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German winemakers sell “mud wine” to provide aid for flood damages

ahr valley winemaker with mud wine
Ahr Valley winemaker with 'mud wine.'

After the floods, Ahr valley winemakers are selling muddy bottles of wine labelled “authentic mud,” — bottles taken from the cellars that were filled with flood waters. Proceeds go to aid for all those stricken in the region by the disaster.

On July 19, devestating floods hit much of western Germany, which experienced more than a month’s rainfall within a span of 24 hours. A German meteorologist described the extreme weather event as one unseen in Germany in 500 years. Almost 200 people have been confirmed dead in Germany, more than 700 are injured and hundreds more are missing.

The Ahr valley in the north of Germany, one of the country’s  richest wine regions, was badly hit. Flash floods swept away homes, businesses, vehicles, bridges, roads and entire communities.

The floods filled winecellars and destroyed vines, also wrecking winemaking machinery like tractors, machines, filters and presses and harvesters as well.

There were about 50 winemakers hit by the disaster, and now many are digging bottles out of the mud in their cellars, or trying desperately to save what is left of the current harvest, which was expected in six weeks.

Losing a year’s harvest is a terrible blow for a winery which funds that of the coming year from proceeds this year. Few winemakers reportedly can afford to insure their harvest or machinery.

The “authentic mud” bottles are being sold all over Germany in an effort to raise funds to help these winemakers recover. Six of the bottles go for €120.

The Ahr is best known for its reds, usually Pinot Noir aged in barrels under the denomination Spaetburgunder. After the hot summer, these grapes would be expected to reach maturity just at the beginning of October.

To help save what can be of the harvest, volunteers have poured in from the Mosel and Nahe valleys with offers to help defoliate and prune vines ahead of next month’s harvest. They have brought tractors, forklifts and small-tracked vehicles designed for handling steep slope vines.

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