Austria’s Best Wines and Winemakers - Falstaff WeinGuide 2012

Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller with Gerhard Wohlmuth sen. in Freising (above) and Gerhard Wohlmuth jun. in Washington DC (below) - Weingut Wohlmuth was promoted to 4 stars. For more on Weingut Wohlmuth see:

Visit: Gerhard Wohlmuth sen. and his Weingut Wohlmuth in Austria

Dinner with Wine Maker Gerhard Wohlmuth sen., his Wines and the Food of Steierland’s Chef Ruth Stelzer, Austria

Meeting Gerhard Wohlmuth jun. from Weingut Wohlmuth, Austria, and Tasting his Wines in Washington DC

Meeting a Wine Maker and an Art Lover: Gerhard Wohlmuth sen., Weingut Wohlmuth, Austria

The Falstaff WeinGuide Oesterreich/Suedtirol (Austria) 2012 was released earlier this year. For rating winemakers, Falstaff uses a 1 to 5 stars scale.

See also:

Austria’s Best Wines and Winemakers - Falstaff WeinGuide 2010 

Austria’s Best Wines and Winemakers - Falstaff WeinGuide 2011

Wine Producer Austria

Austria has about 50.000 hectares of vineyard, equivalent to about half of Germany’s total vineyard area and one fifth of France’s vineyard area. In terms of world output, Austria’s vineyard area accounts for 0.7 % of the total. Almost all of it in the east of the country. “In the west we ski, in the east we make wine”, says Willi Klinger, head of Austrian Marketing Board. About 70 % of the production is white wine and 30% red wine. About 75 percent of Austria’s production is consumed in Austria and 25 percent is exported.

Picture: Austria's Wine Regions

Austrian wine culture is ancient; people have been producing wine in Austria for 4000 years. But everything changed in 1985, when Austria was rocked by the “antifreeze wine scandal”. Some vintners were caught illicitly sweetening their products with glycol. As a result, the market for Austrian wine, especially the semi-sweet styles then in favor, evaporated overnight. Yet the scandal initiated a revolution that has propelled Austrian wines on to the world stage. It led to a broad rethink, with an emphasis on higher-quality production and innovation that soon became noticed. Young winemakers, drawn by the new emphasis on quality over quantity, brought cutting-edge techniques and farsightedness to vineyards and cellars, revolutionizing both.

Austria’s Top Winemakers

When visiting Austria, you will find a huge number of top wine makers, and that not only in the top wine regions, but throughout Austria. Here is the current crème de la crème, according to the Fallstaff 2012 WeinGuide. The list is unchanged from last year.

5 Star Winemakers

Weingut Bründlmayer Langenlois, Kamptal
Weingut Gesellmann Deutschkreutz, Mittelburgenland
Weingut Gernot und Heike Heinrich Gols, Neusiedlersee
Weingut Franz Hirtzberger Spitz/Donau, Wachau
Weingut Knoll Unterloiben, Wachau
Weingut Kollwentz Großhöflein, Neusiedlersee-Hügelland
Weinlaubenhof Kracher Illmitz, Neusiedlersee
Weingut F. X. Pichler Oberloiben, Wachau
Weingut Pöckl Mönchhof, Neusiedlersee
Weingut Prager Weißenkirchen, Wachau
Weingut Tement Berghausen, Südsteiermark

Promotions

Promotions to 4 Stars

Weingut Karl Alphart Traiskirchen, Thermenregion
Weingut Ludwig Hiedler Langenlois, Kamptal
Weingut Markus Huber Reichersdorf, Traisental
Weingut Franz Leth Feuersbrunn, Wagram
Weingut Gerhard Wohlmuth Fresing, Südsteiermark
Weingut Zull Schrattenthal, Weinviertel

Promotions to 3 Stars

A total of 21 winemakers.

schiller-wine: Related Postings

Visit: Gerhard Wohlmuth sen. and his Weingut Wohlmuth in Austria

Dinner with Wine Maker Gerhard Wohlmuth sen., his Wines and the Food of Steierland’s Chef Ruth Stelzer, Austria

Meeting Gerhard Wohlmuth jun. from Weingut Wohlmuth, Austria, and Tasting his Wines in Washington DC

Meeting a Wine Maker and an Art Lover: Gerhard Wohlmuth sen., Weingut Wohlmuth, Austria

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars and Other Wine Spots in Vienna, Austria

Welcome to America: Franz and Christine Netzl Estate, Carnuntum, Austria

Producing Wines in Austria and Hungary - Franz and Franz Reinhard Weninger

With the WienWein Winemakers in Vienna in the Heurigen Drinking Gemischter Satz Wine

Tasting Leo Hillinger Red Wines with Leo Hillinger’s Assistant Winemaker Michael Hoeffken and US Importer Klaus Wittauer

Visiting Leo Hillinger, Michael Hoeffken and Edgar Brutler at the Leo Hillinger Winery in Jois, Austria

Wine Producer Austria - Not Only Gruener Veltliner

Austria’s Best Wines and Winemakers - Falstaff WeinGuide 2011

At the Forefront of Biodynamic Winemaking: Visiting Werner and Angela Michlits and their Weingut Meinklang in Austria

Visiting Christine, Christina and Franz Netzl in their Weingut Netzl in Carnuntum, Austria

Austria’s Best Wines and Winemakers - Falstaff WeinGuide 2010 

Austria’s Best Wines and Winemakers - Falstaff WeinGuide 2011