this fixed pattern, even if generations before always said that this is how it has always been done. Unfortunately, this no longer works. But here too, if our wine producers are always vigilant, pay attention to weather services and can react flexibly, the way is paved for the future. There will continue to be wonderful wines in Germany.
4. What does the future global wine market look like to you? What trends can be identified?
The wine market and the wine industry in general are dominated by trends that are constantly taking them in new directions. There are several current trends that we are observing: Firstly, the current trend is towards either reduced-alcohol or even alcohol-free wines. This corresponds to the current lifestyle, which is based on fitness and healthy living. A conscious diet simply excludes heavy alcoholic wines. This means that consumers are consciously opting for low-alcohol wines.
A second trend that has been keeping the industry busy for several years is the so-called PIWIs. Fungus-resistant grape varieties have been cultivated for many years. However, it is only in recent years that they have become more present in the minds of consumers. In Germany, PIWIs are already being cultivated out in the vineyards, and we are pioneers in crossing and propagating fungus-resistant grape varieties in our vine nurseries. As a wine industry, we are proud to be able to supply the wine world with PIWIs.
A third trend that we are very pleased to observe is our Sparkling Vines. Our German sparkling wines, which we advertised intensively at the beginning, have now developed into a real self-runner. They are already very well known in Germany and enjoy great popularity. Internationally, they are still an insider tip, but we are confident that this will soon change. A German sparkling wine is simply unbeatable in terms of quality and value for money
5. What role do you play at ProWein and how do you support the German wine industry during this event?
I will of course be available at ProWein as a contact person for all aspects of our German wines. I will also be hosting some wine tastings at the German Wine Institute stand together with Generation Riesling. There will be various topics on offer, which I don't want to reveal too much about at this point. You'll just have to come by and see the stand for yourself. Personally, I will be using the days at ProWein to broaden my national and international wine horizons a little.
6. Are there any special recommendations for wines or wineries that visitors to ProWein should definitely try?
The trend on the part of consumers is currently once again increasingly moving towards white wine. That's why I can only recommend that all visitors to ProWein visit the stands of German wine producers and see for themselves the diversity of our leading variety, our Rieslings. Over 40 percent of the international Riesling cultivation area is located in Germany. Accordingly, our Rieslings present themselves in great variety and are characterized by outstanding quality.
However, if you are a little more in tune with the trends and still enjoy a glass of red wine, I also have a recommendation for you: our German Pinot Noirs. Germany is the country with the third largest area under Pinot Noir cultivation, and this is also reflected in the quality of this grape variety. It has been on a constant upward trend for several years now. This means that if you prefer a glass of red wine, then visit our wine producers and be inspired by our German Pinot Noirs.
7. Share some of your personal favorite moments or experiences at ProWein with us.
I can easily answer this question: I don't have any favorite moments from ProWein yet, because I will be visiting ProWein for the first time in 2024. So I'm really looking forward to the days of ProWein. I'm really looking forward to ProWein 2024 to see what experiences I can gather. Then I will also be able to report on my favorite moments.
