The news had already been circulating within the industry, but now it’s official: Monika Reule has resigned as Managing Director of the German Wine Institute (DWI). According to a confirmation from the DWI to German trade magazine Weinwirtschaft, Reule will leave her position on June 30, 2025.
The announcement came as a surprise to employees, who were informed by Reule herself on Monday, December 2, according to Ernst Büscher, Head of Press at the DWI. He further explained that Reule’s resignation was voluntary and for personal reasons. Neither Reule nor the DWI have provided additional details.
The search for her successor is now in the hands of the supervisory board of the German Wine Fund (DWF), which oversees the DWI (editor's note), Büscher confirmed.
The DWI celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2024. Monika Reule has been at the helm of the marketing organization since 2007. In recent years, however, she has increasingly been forced to implement significant budget cuts.
“We spark interest in German wine through our marketing and maintain a constant buzz about German wine in the media landscape,” Reule described her core mission in a 2022 interview with Weinwirtschaft. Starting in summer 2025, however, someone else will have to take over the reins in keeping this momentum going. VM
