–  We’ve got another year just about behind us, a really good one. In the wine cellars of Austria, there’s plenty of wine resting peacefully, produced from the fully ripened grapes of this year’s harvest, and filling the growers’ hearts with joy on account of its fine quality. Read more


 –  While worldwide 2017 saw the lowest level of wine production in years, Austria was able to record a harvest that was very good in terms of quality and also blessed by abundant volume. The yield of 2.6 million hl (according to October’s third harvest estimate) amounted to a quarter above the five-year average, which will go a long way to filling cellars that in many places have been rather empty. True, there were late frosts in 2017 as well as hailstorms, but both caused substantially less damage than in the previous year. Only the Weinviertel experienced a more modest harvest compared with the average, due to extremely arid conditions in one of the hottest summers in a long time. Read more


 –  The waiting has come to an end! To mark the Day of Austrian Sekt on 22 October, the sparkling wine categories Sekt g.U. Klassik and Sekt g.U. Reserve are making their market debut (‘g.U.’ standing for geschützte Ursprungsbezeichnung meaning protected designation of origin). Geschützter Ursprung, geprüfte Qualität –protected designation of origin and certified quality – is the official quality seal identifying the best among Austria’s Sekts, which can be recognised by a distinguishing symbol on the capsule, similar to the banderole on Austrian Qualitätswein. In both Klassik and Reserve categories, the grapes must be harvested in a single Austrian federal state, although the permissible methods of production can vary – time spent maturing on the lees, alcohol content or residual sugar (dosage) – as the flavour ultimately may. For every occasion, for every sort of personal taste and culinary consideration, the appropriate Sekt g.U. is now available in Austria – and not only for festive events. Read more


 –  As of this date, Austria has a tenth specific DAC winegrowing region: Schilcherland DAC – in the west of the federal state of Steiermark (Styria), formerly known as ‘Weststeiermark’. Here, the red wine variety Blauer Wildbacher is vinified into a rosé wine called Schilcher. Following an extended political process of discussion, pending changes to the DAC regulations were announced on 11.10.17. The new regulation concerning Schilcherland DAC was integrated into the collective amendment. Read more


 –  The very first Vinexpo Explorer, which took place in Vienna (Austria) on 11 & 12 September, was a hit with all participants. The new concept, combining business and tastings focused on one winegrowing region, proved successful, paving the way for a new approach to business networking. Read more

 –  Where matters of international wine marketing are concerned, Austria has demonstrated without any doubt that great successes are possible even with a modest acreage under vines. In the thirty years of the Austrian Wine Marketing Board’s existence, the nation’s average export price has risen steadily, impervious to any and all economic crises. At the same time, this small but dynamic land in the heart of Europe has established a reputation as the source for wines that are marquee-players on the world stage. This has also attracted significant attention in ‘la grande nation’ France: Vinexpo, the world-famous, powerful and potent partner of the wine and spirits industry has chosen Austria as the venue for launching their fully new event concept ‘Vinexpo Explorer’. On 11–12 September 2017, about 100 selected wine merchants from all over the world will come together in Austria with almost 100 of our winegrowers – to reach a meeting of the minds and the mercantile in matters of Austrian wine. Read more

 –  ’Numerous hailstorms, some of them quite severe, extremes of heat and drought – none of these factors managed to significantly damage the 2017 vintage. The Austrian wine industry made it through the extraordinarily hot summer in good order, and the current vintage can now score top marks with its fully ripened clusters. Austria’s winegrowers are currently anticipating a quantitatively good vintage, one in line with long-term averages, with very ripe and healthy grapes. After the sore trials of the previous year, in which growers could bring in no more than two million hectolitres in volume because of the crippling late frost, 2017 looks forward to a wine harvest of some 2.3 million hectolitres,’ announced Viticultural Association president Johannes Schmuckenschlager to reporters. Read more

 –  An upper-echelon wine summit hit the stage from 8–11 May in Austria. An international mix of some eighty journalists, sommeliers and wine merchants from thirty different nations – under the aegis of the Austrian Wine Marketing Board (AWMB) – spread out on five separate tours to explore the country’s wine-growing regions. The visits could be bookended this year by attendance at the European Sommelier Championship in Vienna. Read more

 –  Repeated record sales regardless of small harvests - Proceeds from Austria’s wine exports climbed in the year 2016 to a new record level of nearly 148 million Euros, despite a series of small harvests since 2011. This came about thanks to a considerable sales increase in upper-echelon bottled wines: a volume of 1.8 million litres, which translates into revenue growth of 5.2 million Euros for this segment. The median price of all exports climbed to an impressive 3.05 Euros per litre. Read more

 –  Imagine the vegetation cycle and vintage as a roller coaster ride: this is precisely the memory that Austrian winegrowers and friends of Austrian wine will retain of 2016. But all said and done, there is good to magnificent quality in white, red & sweet wines – in some cases with severely limited quantities. Read more

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