Sky high: Austrians taking their wines very seriously

 

On many airlines, the wine knowledge of the air crew does not extend much beyond asking "red or white?" 

  
In Austria, they take things a little more seriously. 

Austrian Airlines, for instance, now has more than 100 Austrian wine experts to ensure the best in-flight wine experience. 

The specialists have been trained and qualified in a joint initiative by Austrian Airlines and the Austrian Wine Marketing Board (Austrian Wine). 

Those who have done the course will be providing business class passengers with professional advice on Austrian wines with the airline promising there will be an Austrian Wine Expert on board every long-haul flight from 2026 onwards. Flying economy? Tough. 

 
Austrian Wine ran a multi-day training course on wine, which has taught employees the skills to convey the diversity, quality and character of Austrian wines to Austrian Airlines passengers. 

Over the course of three modules - wine knowledge, sensory skills, tasting and service and  communication - participants learnt about wine-growing regions to types and categories of wine, as well as tips on wine pairing and making recommendations to passengers.

“We are delighted that this Austrian Wine Experts initiative has enabled us to bring our long-established partnership with Austrian Airlines onto an even higher level,” said Chris Yorke, CEO of Austrian Wine. 

“The Austrian wine culture is like no other in the world and an integral part of our national identity. The Austrian Wine Experts will play a significant role in enabling Austrian Airline guests from around the world to discover our outstanding wines before they’ve even landed.”

The number of qualified experts is expected to rise to 250 by 2026. 

“We are very proud that more than 100 members of our cabin crews have already been trained as Austrian Wine Experts,” said Austrian Airlines CEO Annette Mann. “With this new facet of our distinctive service quality, we are inspiring international guests on board to discover the culinary treasures of Austria. At the same time, the Austrian Wine Experts bring a piece of home and lived tradition to the world for all Austrians.”

Austria rides organic wine wave

 

Austria, known for some stellar white wines, is one of the nations leading the way in terms of environmentally-conscious viticulture. 

Around 12,000 hectares of Austrian vineyards are now cultivated in compliance with the independently controlled viticulture program Sustainable Austria (Nachhaltig Austria), corresponding to 27% of Austria’s total area under vine. 

That's big progress given the certification program was only launched 10 years ago. 

Austria has impressive figures when it comes to organic viticulture, with 25% of the country’s area under vine being certified as organic, as of November 2024.

The figures were issued this week by the Austrian Wine Marketing Board (Austrian Wine). 

More than 1 in 10 organic vineyards are also cultivated using biodynamic methods. 

“The Sustainable Austria certification is a recognised sustainability label on the global wine stage," says Chris Yorke, CEO of Austrian Wine. "It plays a significant role in Austrian wine being perceived as particularly environmentally friendly. 

“It’s not just the environment that benefits from this. Environmentally conscious certification is a key selling point in many markets, including Scandinavia, Canada and the USA. Some of our wineries even hold several certifications, e.g. ‘Sustainable Austria’ and ‘organic’.”

The global organic wine market has been gaining traction in today’s health-conscious society. 

A recent report by InsightAce Analytic Pvt. Ltd showed the market was valued at US$9.84 billion in 2021 and is set to reach an impressive US$25.07 billion by 2030. 

Sustainable Austria was launched in 2015 after being developed over a number of years by the Austrian Winegrowers’ Association (Österreichischer Weinbauverband) in association with a group of scientists.

Image: Ried Heiligenstein, Kamptal. © ÖWM/Robert Herbst