Award for Sustainability 2017

The decision was made within the framework of a jury of researchers, consultants and practitioners who, in addition to the requirements of sustainability, always put the direct applicability for practice into the focus of the decision. The competition is aimed at all exhibitors at the large equipment and machinery exhibition in Nieder-Olm and honors products, systems or services that support winemakers in their sustainable business activities. In doing so, ecological, social and of course economic aspects are evaluated. The competition is organized by the Association of Former Oppenheim Specialist Students (VEO), the Service Center Rural Area Rheinhessen - Nahe - Hunsrück (Oppenheim) and Rheinhessenwein e.V. (Alzey).

Category Oenology: NDtech test procedure secures quality corks from Amorim Cork
At the beginning of 2016, Amorim Cork introduced a new, unique screening technology that, for the first time, guarantees "natural corks without sensory-detectable TCA" worldwide. With NDtech, every natural cork is tested technically individually by means of gas chromatography. This means that all tested corks have a soluble TCA content of less than or equal to 0.5 ng / l in the analysis according to ISO 20752. This is an amount that is considered "sensory imperceptible" for humans. This technology complements Amorim's existing prevention and disposal operations and will provide an excellent seal especially for premium wines - with all the benefits of natural cork. The jury was impressed by the company's enduring commitment to the quality of its products in order to maintain the sustainable ecosystem of cork oak forests and to contribute to the quality of premium wines. The company Amorim takes its responsibility for the eco-and economic system of cork production seriously and tries not only to preserve the ecosystem, but also the jobs of many people who live on it.

online report in SWR media center (in German)

Open Category: dT200 Control System PLC from fp sensor systems GmbH
In the open category an "intelligent control system" dT200 of the company fp sensor systems GmbH scored. The intelligent dT200 controller permanently measures indoor and outdoor temperature, as well as the relative humidity and determines the dew point. This newly developed control system provides a solution for air conditioning in increasingly dense building envelopes. The manager can respond by manually or automatically ventilating the buildings. The product was launched in mid-2016 and is currently being tested in initial operations. In practical use, the intelligent control system is a helpful tool for keeping buildings intact for the long term and optimally conditioning them.

In the categories of viticulture and marketing no prize was awarded this year, even though many applications were submitted in viticulture. This shows that many developments in resource conservation and work facilitation in viticulture are in progress, but many were not yet mature or tried and tested at the time the competition took place.