Documentary follows Upper Austria’s rising wine producers

An ORF documentary follows young winegrowers across Upper Austria as they produce quality wines, test new grape varieties and build a new source of income for their farms. Wein aus 4 Vierteln will be broadcast on Sunday on ORF 2 and streamed on ORF ON.

Winegrowing was traditional in Upper Austria until the end of the 17th century, but largely disappeared during the so-called Little Ice Age. The first farms began planting vineyards again about 30 years ago. Today, vines are grown in all four regions of the province.

The documentary follows several winegrowing businesses throughout the year. Wolfgang Marecek and Markus Fischer produced the film for ORF’s Upper Austria regional studio.

Many vegetable and arable farms see winegrowing as an additional economic foundation. Establishing a vineyard is considered labour-intensive and risky. Petra Schmuckenschlager from Enns and her husband, Florian, have been focusing on winegrowing for years. Their children are now studying winegrowing and working on the farm.

The film also follows two young winemaking couples from Wolfern in the Steyr-Land district and Niederneukirchen in the Linz-Land district. Experienced businesses support them as they prune vines and hold tastings of young wine.

Another focus is on fungus-resistant grape varieties. Wolfgang Költringer from Weilbach in the Ried im Innkreis district is testing different white and red grape varieties in an experimental vineyard. According to the documentary, the aim is to reduce the use of plant protection products.

Sommelier Dagmar Gross assesses the development of winegrowing in Upper Austria. She sees considerable quality and commitment among the producers, but expects the region to develop a clearer profile in the long term.

The documentary says wines from Upper Austria are now attracting attention beyond the region. Lukas Schiefermair from Kematen an der Krems in the Linz-Land district, who is 31, has already received several awards. Leonhard Gmeiner from Perg is also regarded as a pioneer of modern winegrowing in Upper Austria and now regularly advises new businesses as president of the provincial winegrowing association.

Klaus Stummvoll, the association’s managing director, says in the film that Upper Austria remains small by Austrian standards, with about 100 hectares of vineyards, but that its winegrowing scene is developing dynamically.

Wein aus 4 Vierteln will be shown on Sunday at 6.25pm on ORF 2 and streamed on ORF ON.