Sustainability Report

Velis Vineyards has undertaken in the past years a lot of efforts and measures with regard to environment, social security and a number of other aspects. 
Following the 17 defined Goals of the United Nations we would like to go into detail for those ones we can influence.

Poverty alleviation

VV employs 30 employees in BG and 5 employees in Germany all year round at wages that are well above the minimum wage.

Sustainable agriculture (Agriculture Raisonée)

Since 2013, 40 hectares of vines -36 ha in BG and 4 ha in GER- have been planted on a total area of 64 hectares. 24ha of land are sustainably maintained and preserved. In this way we preserve important natural areas for wildlife. Snakes, partridges, hares, cuckoos, orioles, jays and hoopoes are regular guests in our vineyards. 
We completely avoid using weed killers like Round-up and rely on the natural development of herbs and other plants in our vineyards. 
By planting greenery in our vineyards, we have been able to completely avoid the use of fertilizers over the last 10 years - with only one exception in 2017. 
In 2019 and 2023 we were able to save around 0.5 hectares of old Cabernet Sauvignon - planted around 1971 - from deforestation. 
We plant fruit, vegetables and a variety of herbs on an organic basis for use in our wine shop/restaurant in BG as well as in GER.
We were able to save 80 trees in the vineyards that were up to 40 years old from deforestation. 125 trees have been replanted around the winery in Karabunar in the last 8 years. Plus hundreds of meters of bushes and hedges. 
In our German winery we have planted 60 trees on 7,500 square meters and built a natural pond that is home to toads, newts, water frogs and some species of dragonflies. 
Around the winery in Flörsheim-Dalsheim/D we have created around 3,500 square meters with a bee and butterfly meadow, supplemented by around 30 cherry and apple trees.

Healthy life and personal development of the individual

All employees can use part of the fruit and vegetable harvest free of charge. 
On cold and rainy days, the employees working outside are allowed to stay at home. We also enable people who have not an education to learn how to work in the vineyard and the wine cellar. The employees are not exposed to the high temperatures at lunchtime. 
Free drinks are a given. 
We promote art and culture by offering artists the opportunity to exhibit their art or show performances as part of events in the winery. 
We support the IFF (International Film Forum), which produces short films on the topics of the environment and climate protection, among other things. 
We also enable people outside the profession to learn how to work in the vineyard and wine cellar. 
The intercultural exchange between the employees in BG and D is also an important building block for mutual understanding

Equality

All employees receive the same salary in their respective positions, regardless of age and gender. 
We support further training measures as long as they are beneficial for employment in our winery.

Water and Wastewater

All of our surface water, i.e. all sealed surfaces plus roof areas, is either seeped into a rain overflow basin or fed into our cistern and then used to irrigate the gardens. 
Our winery in Karabunar has its own biological sewage treatment plant. Here, too, the water from the roof areas is collected and used to irrigate our green areas.

Sustainable economic growth and permanent employment for all MA

We use a self-optimized form of spraying during the critical weeks in the growth phase and thereby minimize the use of selective herbicides by more than 30%. 
The dry continental climate also means that we only have to treat Vines about half as often as many regions in Western Europe. 
All of our employees are employed all year round. We only use additional harvest helpers during the harvest. 
To ensure the long-term quality of our wines, our entire harvest is harvested by hand. This is how we ensure that only healthy harvests arrive at the winery. 
None of our vineyards, neither in Germany nor in BG, are irrigated. In dry years this often means that we don't get a harvest from young vines because we have to cut off the grapes to protect the vine, but it is necessary to stimulate the root growth of the vine into deeper layers. 
For trips to the vineyards and other errands, we use a bi-directionally equipped electric car whose battery we can use to provide electricity at night. 
Both wineries are equipped with a 30kWh photovoltaic system. A large part of the electricity generated is used by the company itself. 
From the 2021 vintage, we have reduced the weight of the glass bottles to an average of 420g. 
From 2024 on, all Reservas will be available in wooden boxes and no longer in cardboard boxes. 
We take back empty wine bottles and recycle them. The same applies to boxes and defective wooden pallets.

Direct action to combat climate change and its impacts

While arable land stores around 2 tons of CO2 per hectare, flowering meadows store twice as much! We therefore do not practice any agriculture on a total of around 20 hectares, but rather leave these areas to nature. 
Flowering meadows not only store more CO², but also produce significantly more oxygen. As already stated, we currently have a total of 60 kWh of PV power installed. A further expansion is already in the planning phase. 
Our buildings all meet the highest construction standards. In addition, we have landscaped the roof of our vinotheque and wine cellar in Flörsheim-Dalsheim.

Water Protection

Our vineyards are not in the immediate vicinity of bodies of water. Protecting the soil is still an obligation for us, which is why we limit the use of systemic herbicides, i.e. products that are used exclusively against certain diseases, such as powdery mildew, to an absolute minimum. We use spray nozzles that atomize extremely finely and thereby reduce the amount used. The warm, continental climate with little rain in summer obviously helps a lot. 
In contrast to almost all other wineries in BG and increasingly in Germany, we do not use irrigation systems for our vineyards. On the one hand, not to use water unnecessarily and, on the other hand, of course, to stimulate the roots to grow deeper. 
Surface and roof water is collected in both wineries and used for irrigation. If the cistern is already filled, the water is sent to the seepage basin. 
Our winery in Karabunar has its own biological sewage treatment plant, while the winery in D is connected to the public network.