One of the greatest joys of VieVinum 2026 isn’t tasting hundreds of wines.
It’s meeting the people behind them.
The conversations that happen between pours often reveal far more than what’s in the glass. They reveal family histories, philosophies, frustrations, ambitions, and the deep connection between wine and place.
This year, a series of interviews led me across four very different Austrian wine regions through the voices of four remarkable producers: Johanna and Gregor Schupp of Weingut Gregor Schupp, Stefan Tscheppe and the team at Weingut Liechtenstein, Lena Gruber of Weingut Tschermonegg, and Elfi Aigner of Weingut Aigner.
Different regions.
Different personalities.
Different wines.
Yet all shared the same belief:
Great wine begins with respect for place.
The Schupp Family: Where Precision Meets Personality
Some producers talk about vineyards.
The Schupp family talks about limestone.
A lot.
Located in the Thermenregion south of Vienna, Weingut Gregor Schupp has built its reputation on chalk-rich soils, Burgundian inspiration, and a relentless pursuit of precision.
Johanna Schupp brings international perspective to the family estate, drawing on her experience in Burgundy while remaining deeply committed to expressing the identity of her own vineyards.
Listening to her describe their Pinot Noir and Chardonnay felt less like a technical discussion and more like an artist explaining a finished painting.
The goal isn’t simply to make wine.
It’s to create wines that are complete before they ever leave the cellar.
Wines released only when they are, in her words, “ready to drink.”
Her brother Gregor shares that same commitment to detail, although with a slightly more direct delivery.
“We are annoyingly correct,” he laughed.
And honestly, after tasting the wines, the description felt entirely accurate.
The family’s chalk-rich vineyards contribute a distinctive texture and mineral precision that runs through the portfolio. Every wine feels intentional. Every decision appears measured.
But beneath the precision lies something equally important: family.
Again and again, the conversation returned to continuity, shared purpose, and the importance of remaining a family before becoming a business.
Perhaps that’s why the wines feel so authentic.
They aren’t chasing trends.
They’re telling a family story.
Weingut Liechtenstein: The Power of Salinity
If the Schupp family spoke about texture, Stefan Tscheppe spoke about energy.
More specifically, salinity.
When asked what defines the wines of Weinviertel, he answered without hesitation:
“Animating and salinity.”
It’s not a descriptor often used as the centerpiece of a winery’s identity, yet after tasting through the wines, it made perfect sense.
For Stefan, salinity isn’t merely a tasting note.
It’s a structural element.
A sensation that creates movement and freshness, pulling you back for another sip.
A characteristic that transforms a technically correct wine into a compelling one.
The team at Weingut Liechtenstein repeatedly challenged the simplistic view many international consumers still hold about Weinviertel.
This isn’t a one-dimensional region.
It’s a landscape of diverse soils, exposures, and microclimates shaped by more than 1,500 years of viticultural history.
The wines reflected that complexity beautifully.
The Johannesberg bottling was described by Christina Fritz as “dancing” — light, fresh, energetic, and joyful.
Meanwhile, Josef Stumvoll’s beloved Karlsberg Pinot Noir demonstrated another side of the region entirely: structured, elegant, and quietly powerful.
Throughout the conversation, one idea kept resurfacing.
Wine should celebrate life.
And these wines certainly do.
Franz Josef & Lena Gruber: Hospitality in Every Glass
If Austrian wine has a welcoming face, it might just be Franz Tschermonegg along with Lena Gruber.
The energy he brings to the wines is electric and what she brings to Weingut Tschermonegg is infectious.
Warm, approachable, and deeply passionate, they represents a style of hospitality that feels increasingly rare.
Wine isn’t separate from food, family, or community.
It’s woven directly into all three.
Located in Südsteiermark, the estate produces some of Austria’s most expressive aromatic whites, wines that mirror the freshness and vitality of the landscape itself.
The Sauvignon Blanc Ried Oberglanz was a standout.
Bright, energetic, and layered with citrus, tropical fruit, and mineral tension.
The kind of wine that disappears from a glass far too quickly.
Lena’s enthusiasm was particularly evident when discussing the estate’s first rosé release, but equally compelling was her honesty about the realities of modern farming.
Heavy rains.
Unpredictable weather.
Climate challenges.
Every producer I spoke with referenced these concerns.
Yet none sounded defeated.
Adaptation has simply become part of the job.
And perhaps that’s what defines today’s generation of Austrian winegrowers more than anything else.
Resilience.
Elfi Aigner: The Beauty of Staying True
In a week filled with innovation, experimentation, and technical discussions, Elfi Aigner offered something equally valuable:
Perspective.
Her philosophy is refreshingly straightforward.
Make wines you believe in.
Stay true to your style.
Focus on quality.
The rest follows.
Her favorite wine, a single-vineyard Grüner Veltliner from 2017, perfectly embodied that mindset.
Elegant.
Mineral.
Structured.
A wine she simply described as “the perfect Grüner Veltliner.”
Not because it was trendy.
Not because it was fashionable.
Because it represented exactly what she wanted the wine to be.
That confidence felt refreshing.
Equally inspiring was her commitment to supporting the next generation of women in wine.
Her advice was practical, honest, and direct: speak up, build relationships, and support one another.
The message resonated long after the interview ended.
Four Regions, One Future
What struck me most after these conversations wasn’t what made these producers different.
It was what connected them.
Thermenregion chalk.
Weinviertel salinity.
Südsteiermark freshness.
Kremstal precision.
Different landscapes.
Different grape varieties.
Different winemaking philosophies.
Yet every producer spoke about the same core values.
Family.
Authenticity.
Place.
Hospitality.
And the belief that great wine should enhance life rather than complicate it.
In an increasingly crowded global wine market, Austria’s greatest strength may not be Grüner Veltliner, Blaufränkisch, Riesling, or Sauvignon Blanc.
It may simply be the people.
The families preserving traditions while embracing innovation.
The growers adapting to climate challenges without losing sight of identity.
The producers who still believe that every bottle should tell a story.
After a week of conversations at VieVinum 2026, one thing became abundantly clear:
Austria’s future looks exceptionally bright.
And it’s being built one vineyard, one family, and one honest glass at a time.