How Austrian Wine is taking over the World.
The Austrian Wine Board's Marketing Masterclass
How a small European nation captured the global natural wine scene through strategic partnerships, from Vienna to New York to Bangkok.
Anyone following the natural wine scene cannot fail to notice the Austrian Wine Board (AustrianWine.com) executing a masterclass in promotion. Through strategic presence at fairs, targeted media coverage, and placement in some of the world's most influential restaurants, they have established remarkable market penetration. The scale of government investment remains opaque, but the results speak for themselves—raising the obvious question of why more wine-producing nations aren't implementing similar strategies.
The Karakterre Connection
Over the past few years, the alliance between Austrian wine, the festival Karakterre, and publicist Marko Kovac has proven particularly lethal. Karakterre operates as a marketing powerhouse, hosting major natural wine events in both Austria and New York, while their US market infiltration has been so thorough that Austrian natural wine now appears—whether prominently featured or subtly integrated—at virtually every natural wine destination in New York City.
The reach extends even to the UK provinces; I recently went for a meal at East Field in Dundee, Scotland—reportedly the only restaurant in the city with a decent wine list, though the food was delicious too—where the waitress sang the praises of Austrian wine unprompted. Exactly how this partnership formed remains unclear, but the execution has been undeniably sophisticated.
Thai Food & The London Strategy
The strategy has extended into the Thai culinary world as well, with high-profile placements at establishments like Gaggan and Anglo Thai in London—the latter notably receiving a Michelin Star within just three months of opening. Reading coverage such as the recent Drinks Business article on Anglo Thai, one must wonder whether financial incentives or strategic partnerships are driving these restaurant relationships.
If so, the contrast with other wine-producing regions is stark: while Austria is aggressively capturing market share, France funnels government funds into bailing out Bordeaux winemakers rather than proactive marketing, and the US stands witness to a total cataclysm in the California wine market, where businesses are folding daily.
"The scale of government investment remains opaque, but the results speak for themselves."
