Agriculture - Franconia's largest winegrowers' association loses two board members
"Current challenges in the wine market require clear and collective strategic decisions, and it has been shown that our visions in this regard differ," said Lauter.
With him, Andreas Oehm will also step down as Chairman of the Board. "Thus, the captain of the GWF is stepping down after nearly 20 years," the company announced. The reason for this decision, according to Oehm, is the planned departure of Lauter and the overall economic environment. Oehm will remain with the GWF, however. In the Board, the previously deputy Chairman of the Board, Martin Geißler, will remain.
Tense situation in the wine market
According to the GWF, the situation in the wine market is currently tense. According to the German Wine Institute (DWI), consumers have increasingly turned to cheaper foreign wines due to purchasing power losses caused by inflation in 2023. The price for domestic wines in food retail rose on average by 31 cents to 4.51 Euro per liter - and thus more than their international counterparts. The Wine Institute recently named high operating costs as the main reason for the increases in 2023.
In the Franken winemakers' cooperative, more than 2100 winemakers have come together with a total of approximately 1200 hectares of vineyard area. The company counts itself among the six largest winemaker cooperatives in Germany, according to its own statements.
Franken is the most important wine-growing area in Bavaria, where more than 98 percent of the total vineyard area of over 6400 hectares is located. There are approximately 2900 winemakers.
- Andreas Oehm, after nearly 20 years as Chairman of the GWF, will step down, following the departure of Lauter, in the heart of Bavaria's wine-growing region, Kitzingen.
- The underfront of the wine market in Bavaria, specifically in the Franken region, has recently experienced a surge in consumers opting for cheaper foreign wines, causing tension, according to the German Wine Institute.
- Personal details aside, Martin Geißler, previously the deputy Chairman of the Board, will remain in his position at the GWF, a significant cooperative of over 2100 winemakers, primarily in the agricultural sector of Bavaria, specializing in the production of wine.
