Hey guys!
Several days late, apologies, it's been a busy week in Austria, but we're here now. This week we're covering a wine fair double-header, a rundown of the essential Austrian grapes, and an exciting young producer making waves in one of the country's most historic regions. Enjoy!
Pictured: Austria. Image by GoTripzi
Wine Fair Week in Austria 🍷
A week inside Austria's two most important wine fairs
This week has been an exciting one. I'm back in Austria for two of the country's most important wine events: Karakterre and VieVinum, each offering a distinct perspective on the Austrian wine scene.
Karakterre🩸
Founded over a decade ago by Marko Kovec, Karakterre was built to spotlight the remarkable work coming out of the natural and low intervention wine movement across Austria. What began as a focused regional showcase has since grown into a celebrated multinational platform for some of the best wines in Central and Eastern Europe.
I've been fortunate to attend several editions in New York, Germany, and Austria, and each year brings new producers pushing the boundaries of what wine from this part of the world can be.
Pictured: Karakterre 2026
The Austrian edition holds a particular significance: it's the home base for many of these producers, and it draws an international crowd united by an enthusiasm for natural wine from this corner of Europe. It's a large part of what drew me so deeply into Austrian wine in the first place.
VieVinum 🇦🇹
If Karakterre is intimate and focused, VieVinum is its polar opposite in the best possible way. Austria's national wine showcase, VieVinum effectively takes over the entire city of Vienna for a weekend. Held every other year, it draws participation from nearly every winemaker in the country, honestly a remarkable feat of scale and coordination.
I attended my first VieVinum two years ago, and the setting alone was unforgettable: the Hofburg Palace in the heart of Vienna, hundreds of producers pouring, and thousands of visitors in attendance. It's a celebration of Austrian wine culture, and the biennial format makes a lot of sense once you've experienced it.
Pictured: VieVinum 2026
This year, VieVinum returns and I can't wait. Stay tuned for reports from the week.
The Important Grapes of Austria 🍇
A quick crash course on the grape varieties of Austrian wine
Austria has a remarkable roster of native varieties, grapes that don't travel far beyond its borders but are super expressive of the land they come from. Whether you're exploring the country's wines for the first time or looking to go deeper, these are the grapes worth knowing:
Blaufränkisch: Austria's most serious red grape. Dark red and blue fruit, firm acidity, and a range that can span from fresh and approachable to structured and ageable. Burgenland is its spiritual home, and the best examples rival some of Europe's finest reds.
Pictured: Blaufränkisch. Image by Austrian Wine
Zweigelt: One of the most widely planted red in Austria, and for good reason; it’s versatile, fruit-forward, and easy to love. Expect ripe cherry, a soft texture, and gentle tannins. It works across styles, from light and juicy to more serious expressions.
Pictured: Zweigelt. Image by Austrian Wine
St. Laurent: The overlooked star of the bunch. Often compared to Pinot Noir for its plush texture and red fruit character, but with a distinctly Austrian identity, earthier, a touch more rustic. Still underappreciated internationally, which makes it one of the more rewarding discoveries during tastings.
Pictured: St. Laurent. Image by Austrian Wine
Grüner Veltliner: The flagship white, and Austria's most recognizable grape abroad. Crisp, mineral-driven, and defined by a signature white pepper note that sets it apart from anything else. Styles range from light and fruity everyday drinking to rich, age-worthy bottles from the best sites in the Wachau and beyond.
Pictured: Grüner Veltliner. Image by Austrian Wine
Riesling: Austrian Riesling tends to run drier and more mineral than its German counterparts, with a precision and longevity that rewards patience. The Wachau and Kamptal are the benchmark regions, wines that are tightly wound when young, but also extraordinary with age.
Pictured: Riesling. Image by Austrian Wine
The Austrian wine scene is in an incredibly exciting moment right now, these varieties are the best place to start.
Producer Highlight ⭐
One of our favorite parts of wine is the discovery: we’re constantly being put on to new regions, producers, and cuvées from our friends. We’ll never be able to try EVERY wine, but we want to take a moment to mention some producers that excite us!
Von der Vogel Waide 🍷
Location: Wachau, Austria 📍
Pictured: Wachau Region. Image by Traveling by the Glass
Located in one of the most historic wine regions in Austria, Von der Vogel Waide is proving to be one of the most exciting young wineries in the country. Owners Daniel and Michael came to their partnership through very different paths, though both were shaped by an unusually wide range of formative experiences. Daniel completed his winemaking apprenticeship in Stuttgart before studying viticulture and oenology across Geisenheim, Bordeaux, and Vienna, adding stints at some of the world's most storied estates, including Jean-Louis Chave.
Michael, who grew up on his family's vineyard, trained at Krems before working with Franz Hirtzberger and von Winning, while pursuing a parallel passion for interior design, a sensibility that informs everything the domaine does to this day.
Pictured: Vogelwaide Bottles
In 2019, the two took a characteristically unconventional first step: they plastered the entire Wachau with posters reading "Looking for vineyards, including hard-to-reach plots and fallow land." Within a week they had their first two parcels, both so overgrown they were barely recognizable as vineyards. With support from a neighboring family, they cleared the land and planted their first vines that same year.
Today, Von der Vogel Waide farms around six hectares organically along both banks of the Danube, working steep, narrow sites entirely by hand on soils that shift dramatically from parcel to parcel. The diversity of place is the point, and the wines reflect it.
I first came across their wines two years ago at VieVinum 2024, on a recommendation from someone whose palate I trust. A short tasting with them made it immediately clear why they were so hyped. Fast forward to this week, nearly two years later, and I found myself tasting with Daniel and Michael in the Wachau, alongside a stellar lineup of some of the most important producers in the region. Their wines stood out then, and they stand out now.
In a region long shaped by commercial farming, watching these two carve their own path is something worth paying attention to. Highly recommended, if you see their bottles on a shelf, don't hesitate to pick them up.
Wine Club Updates 🍷 📦
May’s shipment is heading out this week! This month’s theme calls back to our recent travels, and I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts. If you need anything, feel free to reach out to [email protected] and they’ll get you sorted.
Not a member yet? You can sign up here:
That's it for this week! Apologies again for the delay. Back to our regular schedule next week!
Thank so much for reading, and as always, drink responsibly! 🥂