Austria’s wine country holds its own on the international market by focusing on the strengths of its decentralised structure and by prioritising environmentally conscious viticulture.
Recently-created resistant PIWI – ‘pioneering wine’ – grape varieties that take their name from the German term pilzwiderstandsfähig (fungus-resistant), are increasingly seen by viticulturists as a viable solution to emerging environmental and climatic challenges.
In a world apparently tiring of experts, there is at least one in the viticultural sphere that we should be grateful for. In 2020, research led by Andrew Walker, a geneticist and professor of viticulture and enology at UC Davis, led to the release of five new grape varieties. They have some advantages in common. Sarah Philips McCartan reports.
Harvest time, the highlight of the wine year, draws wine lovers to the picturesque Austrian wine region of Niederösterreich, with its many wine festivals and scenic outdoor activities.
