Flurbereinigung

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Flurbereinigung is the German word used to describe land reforms in Germany and Austria in the late 20th century. These reforms sought to improve agricultural efficiency, support the infrastructure, and restore the natural environment as well. Flurbereinigung radically shaped the German wine industry. First taking shape in land consolidation legislation passed in the the 1950s as part of an overhaul of the structuring of German agriculture, the Flurbereinigung would see many vineyards replanted and physically reshaped, for example with respect to building access roads, in order to make viticulture more successful.^[1]

[edit] Reason for restructuring

Many German wine regions, like the Mosel, have their vineyards planted on steep terraces along a river bank in order to maximize the climate benefits of the nearby river. Often these vineyards were planted before mechanical harvesting was widely used and had to be picked by hand to great labor expense. Another disadvantage was the lack of ideal drainage in some of these vineyards where either too much or too little water was retained in order for the vine to sustain quality production.^[1]

[edit] Process and benefits

With Federal and local help from the German government many vineyard owners were able to redesign and replant their vineyards in order to optimize maintenance and harvesting. Several vineyards also took the opportunity to upgrade their plantings from the lower-quality Müller-Thurgau grape to the high quality Riesling vine. Some wine areas also improved the roads and access to their vineyard to increase tourism potential. In some cases, parcels of land that were spread out over different areas were reallocated among vineyard owners in order to reduce production cost.^[1]

[edit] References