On November 17th and 18th, this year, WEIN & CO organized its 16th wine event in Vienna, MondoVino. More than 150 Austrian and international top wine producers were present at the event occurred at Marx Halle Vienna, for and to the delight of local and international wine lovers.
Some innovations were presented this year, like introduction of world Masterclass and the digital trade fair catalog. At the Masterclass the visitors could enjoy the wines presentation and tasting, as well as gaining insights from wine experts (Willibald Balanjuk, Willi Klinger and Christian Zechmeister).
About participants
MondoVino fair has gathered numerous wine producers split per countries or regions, and the wine varieties were definitely of high interest. More than 1000 wines (red, rose, and white), still wine or sparkling wine, for any taste, flavors from global wine regions.
Austria, as a host, naturally had the majority of space, bringing Austrian premium wines from all wine regions (Weinviertel, Kamptal, Kremstal, Wachau, Vienna, Thermenregion, Traisental, Carnuntum, Neusiedlersee, Leithaberg, Rosalia, Vulkanland, West- and Südsteiermark).
Exceptional Riesling from Germany (Weingut Reichsrat Von Buhl GmbH, WEINGUT VON WINNING, Weingut Künstler, Weinguter Wegeler) has got a special respect from the local public, even though Austrian Riesling is great too.
European red wines from Italy, Piedmont (Massari San Grato Barollo and Barbaresco) and Tuscany (Frecobaldi CastelGiocondo Bruno di Montalcino), Spanish Rioja (La Rioja Alta, Marques de Murrieta) and from France from Bordeaux (Château Lafite Rothschild, Château Latour, Château Bourgneuf, Christian Moueix) were highly appreciated as well.
Other regions, like South Africa, New Zealand, Australia or California, have shown their wines at dedicated stands, in parallel with new-entries (e.g. Slovenia).
A particular attention it was paid to the sparkling wines, as Austrian Sekt had to "compete" closely with French Champagne, Spanish Cava and Italian Prosecco. I would emphasize the French Moutard Brut Grand Cuvee and Duval-Leroy Grand Cru Brut Blanc de Blancs. The Italian Canella Prosecco Valdobbiadene Superiore Brut and Spanish Juvé & Camps Cava Gran Reserva Brut Nature Xarel-lo Singular 2017 were other two fizz of interest.
Instead of conclusion
MondoVino by WEIN & CO is a great wine event, with a long history already and high awareness, not only in Austria and Germany (or DACH region), but also in surrounding countries. People interested in the event came from Slovenia, Hungary and Slovakia, and it was a pleasure to exchange few words about with a glass of Sekt, Riesling or a Blaufränkisch.
Below I have tried to summarize a short list of "My personal favorite wines" from a big range of great wines:
- Sparkling wine: Grüner Veltiliner Brut Nature Sekt Grosse Reserve PDO 2017 from Jurtschitsch Winery. Strong and fresh on palate, the fizz is elegant and complex, long-standing bubbles, with notes of lime and green apple, and strong aftertaste.
- White wine: Riesling Ried Achleiten Smaragd 2022 from Domäne Wachau. Strong character of Wachau terroir, the wine is complex and refreshing, with fruity aromas and strong citrus notes, and powerful aftertaste. Another Smaragd white wine worth to discover is the Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc) from Franz Hirtzberger Winery.
- Red wine: The Italian Massari San Grato Barollo draw my attention - an elegant and fully body wine, with balanced structure of tannins and acidity.
And the list could continue and continue. What have I missed at MondoVino? Probably, half of Europe. Or more precisely Eastern Europe, where there are some marvelous wine from autochtone or international grapes, such as Rara Neagra (Moldova), Feteasca Neagra or Zghihara (Romania) or Tokaj (Hungary). But there are definitely more to be discovered in Croatia, Serbia, Greece or Ukraine...
Hope in the future to see them all, until then a big thank you to WEIN & CO for organizing this exceptional wine event which is MondoVino!