5 questions to... Ludwig Holzer

Wine cooperative Winzer Krems in the Danube Valley is one of the oldest in Europe. Eight hundred vintners are the essence of the company, as they supply the grapes for the quality wines from Austria's Wachau wine region. Ludwig Holzer is general manager there. We spoke to him just after the construction pit was filled in; after a major renovation that took almost four years, the winery's cellar, bottling plant and warehouse have been opened. 

5 questions to... Ludwig Holzer

1. Congratulations! We heard that it is the biggest investment in the Austrian wine industry. You must be proud?

'All the people who worked on it did a top job. The focus of this investment was on improving quality production. There was no change in capacity, but by renovating existing structures, there was more flexibility in the harvesting process: more grapes can now be processed in a shorter time. Buildings and storage containers from the 1960s and 1970s were replaced. Meanwhile, wine production had to go on as usual lol, so it was quite a challenge to plan all the phases. Also, the corona crisis emerged when the plans were already ready, and in the meantime raw material prices have risen. Together with the partners, we still managed to do it, and within budget!'

1b. There has been investment in sustainability. Can you give specific examples?

'We wanted to get rid of gas. In fact, this was decided before gas prices rose so much. We get hot water from a power plant four kilometres away from here. We have the wine cellar underground, so the natural coolness can do its work there. We have solar panels on the roof and also get renewable energy from our compost and organic waste from the forests.'

2. What would you mention to an outsider as typical characteristics of your Austrian wine?

'We are a big wine company and of course we make a lot of styles. But as the magic of Austria, I would mention fruitiness and freshness. Especially in our wine region, this seeps into the wines. In our Grüner Veltliner, but also in the Riesling and Weißburgunder. The red Blauer Zweigelt also has that freshness, and something peppery. The red cool-climate wines are a very different style from wines coming from other countries.'

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