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In search of the Weinviertel

Julia Harding
Julia Harding MW
Thursday 20 April 2023
Austrian Banderole

In a quest to discover the identity of Austria’s largest and oldest DAC, Julia uncovers a fermenting debate about identity and innovation – as well as some extreme and delicious expressions of terroir.

I went to the annual Austrian tasting in London earlier this year in search of the Thermenregion and the Weinviertel. The former was easier to identity than the latter, and I came away with more questions than answers about the Austrian understanding of quality and typicality.

Austrian wine is on a roll in terms of quality, increasingly diverse styles and exports, but it seems tethered by the...