VieVinum Jubilee a Total Success

As usual, Vienna’s Hofburg Palace provided a splendid setting for this twentieth-anniversary edition of VieVinum, which set a new record for international attendees. A total of 1,150 wine merchants, journalists, sommeliers and restaurateurs answered the call of the Austrian Wine Marketing Board (AWMB), nearly half of them for the first time. On the scene, the AWMB provided guests with full-service attention and an excellent support programme, to their total satisfaction – even despite some rather summery temperatures. On the day before the festival officially got under way, approximately 350 friends of wine accepted the invitation to the set tasting in flights ‘Great Sauvignon Blancs and Wines of the Pinot Family’. Saturday’s seminar ‘Austrian Wine Update’, presented by AWMB managing director Willi Klinger, was fully booked, as was the formidable Masters of Wine tasting ‘Best of Old World Pinot Noir Outside of Burgundy’, moderated by Anne Krehbiehl MW, Andreas Wickhoff MW, Stephan Reinhardt and Willi Klinger. The AWMB press centre and restaurant have created an extremely stylish and comfortable new environment for the international guests – and for the coming years as well – in the Austrian National Library. The presence of this year’s guest country Switzerland provided a pleasant international touch to round out the proceedings.

As a rule, it could be observed that significant numbers of the international audience came to Vienna already equipped with comprehensive knowledge about the wines of Austria, and were easily able to use their visit to the wine festival to best advantage. Many exhibiting winegrowers at VieVinum expressed the sentiment that they had never before noticed such a high level of professionalism and interest in Austrian wine on the part of the visitors. From this, one can easily infer that Austrian wine has made great strides toward international recognition, gaining in terms of profile and appeal.

One essential contribution to this encouraging development – in addition to the marvellous wines of Austria’s growers and the intensive marketing efforts of the AWMB – has been provided by VieVinum, organised every two years by MAC Hoffmann. A highlight on the calendar of many wine industry professionals since 1998, this festival not only offers an essential perspective on Wineland Austria, but also in its three days provides guests with unique images and cultural impressions from the heart of Vienna. It would be difficult to find a more lovely wine festival anywhere in the world...

Links

Austrian Wine at VieVinum
Official Website of VieVinum