VieVinum

After having been postponed twice, the Austrian wine fair VieVinum, will take place a few days from now- from 21 to 23 May 2022. The fair, which showcases Austrian wines in their full glory is particularly upbeat this year thanks to the exceptional 2021 vintage witnessed in Austria.

Last year blessed us with mature, crystal-clear wines from perfect grapes, and in generous quantities! Thanks to the fine, typically Austrian 2020 vintage and the world-class 2019 wines, our winegrowers have even more aces up their sleeves to impress visitors at the trade fair.

Chris Yorke, CEO of Austrian Wine

According to the Austrian Wine Marketing Board (AWMB) – the apex body of Austrian wine, the timing of VieVinum 2022 couldn’t be better for presenting these exceptional wines to a large international audience at Austria’s largest wine trade fair. Austrian Wine is inviting around 900 experts from more than 50 different countries to Vienna for the occasion. “VieVinum is eagerly awaited by our international partners!” added Yorke. “The trade fair is a key fixture in their calendars and gives them an opportunity to talk to our winegrowers in person once more.”

A complete event package for International guests

Besides some 500 exhibitors and a comprehensive COVID-19 hygiene concept put in place by the organiser, M.A.C. Hoffmann, guests can also look forward to a complete event package put together by Austrian Wine. The package kicks off in advance of the fair dates with a convivial evening get-together at a Heurige (wine tavern) on 19 May 22 (Thursday), followed by a seated flight tasting on 20 May 22 (Friday), where 90 “international heroes” – top-quality Austrian wines that have won the highest awards from international media – can be tasted.

Austrian Wine will also be listing all of the supporting events put on by the wine-growing regions and associations in a special online city guide so that those who are interested can get a clear overview.

Last but not least, Niederösterreich (Lower Austria), Burgenland and Steiermark (Styria) are also organising wine tours to their wine-growing regions immediately after the VieVinum, an offer which is being well-received by Austrian Wine’s international guests.

A central platform for the Internationalisation of Austrian Wines

The aim of the whole experience, both within the framework of the trade fair and beyond, is to further drive the international market’s affinity for Austrian wine. VieVinum has been the central platform for the internationalisation of Austrian wine since 1998 – a long-term project that is increasingly bearing fruit, as the export figures for 2021 demonstrate. Generating €216.8 million in 2021, exports exceeded the €200 million mark for the first time in history, and the €29.5 million year-on-year increase was the highest value growth ever. The success of the VieVinum 2022 will undoubtedly give the dynamic export market a further boost.

(Adapted from a Press Release by the Austrian Wine Marketing Board).

June 2016 was super active month for Guns 2 Gewürztraminer. Before you wonder about the veracity of this claim- considering it has been more than a month since my latest post, this has been exactly the reason why! I was on a whirlwind tour to Austria and Italy, exploring the world of wine, barely finding time to awaken the mobile screen to capture the beautiful but fleeting moments. Moments that I am now well equipped to share in subsequent posts. As a start, I endeavour to give you a bird’s eye view  of this wine journey through a route map and five collages coupled with summary description of what I call ” a picture perfect wine journey’.

1. VieVinum 2016

This grand Austrian wine fair happened in it’s 10th edition between 4-6 June 2016 with exclusive pre-event engagements for invitees. The fair has grown rapidly over the years and it showcases a mammoth range of Austrian wines along with some international presence. Organised under the aegis of the Austrian Wine Marketing Board (AWMB) it aims to promote Austrian wine industry in a focussed manner. Apart from tasting a 1000++ wines, the icing on the cake for me was to converse one-on-one with Mr. Wilhelm (Willi) Klinger, Managing Director Austrian Wine Marketing Board (see bottom right photo of the collage). The interview will appear shortly in print, as well as in this space.

2. Visiting Weingut Elfenhof, Rust, Burgenland

The picturesque town of Rust in Burgenland, Austria can easily be called a storybook quartier, replete with its floral promenades, a 315 km²  lake Neusiedl and expansive vineyards peppered all across . Weingut Elfenhof is a 17th century winery of the region that produces a diverse range of quality wines. Ernst Holler, the current generation owner (seen in the collage with me) was kind enough to pick me up from Vienna and host me in his town for a day full of vineyard and winery action. The time flew just too fast…

3. Friuli- the under reported wine region of Italy

Even the folks in Friuli were pleasantly surprised that I chose the region for an elaborate itinerary when in general, the whole world  thinks of Tuscany as their first choice of exploring the Italian wine country. But let me tell you- if you have not explored, wines like Ribolla Gialla, Friulano (earlier known as Tocai Friulano), Refosco, Tazzelanghe, Picolit, ‘Orange Wines’ and several others, it would be a good idea to do so at the earliest- as there is a whole wide world of enchanting wines lying out there. As for Tuscany, it was my next stop quite logically……

4.  Banfi and Piccini- the Tuscan racehorses

The names need no introduction. Banfi- for their groundbreaking research on the Sangiovese vine to produce outstanding Brunello and Super Tuscan wines and Piccini- the distinctive ‘orange label’ producer of Chianti wines who have innovative wines like the pan-Italian blend called ‘Memoro’ in their portfolio.  Oscillating between Florence, Siena and Montalcino, I was on a roll (much like the Tuscan slopes) to meet the owners, visit vineyards with winemakers and sample countless wines around choicest cuisine.

5. The sophisticated charm of Allegrini

Be it the high vineyards of the Valpolicella DOC, one of the top Amarones from the region, or a unique Brunello from their Tuscan vineyards , the house of Allegrini evokes acknowledged respect amongst winelovers. Hence it was only natural for me to visit them, given just a day’s schedule in the region. Meeting and conversing with their indefatigable owner Marilisa Allegrini in this short duration was nothing less than a stroke of luck.