Michael Lee
Braving the Storms
With foul weather affecting the vintage, this year is a rough one for Austrian wine.This year will not be remembered fondly by Austrian winemakers. Catastrophic weather conditions in some of the...
On the Vine: Labels – The Look of Love
Even in the world of wine, appearances matter So there you are in the Vinothek, staring at the shelves. So many labels; so many vintages… Now what? Irish poet W.B. Yeats would have understood: “Wine comes in at the mouth,” he wrote, but “love comes in at the eye.” More than we often realize, it’s […]
On the Vine: Au Naturel – Natural Wine
The recent trend toward natural wines attempts to capture the spirit before industrialization Few developments or trends have aroused as many passions in the world of wine as the recent emergence of “natural”, wines. It’s a philosophy of “don’t interfere” and let nature do the work. Its unabashed name alone pits it against the status […]
On the Vine: Viva VieVinum – Wine Festival
Austria’s international wine festival uncorked Imagine throngs of winemakers cramped shoulder to shoulder, vying for the attention of thirsty drinkers (sorry, “tasters”) who jostle for position with wine-stained hands outstretched, glasses hung around necks for safe keeping, ready and willing to sample anything over 10 per cent alcohol. This is the VieVinum, Austria’s biannual blockbuster […]
On the Vine: Raising The Curtain on Gemischter Satz
Viennese wine’s local specialty enters, stage left In wine, as in any consumer industry, producing a brand that transcends the sum of its parts has always been The Holy Grail. This enviable position has traditionally been the cornerstone of success for a select few countries: think Champagne or Chianti in Europe, or Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc […]
On the Vine: Honest Wines – Purbach, Burgenland
The Neusiedlersee region has proven fertile ground for the Schwarz family’s organic winemaking Perception often begins with images: Pristine Alpine meadows and the scent of Edelweiss are enough to conjure up an all-natural picture of farming in Austria. So it is with Austrian wine, whose producers have long prided themselves in balancing the realities of […]
