(Manfred Klimek / Photo: Gergo Pejko / animated image: runwayml)
Before settling in for a few weeks in the Markgräflerland wine-growing region in south-west Germany – a region that absolutely must be given more attention – I’m making a stopover in the Wachau. At a cooperative that is unrivalled not only in Austria – the Domäne Wachau, one of the most remarkable wine-growing estates in Central Europe. Not only because some of the most precise Rieslings and Grüner Veltliners in the Danube region of Europe are now produced there, but because these wines come from a co-operative of all places – that is, from the very model which, for decades, was almost automatically associated with mediocrity and mass production in the wine industry.
It is precisely this perception, which also prevailed in Austria, that Domäne Wachau has radically shattered over the past twenty years. Today, around 200 winegrowing families cultivate roughly a third of the entire Wachau region. Internationally renowned terraced vineyards such as Achleiten, Kellerberg and Singerriedel have long since ceased to belong solely to the region’s large individual estates, but are now also part of the Domäne. What is truly remarkable about this is that the co-operative does not seek to smooth out differences, but rather to precisely highlight the provenance of even the smallest plots. Under the leadership of Roman Horvath and cellar master Heinz Frischengruber, this has resulted in one of Europe’s most modern quality cooperatives – a flagship operation of the highest calibre, which is also of great value to tourism.
Not only have the wines become sleeker, more precise and more modern, but at the same time the Domäne has invested heavily in organic viticulture, sustainable farming practices and modern cellar technology, which also enables exciting oenological experiments – and attracts a younger audience to the premises. Above all, however, something emerged there that cooperatives rarely manage to achieve: a clear stylistic signature – something unmistakable.
What is interesting, however, is the bigger question behind this: why is it that cooperatives from Lower Austria, as well as those from Burgenland and South Tyrol, in particular, perform so well both nationally and internationally – whilst German cooperatives remain largely stuck in the budget segment to this day?
For a similar cooperative phenomenon is evident in South Tyrol: wineries such as Girlan, Tramin, Kurtatsch, Kaltern, Nals-Margreid and St. Michael-Eppan have long been among Italy’s most renowned estates. There, too, hundreds of small winegrowers work together. There, too, top-quality wines in high demand internationally are being produced. Nobody, for example, would regard the world-renowned Terlan co-operative today as a ‘typical co-operative’.
In Germany, by contrast, many co-operatives are still tainted by the legacy of the post-war era: saccharine mass-produced wine, discount campaigns, a clinging to uninspiring grape varieties and a philosophy of quality that often seems geared more towards stability than individuality.
The Wachau, the Kremstal and South Tyrol realised early on that small winegrowers usually no longer stand a chance on the world market on their own. Consequently, the co-operative was not seen there as a safety net, but as a collective quality engine: provenance, precision and brand-building suddenly took precedence over mere quantity. At the same time, both regions worked with enormous self-confidence to build their international image.