The Austrian FJ Gritsch winery is leaving the regional winegrowers' association Vinea Wachau Nobilis Districtus. As reported by The Drinks Business, winemaker Franz-Josef Gritsch is particularly critical of the, in his opinion, outdated predicate classifications such as Federspiel and Smaragd, which are based on the alcohol content or must weight of the wines. International customers have welcomed the decision.
The terroir is more important for quality than must weight, says Franz-Josef Gritsch.
Leaving the old path
In times of advancing climate change, alcohol content is no longer a quality criterion for wines, says Gritsch, who, on the other hand, praises the terroir-based quality model of the DAC (Austrian quality wines) modeled after Burgundy. "I think focusing on the origin is the right model for the future in our region," he explains. A wine with 12.5% alcohol by volume from top locations is usually of higher quality than a stronger alcohol wine from generic locations
FJ Gritsch winery, a founding member of Vinea Wachau since 1983, follows in the footsteps of F.X. Pichler, another distinguished producer who parted ways with the association in 2020, citing similar reasons. Presently, the association still comprises over 200 member businesses. VM
