News

Trotz Lockdown brachte die Österreich Wein Marketing GmbH (ÖWM) am 12. April 170 Weinexperten in Großbritannien mit 50 österreichischen Winzern zusammen. Beim Austrian Tasting – The Stay-at-home Edition konnten die Experten bequem von zuhause Dutzende Weine verkosten und parallel online mit den Winzern kommunizieren. Es war zudem der erste Auftritt des Jahrgangs 2020 in Großbritannien.

The new year seems to be following in the same tracks as 2020, which is, at least, positive news for Austria’s excellent wines. Again this year, they are reaping one success after another around the world.

Against all expectations, Austria’s wine exports increased again in 2020: volume rose to 67.4 million litres (+6.3%) while revenue reached a new high of 187.3 million euros (+2.4%). Alongside the main export market of Germany, the other key markets of Switzerland and the Netherlands also showed upward trends. While the USA and Asia declined, the monopoly markets of Scandinavia and Canada showed…

Nearly a year after the first coronavirus lockdown, the 2020 wine sales figures for Austria’s domestic market are now available. The on-trade was particularly hard hit, as was to be expected. The hospitality industry’s purchases of Austrian wine through wholesalers dropped by a third. Austrian wine did see increases in consumption at home (+17% in volume, +18% in value) and purchases from multiple…

Am Mittwoch, 20. Jänner, fand der erste vollständig digitale Marketingtag der Österreich Wein Marketing GmbH (ÖWM) statt. Die thematischen Schwerpunkte lagen auf Detailanalysen des Krisenjahrs 2020 und Chancen für Österreichs Weinwirtschaft im Jahr 2021. Knapp 700 Teilnehmer verfolgten die ganztägige Veranstaltung online – ein historischer Höchstwert. Bisher unerreicht war mit 26 Vortragenden und…

Austria’s wine industry faced unprecedented challenges in 2020. In its just released annual report, the Austrian Wine Marketing Board (AWMB) gives an insight into how it tackled the challenges of the pandemic. To support winemakers as much as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic, the AWMB made changes to its entire 2020 plan at short notice: domestic and international sales channels were heavily…

On 23 November, the Austrian Wine Marketing Board (AWMB) organised the world’s first “hybrid” wine tasting in Russia’s capital city of Moscow. As participants were tasting almost 200 Austrian wines at the Four Seasons Hotel, they connected live with the winegrowers in Austria via an online app. The enthusiastic feedback from this event serves to confirm and reinforce Austria’s image as a pioneer…

The Austrian Wine Marketing Board (AWMB) is promoting a vinophile finish to the year under this holiday heading, with top-drawer wines from Austria. All lovers of the finer things in life can find inspiring tips for splendid celebrations at weinezumfest.at.

Eine unverwechselbare Geschmacks- und Erlebnisvielfalt: Das garantiert Ski amadé auch in der Wintersaison 2020/2021. Denn verschiedene Initiativen wie Ski- und Weingenuss, der Höchste Bauernmarkt der Alpen oder Genuss-Ski-Routen unterstreichen die kulinarische Kompetenz. Im Mittelpunkt der „TASTE Ski amadé“-Angebote stehen dabei stets regionale Produkte.

Im kleinen Kreis erhielt der neue Weinjahrgang nun seine Weihe. Die Verleihung des begehrten Bacchuspreises musste aufgrund der geltenden Beschränkungen ausfallen.

This year’s wine tourism promotion is on the home stretch! And at this point, the AWMB’s campaign “Auf zum Wein” (All Aboard for Wine) has already racked up 75 million visual contacts.

After hymns of praise were sung worldwide for the 2019 Austrian vintage and its white wines, another chorus of enthusiastic voices chimed in: this time shining the spotlight on Austria’s remarkable reds.

Mit dem Tag des österreichischen Sekts am 22. Oktober läuten die heimischen Sektproduzenten den Jahresendspurt ein. Ganz vorne mit dabei als neuer Botschafter für den österreichischen Sekt: Fußball-Legende Herbert Prohaska.

Austria’s likely best-known sweet wine now enjoys legal protection as Ruster Ausbruch DAC. And over on the east side of Lake Neusiedl, the designation of origin Neusiedlersee DAC has been expanded, and now includes also fruity-sweet and nobly sweet wines.

The latest figures from Statistik Austria paint a remarkable picture: from January through June 2020, the export value of Austrian wines fell by only 1% compared to the same period in the previous year – substantially less than had been feared. Export volume was even able to grow by 7.4%. And within the nation’s borders it is becoming steadily more clear, who has fared better and who worse during…

Weißer, roter oder roséfarbener Sturm – die beliebte Saisonspezialität ist endlich wieder erhältlich. Die heimischen Winzer läuten damit jährlich den Beginn der Ernte ein und locken in die Weinbaugebiete.

The 2019 vintage in Austria aroused great expectations right from the start. Now, reviews from experts throughout the world have confirmed it: the wines of this vintage are truly among the best that Austria’s winegrowers have been able to produce in recent decades.

(As of 04.09. according to the press conference of the Viticultural Association, updated on 30.09.2020) “Austria’s winegrowers are already extremely busy with this year’s harvest. After an economically challenging year in 2020, they are looking forward to a good vintage”, stated president Johannes Schmuckenschlager of the Austrian Winegrowers’ Association, with regard to 2020.

270 SALON Weine, davon 17 Sieger und 10 Auserwählte: Österreichs härtester Weinwettbewerb ermittelte auch im Ausnahmejahr 2020 die Top-Weine des Landes, darunter viele aus dem Traumjahrgang 2019. Auf über 20 Veranstaltungen werden die Weine in allen Bundesländern präsentiert.

The Austrian Wine Marketing Board’s biggest wine tourism campaign yet got underway at the beginning of August, christened “Auf zum Wein!” (All Aboard for Wine). The website aufzumwein.at features the most comprehensive listing of wine tourism possibilities in the country, attracting domestic vacationers to Austria’s winegrowing regions.

E-commerce is not a new invention, and this distribution channel is also securely established in the wine industry. For many years, a great number of wine producers and wine merchants have been actively pursuing sales via the Internet. The current situation – from lockdown to gradual reopening – has accelerated the development of online wine sales to a tremendous degree, and the demand for wine…

The Covid-19 pandemic has been causing serious losses for Austrian winegrowers since the middle of March. In this, the individual sales channels at home and abroad have been affected in substantially different ways. The Austrian Wine Marketing Board (AWMB) can now present the first data, reporting on developments in Austrian trade during the lockdown, with some surprising results.

Over the past few weeks, most bottles of wine have been consumed in relative solitude. Toasting, tasting and enjoying wines with others was mostly just virtual. But then, there was more time to shop comfortably online, and to fill up the wine racks and cellars with bottles from our Austrian winegrowers. Now that the restrictions are slowly being loosened and gatherings at home in smaller groups…

A change long in development has now become official: the Wachau is Austria’s newest (and fifteenth) DAC winegrowing region. On the three levels Gebietswein (regional wine), Ortswein (“villages” wine) and Riedenwein (single-vineyard wine), regionally typical wines will now bear the protected designation of origin “Wachau DAC”. The Vinea Wachau’s categories Steinfeder, Federspiel and Smaragd will…

On a national as well as international level, the Austrian Wine Marketing Board (AWMB) is working intensively on suitable activities and measures that can be implemented during and after the COVID-19 restrictions. The strategy here is clearly defined: during the corona crisis, the areas that are still functioning despite the restrictions should be promoted and supported. Then the focus will shift…

The COVID-19 pandemic is also having a serious impact on Austria’s wine industry. Winegrowers and retailers as well are developing a variety of strategies to cope with the situation. The Austrian Wine Marketing Board (AWMB) is supporting them both domestically and internationally.

Lichtblick in der Corona-Krise: Viele Online-Weinhändler verzeichnen aktuell beachtliche Zuwachsraten. Die Österreich Wein Marketing GmbH (ÖWM) unterstützt diese Entwicklung mit der Kampagne „Schmecke die Herkunft“, die auch den Winzer-Direktvertrieb ins Zentrum rückt.

Austria’s wine exports moved into previously uncharted territory in 2019: for the first time they surpassed the 180 million mark, at 185.4 million Euros (+9%), while volume rose by 20.5% to 63.6 million litres. The number of countries in Austria’s export programme increased to 102 – ten years ago in 2009 it was 64.

With almost 50% of sales, Germany remains Austria’s most important country for wine exports. But what makes the German wine market tick? What opportunities and what potential does the German market offer for Austrian wine? And the important question: is there actually such a single entity as ‘the German wine market’?

The lucky number for the world of Austrian wine seems to be the 9, since when the year ends with this numeral – like 1999 and 2009 (‘the Niners’) – the vintage often turns out to be particularly fine. This legendary series continues in 2019: despite heat and drought, the white wines are vivaciously fresh and the reds show excellent depth. And at 2.3 million hectolitres production, 2019 is in line…

In order to protect the health of exhibitors and attendees both, as well as hindering the spread of the coronavirus Sars-Cov-2, ProWein in Düsseldorf, VieVinum in Vienna and other national and international events have been postponed.

From 15–17 March 2020, the international world of fine wine will gather at Europe’s leading wine trade fair, ProWein in Düsseldorf. With a contingent of 330 exhibiting growers, sixteen instructive and inviting master classes, plus the outstanding 2019 vintage, Austria is bringing its best game to the table.

Chris Yorke, neuer Chef der Österreich Wein Marketing (ÖWM), drückt aufs Tempo. Der Brite hat bereits im Jänner sein Team neu aufgestellt und dabei einen Fokus auf Herkunft, internationale Schlüsselmärkte und den Heimmarkt Österreich gelegt. Zudem setzt er auf Qualität, Umweltbewusstsein, internationale Marktanalysen und Themenführerschaft, um die Exporte weiter zu stärken. Viel Potenzial sieht er…

The Austrian Wine Academy has been offering successfully the WSET Level 4 Diploma in cooperation with the British Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) for more than 25 years. In 2020/2021, three different formats of the Diploma course are available.

Environmentally friendly produced and marketed Austrian wines are highly sought after in Scandinavian markets. Norway’s state monopoly has even created a separate import quota for Austrian wines with ‘Sustainable Austria’ certification.

As of the first of January, British native Chris Yorke has taken the helm of the Austrian wine industry’s service organisation, the Austrian Wine Marketing Board (AWMB). With his substantial international expertise, a clear strategic orientation and the concentrated capabilities of the team, the Austrian Wine Marketing Board finds itself ideally positioned for a bright and successful future.

260 ski huts and slopeside restaurants bring epicurean delights to Austria's biggest scene for skiing fun, Ski amadé. This special week dedicated to skiing and the pleasures of wine is celebrating its tenth anniversary this season.

Recent successes in seminars and enthusiastic reportage in the world’s most highly regarded wine magazines prove beyond any doubt: wines from the Steiermark are no longer an insider tip, but have arrived in the international elite class.

„Ich freue mich jedes Jahr auf den kulinarischen Herbst mit seinen herrlichen Wildgerichten“, begrüßt Willi Klinger, Geschäftsführer der Österreich Wein Marketing GmbH (ÖWM), die startende Saison und empfiehlt dazu Weine aus Österreich. Neben klassischen Rotweinen harmonieren auch kräftige Weißweine und solche mit etwas Maischestandzeit wunderbar mit Kreationen aus der Wildküche. „Auch das reiche…

In der Alten Universität Graz wurde gestern der neue Weinjahrgang feierlich gesegnet. Der begehrte Bacchuspreis ging an die österreichische Krimiautorin Claudia Rossbacher und den Schweizer Gastronomen Markus Segmüller.

After last year’s earliest harvest in recorded history, picking this year commenced at the customary time. And the good weather that greeted the harvesters was particularly gratifying, since all the grapes could be brought in according to plan without any element of stress. The warm vegetation cycle with its dry spells brought excellent ripeness to the clusters, along with average volume, while…

Ab sofort ist das erste wissenschaftliche Standardwerk zur Weingeschichte Österreichs erhältlich. Von der Österreich Wein Marketing GmbH (ÖWM) initiiert und im Brandstätter Verlag erschienen, beleuchtet dieses Kompendium auf 700 Seiten die historische Entwicklung des österreichischen Weinbaus von der Urzeit bis in die Gegenwart.

Beste nationale Werbekampagne 2018 in der Kategorie „Food & Beverages“ sowie den Publikumspreis „IAA Audience Award“: Mit der Kampagne „G’spritzter: ohne Schnickschnack – nur Wasser und Wein aus Österreich“ konnte die Österreich Wein Marketing GmbH (ÖWM) bei den diesjährigen EFFIE-Awards kräftig abräumen. Zuvor streifte die Kampagne bereits zwei Kreativpreise ein.

Am 21. Oktober laden die heimischen Schaumweinproduzenten zur Verkostung ihrer Sekte in die Österreichische Nationalbibliothek. Spezialitäten von renommierten Betrieben ebenso wie Geheimtipps aus kleiner Produktion erwarten die Besucher.

Stolz wie frischgebackene Eltern präsentieren Österreichs Winzer ihre Jungweine 2019. In den nächsten Wochen locken rund 700.000 Flaschen „Junger Österreicher“ Weinfreunde wieder zum unbeschwerten Genuss.

The region has reached agreement on the three levels Gebietswein (regional wine), Ortswein (‘villages’ wine) and Riedenwein (single-vineyard wine), and continues to emphasise the traditional and highly prized varieties: white wine vinified from Chardonnay, Weissburgunder or Grüner Veltliner, red wine from Zweigelt and Blaufränkisch.

On 1 January 2020, Mr Wilhelm Klinger will assume management of Austria’s leading wine retailer Wein & Co, which since 2018 has been part of the German conglomerate Hawesko Holding AG, one of the world’s leading wine sales operations. In this role, Klinger will also become a member of the Hawesko Group’s ‘corporate strategy circle’. At the same time, Klinger will be turning over the management of…

Nicht der Wetterfrosch macht diese Ansage, sondern Österreichs Winzer – denn es ist wieder Sturm-Zeit! Die ersten spritzig-süßen Jahrgangsvorboten sind bereits verfügbar, und bis in den Herbst hinein dürfen sich Liebhaber über die Saisonspezialität freuen.

‘Austrian winegrowers are looking forward to a good vintage with fully ripe grapes this year. Compared to the big harvest in 2018, an average volume of approximately 2.4 million hectolitres is expected. And after the record-breaking early harvest last year, picking will begin around Lake Neusiedl at the beginning of September. In other regions, the primary harvest will begin in mid-September’,…

After Austria distinguished itself last year, being chosen as the Court of Master Sommeliers’ first examination venue outside the USA or Great Britain, testing for the Master Sommelier diploma was held this year for the second time in our country. On 16–17 August, eighteen candidates came to Klosterneuburg Abbey, where they faced the world’s greatest sommelier challenge.