The story
The forerunner of today's Weinsalon natürel was a small in-house fair in 2014 with just five exhibiting winemakers from three countries in the Vincaillerie store in Leostraße in Ehrenfeld. An in-house fair for natural wine, as a contrast to the world's largest wine fair, ProWein in Düsseldorf, which took place at the same time. After the excellent response from the participating winegrowers and guests, the Weinsalon as we know it today was launched the following year in 2015: As the first natural wine fair in Germany! At that time, it already featured 50 winegrowers from all over Europe - again at the same time as ProWein, of course. The Weinsalon Natürel has always been named after the criteria for natural wine that apply here (nothing in - nothing out & up to a maximum of 30mg/l total sulphur content), the largest natural wine fair in Germany, which manages to bring together the who's who of the German natural wine scene alongside other top European winemakers in Cologne on one weekend.
We can now look back on a great development. German natural wines were still few and far between in 2015. The majority of wines came from other European countries, especially France. In 2022, this ratio turned around. Not only has the Weinsalon grown, but the natural wine scene in Germany has also changed significantly and continues to grow every year. What a few years ago were just a few brave individuals who dared to produce wine without additives has now become a scene that is earning more and more recognition in Germany and internationally.
The Organisator
The maker of it all? Surk-ki Schrade, one of the first natural wine merchants in Germany since 2009 with La Vincaillerie, has always been the mouthpiece of the scene and a supporter and mentor to many young German winemakers. She has an excellent international network and is appreciated by colleagues in the scene for her courage and forging ahead. As author of the book „Natürlich Wein“which was published in 2021, she not only provides an insight into the history of wine, but also creates a snapshot of the natural wine scene in Germany. The association she founded in 2020 „Naturknall e.V.“ aims to promote the interests of the German natural wine scene, and its members are also active helpers in organizing the Weinsalon.
Since the question keeps coming up: The Weinsalon is not a trade fair that represents the Vincaillerie range, but there are overlaps. So feel free to drop by the store or follow the link to her website, there is a lot to discover.
