VDP has not yet been technically sanctioned by German law, and its classification scheme is essentially a voluntary one for members.

• A. Not specified
• B. True
• C. False
• D. Not applicable

Answer: (B)

The statement is true. The VDP (Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter) operates as a private, voluntary association of wine producers. Its own quality and provenance system—using terms like Gutswein, Ortswein, Erste Lage, and Große Lage—is a self-regulatory scheme that members may adopt, but it is not a legal requirement imposed by German law. Official wine labeling and classification in Germany are governed by state regulations and the official categories (such as Prädikatswein and QbA), while the VDP scheme sits on top of those as a voluntary quality signaling used by participating producers. So the classification is essentially voluntary for members, and legal sanction is not involved.