The following sad news has just been released by the Austrian Wine Marketing Board. I met him only briefly but was won over by his passion and enthusiasm.
The Austrian wine community is mourning one of its greatest pioneers. Alois Kracher, who died early in the morning of 5 December from complications due to cancer. His death came unexpectedly to many in the wine community. With Alois Kracher's passing, Austria has lost an irreplaceable visionary, not only because his wines achieved so much international success, but also because of his dedication and service to Austrian wines around the world.
In 1986, 'Luis' Kracher, who was educated as a chemical engineer, went to work at the winery of his father, already known as a sweet wine specialist. The young Kracher's reputation soared very quickly due to his new style of sweet winemaking, and within only a few years, he had become an outstanding ambassador of the new Austrian quality wine philosophy. Alois Kracher went on to garner innumerable awards and accolades, including being named – a total of six times – 'Winemaker of the Year' by the internationally renowned Wine magazine in London. In addition to the national and international awards, his wines received the highest scores by some of the world's most influential wine critics. All of this success and appreciation turned Alois Kracher into Austrian wine's most globally-renowned luxury brand name.
Alois Kracher worked tirelessly, not only for his own winery, but for the reputation of Austrian wine overall. He opened the door to the international markets for many of his fellow wine colleagues. His son, Gerhard, with the support of the Kracher family, will carry on the work of the great wine pioneer from Illmitz.