(c) Ken Payton

The only international event dedicated to the convergence of wine and the web, the EWBC provides a unique platform for the global wine community to address today’s online communications opportunities. Please check out the hyperlinks to the Keynote sessions of the EWBC which set the tone for the high overall quality of the Digital Wine Communications Conference  with eloquent presentations by Andrew Jefford, Randall Grahm and Christian Payne.   and also brought together wines from Turkey, Georgia, Armenia and Lebanon in The conference concluded with a “Grand Terroir” Tasting, led by Tim Atkin MW and Charles Metcalfe which brought together wines from Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, and Lebanon. Sandwiched between were a broad range of sessions conducted by international opinion leaders in the wine world that revolved around the 2012 conference theme – Source. Per Karlson of BK Wine was kind enough to put together an overview of the itinerary which you can find here. Further content being released from the conference can be read on either the EWBC Eventifier account or the EWBC Bundlr account.

Congratulations to the organizers Ryan and Gabriella Opaz and Robert McIntosh of social media company Vrazon to a very well-planned and brilliantly executed conference.Below are the video and the presentation of the  Natural Wine Discussion Panel that I had the privilege of moderating. Our panelists were Dr. Jamie Goode, Virgile Joly, Dr. Maurizio Ugliano and Robert Josef.

There is no established certification body for “natural wine” and the term has no legal status. In fact, in the EU and many countries outside the EU, labelling and/or selling wine as “natural wine” is considered misleading to the consumer and fraudulent. Some would like to call “natural wine” a category, but categories are ways of defining things, differentiating them from one another.  Without a distinct definition or rules, that is not possible. Where does natural wine begin and where does it end? What is the difference between “natural” and “non-natural” or “unnatural” wine? “Natural wine” is not a physical entity; it is a goal, an idea shared by like-minded wine producers.

The Idea

If one is to count the growing number of vintner associations, wine fairs and presentations promoting or addressing the “natural wine” philosophy, one can perceive a growing movement. The roots of the movement originate in the criticism of the growing industrialization of agriculture and human nutrition in the early 20th Century. Instrumental leaders were the Austrian philosopher, Rudolf Steiner, and the Japanese farmer and philosopher, Masanobu Fukuoka. The wine producer and négociant Jules Chauvet from Burgundy is considered the father of the “natural wine” movement. Chauvet was a chemist and a talented taster who argued for the authenticity of wine from a viewpoint that combined a scientific background and a lot of practical experience. Many of the techniques he employed are considered visionary. Chauvet’s philosophy was followed by many other wineries around the globe: Joly in the Loire, Gravner in Friuli, Gauby in Roussillon, Foradori in Trentino; Laughton in Australia.

Today, a growing number of wineries are becoming certified organic and many are also taking a more critical approach to additives and processing agents as well as technical manipulations in the cellar. The techniques that they employ in the vineyard and cellar are as diverse as the wines they produce.

The Production

At the extreme end of the “natural wine” philosophy, there are vintners who practice an ancient vinification process originating in the Caucasas. Clay amphorae filled with crushed grapes are sealed without any additions, including sulphur dioxide, and buried in the ground where they ferment and mature for months. Fermentation takes place largely in the absence of oxygen, as the amphorae are sealed with beeswax or resin. Bernhard Ott of the Wagram region in Austria produces a wine named “Qvevre” after the Georgian amphora. Ott says “In modern white wine production, the grapes are conventionally pressed immediately after harvest and only the juice is fermented. In the ancient method, white wines are fermented with the skins. The tannins in the skins and seeds offer some degree of protection from oxidation.”

Austrian vintner Bernhard Ott produces a Grüner Veltliner in amphora called Qverve (c)2010 Steve Haider

Vinification philosophies for the amphora wines vary greatly. Some ferment whole grapes without first crushing them. Others first tread the grapes with the feet. Others, like Bernhard Ott, de-stem the grapes and sort them by hand before putting them into into clay pots. The fermentation begins inside the intact berries and tannins and flavours are gently extracted over a period of several months. Bernhard Ott waits six months, until Easter, before unearthing the amphorae. The skins and seeds have settled to the pointed bottoms of the amphorae and only the clear wine is withdrawn. Bernhard Ott’s Qvevre is cloudy, pale and greenish-yellow in colour. Other wines made from white grapes are crushed and often ferment with some stems and yield wines with an orange colour. Both versions are usually unfined, unfiltered and thus cloudy.

No Wine without Sulphur

Other wines made with the “natural” philosophy are fermented more conventionally in used oak barrels. What is considered minimal, necessary intervention is interpreted differently from vintner to vintner. A goal for most is to get by with as little sulphur dioxide as possible. The total sulphur restrictions for the EU are 160 mg/l for dry red wine and 210 mg/l for dry white wine. According to the Association des Vins Naturels, the average “natural red wine” has under 30 mg/l total sulphur and “natural white wine” under 40 mg/l, but there are no regulations or controls. Whether sulphur dioxide is added or not, there is no wine completely without sulphur as it is a natural by-product of alcoholic fermentation.

Sulphur dioxide can be viewed as a custodian for wine. It kills bacteria and other microorganisms and protects wine from oxidation and spoilage. Penetrating odours of browned apple or apple cider vinegar, nail polish remover, sauerkraut or sweaty horse are perceived by most wine consumers as unpleasant. These can be avoided with the right dose of sulphur dioxide at the right time. Eduard Tscheppe of Gut Oggau in Burgenland says: “I generally get through fermentation and malo all the way to bottling without sulphur dioxide with my wines. It is necessary to select grapes carefully by hand, omitting damaged or overripe berries, and work very hygienically. I like to add a handful of fresh grapes to the must to help protect it from oxidation during fermentation and maturation.”

Flirting with Faults

The good news is that due to the acidity and alcoholic content of wine, whatever bacteria and micro-organisms that may attack it, they will never render the wine fatally poisonous for humans.

At lower threshold limits, volatile acidity, Brettanomyces and other “off-flavours” can lend pleasant complexity and the impression of minerality. In wines with very little sulphites, it may happen that flavour and colour variations are large from bottle to bottle, especially if the wines are not stored cool. But as Robert Josef stated at the EWBC 2012, “There are a few consumers that accept cloudy apple juice and smelly cheese, but there are even fewer consumers that want their wine to be anything other than bright, clean and consistent.”

There are no regulations for “natural wine” that make organic viticulture a requirement.

“Natural wine” sparks discussions among winemakers. How much intervention is justified and what is its price? What is the price of non-intervention? Rainer Loacker from Bioweinhof in western Styria says: “I accompany every single vine throughout the year. I employ only homeopathy to strengthen them – no chemical pesticides and no copper.”  In 2011, he lost most of his crop, first to fungal diseases, then to wasps. “I allow my white wines to go through malolactic fermentation. They don’t fit into the usual fruity image of Styrian wines and are bottled as table wine.” All the wines I tasted lacked fruit and freshness and either exhibited aromas reminiscent of caged mice or mushrooms. Maybe it is possible that these wines didn’t make it through the strict sensory and chemical analysis required to be labelled as Austrian Qualitätswein.

Some producers seem to be more interested in their “natural wine” philosophy than in the hedonistic attributes of their wine. Indeed some display a high acceptance of oxidative notes, volatile acidity, Brettanomyces, geosmin and the like in the name of authenticity. Other “natural wine” producers are horrified and shake their finger at what they call plain and simple bad winemaking.

The Consumer

“Natural wine” can cause confusion for consumers. What is perceived by one wine lover as pleasant or fascinating, is perceived by another as repulsive. Some of the wines produced with a “natural wine” philosophy are funky and cloudy – they are challenging wines that require a “hand-sell” and an engaged consumer.

At last week’s EWBC conference in Izmir, Turkey, Elin McCoy told me an anecdote about her friend, Kermit Lynch, who has peen a proponent and merchant of authentic terroir wines made with minimal intervention long before anyone was even talking about natural wine. As told by Elin McCoy, Mr. Lynch ordered a bottle of one of his favourite wines (one that happens to be included in his portfolio) at a well-known New York restaurant. When the sommelier poured for him to taste, Mr. Lynch replied that the wine was oxidized and could the sommelier please bring him another bottle. The sommelier explained to Mr. Lynch that it was a “natural wine” and that was part of the style. Mr. Lynch said that he believed he knew the wine well and that he thought it wasn’t showing as it should. He would gladly pay for both bottles, but would the sommelier please bring him a second bottle. The sommelier reluctantly did so and the second bottle was pristine.

We as an industry have a problem.  We still act as if the wine market is production driven. Instead of listening to what consumers want, we wine professionals are still preaching to consumers what they should like. When wine professionals that are proponents of “natural wine” tell wine consumers that faults are part of a new avant garde category – they are not doing the movement a favour.

An environmentally and health conscious consumer might be inspired to purchase a varietal wine labelled “Badger Mountain organic no added sulphite”. The wines are pasteurized, fault-free, and packaged in recyclable tetra paks that can be shipped with a much with a much lower carbon footprint than bottled wines. If the consumer finds one that he or she likes, they can stick to it and purchase it again the next week knowing that they will get the very same flavours. It’s all “natural” right?

Another choice, for the locavore in the California bay area is wine from the Natural Process Alliance. Consumers purchase 0.75l stainless steel flasks that they can refill weekly with low sulphite wines directly from the barrel. There are consumers that appear to like the element of serendipity; the wines offered differ in not only in variety and origin, but in their degree of cloudy funkiness each week. The wines require refridgeration and are destined for immediate consumption only.

Do a fine wine from the Kermit Lynch collection that has experienced unfortunate oxidation, the Badger Mountain organic no added sulphite wine and the funky cloudy wine from the Natural Process Alliance all fall under the “natural wine” umbrella?

Some legal stuff

Stefanie and Eduard Tscheppe use the original antique lever press at the Gut Oggau estate in Burgenland, Austria to crush their grapes.

During the EWBC 2012 Natural Wine discussion panel, Dr. Jamie Goode stated that “If we define natural wine, it kind of goes against the spirit of this exciting movement.”  I disagree.  I’d like the “natural wine” movement to come up with a true wine category (or categories) and to do that, it is going to have to come up with an official category definition. In the process it will probably have to come up with a less controversial name – one that does not insinuate that other wines are “unnatural”. A logical, and in my opinion, good route to becoming a category that can be understood and clearly communicated is as an organic certification body which goes beyond the minimum legal requirements for organic wine.

Until March 2012, there was no legal definition in the EU for “organic wine”. Only regulations for labelling “wine made from organic grapes” or “wine from organic agriculture” were provided. That has changed. From July 31^st, 2012 there are stricter rules that also include oenological practices. As of 2012, wines that have been produced according to these guidelines, may be called “organic wine”. (Reference: (EU) No 203/2012 of 8 March 2012 amending Regulation (EC) No 889/2008 laying down detailed rules for the implementation of Regulation (EC) No 834/2007, as regards detailed rules on organic wine)

To qualify for the new EU organic logo, wines satisfy minimum requirements in the vineyard and in the winemaking process. These requirements must be controlled regularly by an independent certification authority. Organic wine producers may also choose organic certification bodies such as Demeter Austria, whose certification requirements are even more stringent than the EU organic regulations and stricter than those for Demeter International. (See Table below).

Wines containing more than 10 milligrams per litre of SO2 (which most stable wines will have) must state “contains sulphites” in the appropriate language/languages on the label. Wines labelled after June 30th, 2012 are subject to new allergen labelling laws.  Wines which have used milk or egg products in the fining process and have not tested negative for residues using a technique with a detection limit of 0.25mg/l must state so on the label. An official pictogram has also been developed to aid in consumer understanding.

A way forward for “natural wine”

Demeter Austria offers an excellent example of a way forward for “natural wine”. As can be seen in the table below, wines certified organic by Demeter Austria will have no need for a pictogram, because all processing agents of animal origin such as insinglass, egg albumin, lysozyme, casein, skim milk, etc. are prohibited.  Also prohibited are fractionation (spinning cone) and technical concentration methods (vacuum distillation, reverse osmosis, cryoextraction). Perhaps regulations for “natural wine” could go a step further and not even allow bentonite for fining, prohibit filtration, and increase the limits on sulphur dioxide additions.

The “natural wine” philosophy is quite production focussed and will not capture the bulk of consumers that are simply not interested in how wine is made. What the “natural wine” movement is doing is making the production side of the industry take a critical look at how wine is being produced and whether everything they are doing to their wine is really necessary or good.

Most consumers simply seek a wine in their comfort zone – an affordable wine that tastes good, is unintimidating and invokes trust. There is only a small niche that is looking for something more intriguing – a link between quality, origin, culture and taste.

We can discuss long about wine quality and taste. I like the way that the Austrian négociant and winemaker, Roland Velich, says it: “délicatesse has a lot to do with aesthetics. Your perception must be trained, as in music or the arts. You need some education of the palate to capture and recognise délicatesse. That is essential. “

Climbing the steep vineyard slopes of the Danube River gorge called Wachau is certainly not for the faint of heart. Mount one steep terrace after the other passing the emerald lizards basking on the sun-baked dry stone walls. Climb one vertical metre after the next all the way to the cool forested peak, leaving the sparkling blue waters far below, and you’ll discover the true meaning of a breathtaking vineyard landscape.

Imagine pausing for a moment. You are hungry and thirsty and you are not exactly sure in which vineyard you are standing or who makes which wines from it.

The solution is in your pocket!

myWachau is the new free smartphone app to guide you to wineries, wine taverns and vineyards in the Wachau. The app is essentially comprised of three parts: interactive maps locating the Vinea Wachau wineries, maps of the famous Wachau vineyards, and current information about the region and the Vinea Wachau Association including transportation and events.

Intuitive app navigation makes it easy and fun for wine lovers to plan a trip to the Wachau. Not only can you easily find wineries, you can get information about their wines and vineyards and discover who offers tastings and cellar door sales. Whether touring the Wachau on foot, by bicycle, car, train, or ship, you can identify the names of the surrounding vineyards through your GPS position and use the routing feature to find the nearest place to enjoy the unique and delicious wines and foods of the region.

Golden coloured huckleberry bushes on the ascent to the Lämmersberg summit.

About halfway up the mountain just before the summit begins to rise steeply, I hear an unusually loud jetplane. I look up to the sky and see nothing but intense blue and nary a cloud or a streak. I continue on my path and the noise becomes even louder. Again, I look up at the sky. This time I see one of the little puddle jumpers that fly from Innsbruck to Venice. I study the landscape. I am on a convex flank of the mountain; could it be an echo that amplifies the noise?

I approach a signpost and read, “Goldmühle, unterirdisches Wasserfall” and suddenly everything is clear. I am standing above a roaring underground waterfall!

The Golden Mill underground waterfall beneath the Lämpersberg

Have you ever smelled and tasted fresh spring water in the Tyrol? It is delicious! We are blessed with an abundance of fresh, clean water in this region. It is one of the world’s most precious resources and we often take it for granted.

For the next minutes on my hike, I am thinking about fresh water and its sources. And invariably, I think of our use of water in the wine industry. In Wine Buisness  Monthly Paul Franson wrote that during supervising the preparation of the Code of Sustainable Winegrowing Practices Self-Assessment Workbook prepared by Wine Institute and the California Association of Winegrape Growers he found that wineries were using anywhere from 1.5 to 20 gallons of water for every 1 gallon of wine produced. While at Yalumba in Australia, I was able to discover that through various methods from choice of rootstock and deficiency irrigation in the vineyard to waste water recycling and CIP, Yalumba was able to reduce its water use to 0,75 litres for every 1 litre of wine produced. This is admirably low for the wine industry.

Finally, I find myself looking forward to this year’s European Wine Blogger’s Conference in Izmir, Turkey in November 2012. We have a fine, experienced group of participants and some of the top international leaders in the wine branch as speakers. Several interesting topics, including a discussion panel on natural wine, will be addressed under the conference’s theme “Sources”. The theme “Sources” is fitting and exciting, because we will be so close to the Caucasus and the source of wine.

View of the Grossvenediger from Lämpersberg

The 5 premier cru of the Medoc have become the most highly demanded and valued wines on the fine wine market.

Prestige purchasers make up approximately 5% of wine consumers worldwide. These are the purchasers of fine wine – demanding connoisseurs, conspicuous consumers, collectors, and investors that are very specific in their requirements. The first decade of this century marks a drastic change in the demographics of this group of consumers. The financial crisis in the west has brought less luxury spending and it is now the wealthy elite in Asia that are driving the fine wine market. According to Liv-Ex studies of performances of top Bordeaux chateaux in the last century, vintage and critic opinion were the determining factors for price. From the second half of 2008, brand became the determining factor with the entrance of the Chinese consumer on the fine wine market. Unlike the US market, which is about collecting rare wines with high scores, China is characterized by conspicuous consumption of high-profile brands. The 5 premier cru of the Medoc have become the most highly demanded and valued wines on the fine wine market. These brands are relevant to Chinese consumers because:

1. The pinnacle of the 1855 Bordeaux classification provides historic assurance of being the best of the best.
2. Giving extravagant luxury items as business gifts is part of the culture
3. Family saga, history and tradition are important values to the Chinese
4. European brands are perceived as classy and fine wines are consumed in public view on-trade
5. Relatively high production volume of the five premier cru makes these wines accessible. (11-25 thousand cases for each label).

Brand-led demand from the Far East is the reason for the surging prices of second wines and can also be seen as a signal that the consumer base for fine wines is broadening and deepening in Asia. McKinsey has forecast that luxury goods spending in China will grow 18% per year to 2015 while the Hong Kong based brokerage CLSA predicts market growth of 25% per year to account for 44% of global luxury goods sales by 2020. As the market grows and matures and consumers become more knowledgeable, it can be expected that they will expand their tastes for luxury wines to include other global prestige brands outside of Bordeaux. LVMH has already demonstrated their understanding of the importance of building social bonds and catering to the conspicuous consumption culture in Asia. Their new joint investment project in a luxury shopping mansion in Shanghai could possibly prove to be a perfect launching pad for their Champagnes. For some prestige purchasers the prices of certain global fine wine brands will become unattainable and they will look to lesser known and perhaps smaller production wines that can no longer be classified as “global” wine brands, but give them the quality and value for their money that they desire.

Artisanal and organic are increasingly important to “aspirants” who spend 30 minutes enjoying the wine shopping experience.

Aspirants make up about 45% of wine consumers. These are curious, adventurous consumers that are less loyal to a particular brand. They are willing to experiment and want good value for their money. While they also purchase luxury wines for special occasions, they do not drink them on a regular basis. This is perhaps the most intellectual wine consumer category. According to Wine Intelligence, they purchase their wines at supermarkets only for everyday at home drinking. For weekends, invitations and special occasions they make their purchases at specialty stores and will spend 30 minutes enjoying the shopping experience. What were once emerging markets (US, Australia) are now mature and instead of basing their purchase decisions on popular brands and varietal labeling, their decisions are becoming more focused on origins. Studies of the US, UK, and Switzerland markets show that aspirants values increasingly include:

• Trust in a particular origin – artisanal and handmade are attractive
• Environmental sustainability – organic and low carbon footprint

The Wine Market Council and Nielson studies of this consumer group in the US showed that 64% use the internet for information about wines and read not only professional critics’, but customers’ ratings and reviews of wines. 39% use smart phone applications for making their wine, food and restaurant choices. It can be expected that increased transparency and exchange of information will enhance the experimental and fickle nature of this group of consumers. It is difficult for a global brand to communicate provenance, heritage and family image combined with high quality at affordable middle and upper middle class prices, but Gallo is a producer that is successfully doing this with several of their brands. Small artisanal producers that are able to create an emotional bond and offer environmental advantages will have increasing relevance to aspirant consumers over global wine brands.

Newcomers make up about 35% of consumers and are not particularly involved or interested in wine and do not drink a lot of it. Most of their wine purchases are in supermarkets because they find specialist shops intimidating. Wine is consumed primarily off-trade. Their wine choices are based upon convenience and price. Alternative packaging such as single-serve sizes, non-breakable PET bottles for the outdoors, bag-in-box to keep wine fresh and pouches that can be quickly cooled in an ice chest or water present uncomplicated, unintimidating initiations into the world of wine for this consumer group. Global wine brands that are able to connect to consumers emotionally are quite successful. Gallo’s Grenache Rosé does a great job of communicating provenance, heritage and a family message. It’s pink colour and off-dry flavor style is appealing to irregular wine consumers and they will come back to it as long as the price remains attractive and packaging is adjusted globally to connect with its target consumers.

Own label brands like “Grooner” from the Monika Caha Collection can permit more innovation and potentially tailor target a particular market better than a more generic cross-cultural global brand.

Contrarily “own brand” labels are becoming increasingly successful in other segments with consumers becoming increasingly loyal to retailers rather than global brands. Own label can also permit more innovation and tailor target a particular market better than a more generic cross-cultural global brand. If one looks at other products (shampoo, detergent, food) own label copy cats of global wine brands at lower price points can be expected to gain ground. According to Warren Anderson of Sainsbury’s in the UK, the own label range already accounts for 20% in volume sales and 10% growth is expected over the next two years.

Simple drinkers represent about 15% of consumers. They drink wine by habit or tradition, but have no keen interest in it. These are often middle aged and older people in traditional wine-producing countries and regions. They are brand loyal bargain hunters that make price-driven choices at supermarkets and discounters. This consumer base is currently found predominantly in Europe, but it can be expected to expand to New World wine producing countries in this century. When they find a wine brand they like, they remain with it as long as they remain satisfied with the product and its price and it remains available to them.

The relevance of global wine brands in the 21^st century will be dependent on a number of factors. On the one side, with new communication technologies, market transparency, and maturation of emerging markets, it can be expected that the informed group of aspirant wine consumers will grow. It is for this fickle, intellectual consumer group that global wine brands will have a decreasing appeal. Environmental concerns and the desire for something personal and unique will enhance the desirability of small artisanal produced wines as well as the trend to purchase local. In the group of prestige purchasers, the fixation of the Asian market on classified left bank Bordeaux brands may continue for the next decades and escalating prices will drive connoisseurs in more mature markets to concentrate on lesser known alternative wines from smaller producers. Global wine brands can be expected to hold their appeal for newcomers and simple drinkers. Fierce competition will force global wine brands to make more differentiation, often with varying packaging and messages for the same liquid to tailor target their consumer base. This can already be seen in all categories. In fine wine for example, Lafite’s use of the Chinese symbol for eternity and the lucky number eight on the capsule of the 2008 vintage caters to Asian consumers. A global wine brand catering to simple drinkers will package in bag-in-box for the Swedish market, but may chose glass bottles in continental Europe. As always, consumers will be quick to turn their backs on global wine brands if they do not meet their demands on quality, image, or price. Not to forget is that the place of distribution is vital as in no other category for communicating a wine brand’s message.

The first time I visited the Schönberger Family Winery in Mörbisch, I was on a tasting assignment for an annual wine guide.  ”Concentrate on what is in the glass, not on the rock star and what he is blathering in your ear, and not on the flashy surroundings, ” I said to myself while driving. Objectivity and consistency are key to doing a good fair job. Ratings in the wine guide will have an impact on sales as well as the integrity of the wine guide.

For 18 years, Günther Schönberger was a saxophonist and then manager for an Austrian comedy rock band. That was my problem. Humour doesn’t often translate well over cultures and languages. Despite its great popularity and success in Austria and Germany, the comedy rock band “Erste Allgemeine Verunsicherung” (EAV) has never failed to make me cringe. Admittedly, this was not due to the saxophonist, but to the lead singer whom I find hysteric and obnoxious.

Günther Schönberger greeted me personally in the humble, plain and homey surroundings of his winery in Mörbisch on the west side of Lake Neusiedl in Burgenland, Austria. Behind the impressive, well-groomed long silver mane of hair was not a talkative show-biz man, but a surprisingly quiet, even introverted, vintner. He said little as I tasted the wines and made my notes. After tasting, I questioned him about the wines and vinification techniques. As the interview turned to the vineyard, the vintner opened up and spoke passionately about the vines, the soil, climate and the humbling experience of being at the mercy of the weather each year.

Wine had always been Schönberger’s hobby. While his EAV colleagues went off romping in Kenya and chic resorts and cities in their free time, Günther visited vineyards and winemakers. He volunteered his help to vintner friends to gain better insight and understanding. He ultimately purchased a few small vineyard plots and harvested and produced his first wine from his own fruit in the 1992 vintage. In 1996, Schönberger retired from the entertainment industry to become a vintner in Burgenland Austria.

The Schönberger family practiced organic viticulture from the very beginning and converted to bio-dynamic viticulture in 1998. The Schönbergers now cultivate 27 vineyard hectares and are certified bio-dynamic by Demeter Österreich. This certifying agency is arguably one of the strictest in the world, placing high demands and restraints not only in the vineyard, but in the cellar. Biodynamic viticulture requires some serious dedication to manual labor in the vineyard and in difficult years, the willingness to sacrifice more of the harvest than in non-organic viticulture – manipulations and corrections with additives or fractioning techniques are not allowed.

The wine biz sure looks a lot more family friendly than show biz!

The Schoenberger Family Winery was the first biodynamic winery in Austria that produces dry red and white wines as well as botrytized sweet wines. All three categories have achieved high ratings and accolades from the critics. My own personal favourites have been his Chardonnay “Schoenberger weiss” and his Sauvignon Blanc. And no one could accuse Günther Schönberger of using his fame and a big mouth to gain attention for his wines. The only horn he’ll toot is still occasionally his saxophone in his free time. Schönberger lets his wines speak for themselves.

Tim Atkin awards Hans Tschida and his son Andreas “Sweet Winemaker of the Year”

When asked what his secret for producing sweet wines, Hans Tschida replies, “The secret is the climate of the Seewinkel region on the east side of Lake Neusiedl. The long autumns with abundant sunshine and morning fog make the region predestined for great botrytized sweet wines.” Certainly the man is underplaying the painstaking efforts of he and his family. The Angerhof Tschida vineyards are located in the Seewinkel wildlife preserve which is a habitat for abundant birds. 10 kilometres of nets per vineyard hectare are required to protect ripening grapes from being plundered. Grapes are hand picked and selected and the vinification requires an attentive hand to achieve the focus, clarity of expression and balance for which the Tschida Angerhof wines are so highly esteemed.

The Tschida Angerhof wines won a total of eight gold, nine silver and three bronze medals, which also won Tschida the Austrian Sweet Wine Trophy and the Scheurebe Trophy.  IWC Co-Chairman Charles Metcalfe presented family Tschida with the Trophy for Austrian Sweet Wine and the Trophy for Scheurebe  preceding the Awards Dinner Gala held at the Hilton Park Lane Hotel in London on Tuesday 11 September 2012. Hans Tschida was thrilled as he was called up to the main stage during the Event to be  awarded Sweet Wine Maker of the Year by Tim Atkin MW. Metcalfe announced that, “Angerhof Tschida has excelled with a series of exquisite sweet wines that showcase the pedigree of the Burgenland region of Austria”.

Hans Tschida was thrilled to be awarded Sweet Winemaker of the Year for the third consecutive year.

The prestigious Sweet Winemaker of the year was well deserved. This is the list Angerhof Tschida’s award winning wines at the International Wine Challenge 2012:

Gold Medal: 2007 Chardonnay Trockenbeerenauslese

Gold Medal: 2009 Gelber Muskateller Eiswein

Gold Medal: 2010 Gelber Muskateller Eiswein

Gold Medal: 2008 Gelber Muskateller Schilfwein

Gold Medal and Trophy: 2007 Sämling Beerenauslese

Gold Medal: 2010 Sämling Beerenauslese

Gold Medal: Sämling Trockenbeerenauslese

Gold Medal: Sämling Trockenbeerenauslese

Silver Medal: 2010 Chardonnay Trockenbeerenauslese

Austria is now proud to have three Masters of Wine: Dr. Josef Schuller MW (Director of the Austrian Wine Academy), Roman Horvath MW (Managing Director of Domäne Wachau), and Andreas Wickhoff MW.

Dr. Josef Schuller MW and Roman Horvath MW took the opportunity to congratulate Andreas Wickhoff at the Austrian Wine Academy on September 7th, 2012.

All three Austrian Masters of Wine teach at the Austrian Wine Academy which had its annual Lecturer’s Conference and Seminar this last weekend.

Andreas Wickhoff MW said “I am incredibly glad to have passed all parts of the MW exam. It has been one of the most adventurous, arduous and exciting journeys of my life, during which I was pushed to the limit.”

Congratulations to all who have achieved their goal. For me, the journey continues.

My exam results were as I expected – fail. I can practice, study and prepare, but when it comes to that first exam day, I am like a deer staring at a fast moving truck’s headlights and I end up as road kill. Despite this, it has been a worthwhile and rewarding journey thus far. I’ve learned much, travelled far and have met many wonderful, inspiring people along the way.

PET bottles have a similar appearance and haptic to glass and invoke trust and feelings of familiarity in consumers. They are much more lightweight than glass (88% less for 0.25 l bottles and 50 g vs. 300 g for best light-weight glass for 0.75 l). The re-sealable screwcap closure is convenient and reduces the risk of TCA taint. The fact that PET bottles are shatterproof offers safety and convenience advantages for consumption in the outdoors, at swimming pools and when travelling. Despite their vast weight advantage and reduction in CO2 in distribution, PET is made from depleting crude oil resources. Recycled PET is rarely food-safe and is thus typically “downcycled” to make textile products. Despite multiple layers with an oxygen-scavenging layer either on the inside or between two PET layers, wines in PET bottles continue to have a limited shelf and storage life compared to wines in glass bottles. This packaging does not enjoy great acceptance among the fine wine connoisseur sector. It has the largest acceptance among aspirational consumers in traditional wine-consuming markets (according to Wine Intelligence 40% of UK wine drinkers would purchase wine in PET), newcomers in emerging international markets, and travelling professionals.

The bag-in-box (BIB) is a plastic (PET) or aluminium bladder in a cardboard box with a plastic spout. Its large surface area allows abundant space for images and information that are potentially useful and appealing to consumers. The BIB is inexpensive to produce and its stackability and high product volume to package weight make it inexpensive to ship – these cost reductions are passed on to the consumer. The large (usually 1.5 to 5 l) cubic format size and ability to remain fresh for up to 6 weeks after opening make it convenient for consumers to store in the refrigerator or cupboard for spontaneous by-the-glass consumption at home. Despite improvements in the less than satisfactory technical performance of the BIB in the past (flex cracking of some bags during transport and design flaws in spouts) the “cheap and cheerful” image remains. This appears to be slowly changing as higher quality wines are now being packaged in this format. Wine Spectator included numerous BIB wines in their review of best value wines awarding them scores of up to 88 points. The large (usually 1.5 to 5 l) cubic format size and ability to remain fresh for up to 6 weeks after opening, make it appealing to undemanding, but regular consumers of wine. Although all components can be either recycled, as soon as packaging is made from materials that need to be separated, the likelihood of this decreases dramatically.

Multi-layer cartons are made of thee or more materials which each contribute key properties: PET to hold liquids, aluminium for a barrier against light and oxygen, and paper for stiffness, strength and shape. The Tetra Pak Prisma is experiencing increasing market penetration for its 250 ml four-pack, its 500 ml and 1 l sizes for wine. They are light-weight, stackable, non-breakable and have re-sealable closures. Multi-layer cartons allow more space for consumer information on the pack and are 100% recyclable. Tetra Pak is cheap (10-25 US cents per unit) and these savings are passed on the consumer. Despite this, it appears that environmental friendliness is driving Tetra Pak’s growing acceptance among consumers. A peer-reviewed Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) conducted by Sweden’s monopoly Systembolaget showed multi-layer cartons to have a dramatically lower carbon footprint than both glass and PET bottles. According to Ulf Sjödin MW of Systembolaget, the majority of wine sold in Sweden is packaged in Tetra Pak. A good example of using packaging congruent to brand identity is Yellow Blue. This brand comprises a line of wines made from certified organic grapes packed exclusively in Tetra Pak.

Aluminium cans are the only alternative to glass in which sparkling wines can be packaged. Aluminium cans are lightweight, practically non-breakable, 100% recyclable and at 52% the most recycled beverage container. Their low consumer acceptance for wine is due to their reputation for lending beverages an unpleasant metallic taste although forms with a flavour protecting lining are available. Convenient single-serve sizes appear to enjoy the highest acceptance among consumers. An interesting new development is a lined aluminium bottle with a screw cap closure. The ability of aluminium cans or bottles to be chilled quickly is another positive attribute. An example of the use of aluminium can as an integral part of a brand is single-serve Sofia sparkling wine from Francis Ford Copolla that is targeted at female consumers.

Wine is now also offered in various PET pouches which are virtually bags without boxes. These packs come in various sizes including small, single serve units and are equipped with a re-sealable spout. Their large surface area offers abundant space for appealing imagery and information for consumers. Pouches can also be hung on a rack or display on an integrated cut-out handle opening – if they get bumped and fall, they will not break. This packaging alternative is appealing to consumers for informal and/or outdoor occasions. They have the advantage of flexibility and can be easily tossed into an icebox or picnic basket and can be quickly chilled in cold water.

Wine packaging will continue to change as the priorities for marketing communication, consumer experience, packaging quality and environmental performance evolve. Glass bottles continue to be the only suitable packaging format for long-term maturation after consumer purchase. How environmentally friendly wine packaging is will depend upon its impact on the environment during production, distribution and disposal or ability to recycle between the places where the product is packaged and where it is consumed. Alternative packaging has shown much better performance on LCA studies, yet the majority of consumers still perceive glass as the most environmentally friendly wine packaging. This image is due to the natural materials from which glass is made and the fact that consumers have become accustomed to recycling glass. Light-weight glass bottles and bottling at destinations are efforts to reduce the carbon footprint of glass bottles. The global wine market is now more open to the adoption of packaging innovation and change than in any time in the past. Matching the package to consumer expectations and wine style and communicating the advantages of this package for consumers will be a continuing goal for all wine producers in the future.