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Austrian Wine toasts record VieVinum attendance

29 May 2024 By Louis Thomas

VieVinum took place in Vienna last weekend, with a record number of international trade visitors flocking to the Austrian capital.

Overall, some 1,200 international wine professionals from 58 countries attended the show at the Hofburg, where more than 500 Austrian wineries were gathered.

“This is crucial for our wineries because the economic situation is not easy for them at the moment,” said Austrian Wine CEO Chris Yorke. “It also shows how sought-after our wines have become around the world.”

Indeed, since the first edition of VieVinum in 1998, the export value of Austrian wine has increased sevenfold, reaching €238 million in 2023.

“Wine exports are very important for our winemakers because we have few growth opportunities left in the Austrian market,” explained Yorke. “Every bottle exported promotes our excellent wines on the international stage and also relieves pressure on the domestic market.”

Outside of the main show in the Hofburg, there were also other events, including the International Heroes and Rising Stars tasting in the spectacular surroundings of the Palais Niederösterreich, with attendees able to choose from 18 flights ranging from the 2021 vintage of Grüner Veltliner to ‘Liquid Gold’ – the country’s famous sweet wines.

During the show itself there were a number of talks and tastings too, such as ASI World Top Sommeliers present their favourite Austrian Wines, which saw Pascaline Lepeltier, Reeze Choi and Raimonds Tomsons, who won the 2023 ASI Best Sommelier of the World contest, present their picks of the Austrian wines that should be on our radars.

To read about six of the key trends to emerge from the show, click here.