Wine rebel, terroir pioneer, sustainability visionary: FAIR'N GREEN appoints Reinhard Löwenstein as honorary member of the board

Pioneer of sustainability

Löwenstein was a pioneer long before sustainability became a buzzword in society. For him, it was clear: soil means vitality. A vineyard is an ecosystem. And people deserve respect. This attitude laid one of the foundations for FAIR’N GREEN.

The idea was born at the end of 2012 during a dinner between Dr. Keith Ulrich and Reinhard Löwenstein in Bonn. A conversation about what sustainability in viticulture could look like in concrete terms gave rise to an idea, then a concept, and finally an association.

Together with Dr. Keith Ulrich, winemakers such as Clemens Busch, and scientists from Geisenheim University, Löwenstein developed the first FAIR’N GREEN criteria catalog, which he actively formulated, discussed, and scrutinized down to the smallest detail. Many of his convictions continue to shape the system to this day. Reinhard Löwenstein thus became one of the pioneers of sustainability in German viticulture.

A board characterized by attitude and enthusiasm for discussion

For over 12 years, Löwenstein helped shape the FAIR’N GREEN board with his passionate enthusiasm for discussion, clarity, uncompromising quality standards, and constant focus on creating an ideology-free, rigorous, and value-based standard for sustainable viticulture. The fact that FAIR’N GREEN was founded in Winningen in 2013 lends this moment a special symbolism to this day: the association was created in the place where Löwenstein’s understanding of terroir, responsibility, and sustainability had grown over decades.

Reinhard Löwenstein’s work was also honored on behalf of other winegrowers’ associations, represented by FAIR’N GREEN members Andrea Wirsching and Clemens Busch. Clemens Busch, also a founding member of FAIR’N GREEN, emphasized his importance in the Association “Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter”. For 18 years, Löwenstein shaped the VDP Presidium “with a constructive view of classification and unmistakable commitment.” Andrea Wirsching, managing director of the Hans Wirsching Winery, also praised Löwenstein’s important role in the wine world. He is considered a driving force behind the Twin Wineries Initiative, a network of over 40 wineries from Germany and Israel that uses wine as a cultural bridge builder.

Acknowledgements and prospects

The board and members of FAIR’N GREEN would like to thank Reinhard Löwenstein for his extraordinary commitment, his inspiration, and his attitude, which have had a significant impact on the association. His appointment as an honorary member of the board not only recognizes his work and lifetime achievements. It is also a promise: the values he has instilled—respect, authenticity, responsibility—will continue to form the foundation of the association.

Reinhard Löwenstein thanked the FAIR’N GREEN board members and members present and quoted Karl Marx: „Die Philosophen haben die Welt immer neu interpretiert. Es kommt aber darauf an, sie zu verändern!“