Austria 2019: A top vintage

Austrian Wine vineyards — Credit: AWMB/Robert Herbst

(Image credit: AWMB/Robert Herbst)

The legend of the ‘Niner’ lives on!

The lucky number for the world of Austrian wine seems to be the 9, since when the year ends with this numeral – like 1999 and 2009 (‘the Niners’) – the vintage often turns out to be particularly fine. This legendary series continues in 2019: despite heat and drought, the white wines are vivaciously fresh and the reds show excellent depth. And at 2.3 million hectolitres production, 2019 is in line with the long-term average in terms of volume.

Invigorating freshness coupled with a radiantly clear expression of fruit are characteristic for all of the white wine varieties, accompanied as well by structural acidity that is rather striking for such a warm year. The Austrian reds are thus far consistently deep in colour, extremely concentrated and rich in extract, although acidity and tannins also appear to check out at an impressive level. In the current very challenging situation for Austria’s winegrowers and their partners all over the world, the excellent 2019 vintage thus offers reason to hope for a rapid recovery after the crisis.

A new wave of tastings

Austrian Wine adapted rapidly its international projects to the current situation and launched the very first Virtual Austrian Wine Round Table around the globe with local and international key opinion leaders. The first session aired on Thursday, 16th April 2020. Five experts of the British wine scene tasted and discussed six Austrian wines in an exciting online session. You can find it here in case you missed it.