Wein Burgenland

Burgenland and its wine

Andreas Liegenfeld from Donnerskirchen has been chairman of Wein Burgenland since September 2007. His two vice chancellors are Erich Scheiblhofer from Andau and Alfred Fischer from Stöttera. 2007 also saw a change in the management of the company: Christian Zechmeister from Eisenstadt succeeded Willi Balanjuk as managing director.

We invited Chairman Andreas Liegenfeld and Managing Director Christian Zechmeister for a short interview:

Mr Zechmeister, how would you characterise Burgenland as a wine-growing region?
The Burgenland is a small but superior wine-growing region which offers a great variety of different wine styles and this is certainly what we aim to emphasise. We might not be able to keep up with the global players in terms of quantity, but when it comes to quality and value for money we have no reason to shy away from the competition. Particularly our local grape varieties make us distinctive and interesting in the eyes of the consumers.

Mr Liegenfeld, in your opinion what are the strengths of wines from the Burgenland?
The landscape in the Burgenland is extremely complex and varied and this is reflected in the great selection of wines produced here. One can find top quality fruity white wines, complex red wines, elegant sparkling wines and noble sweet wines. This diversity alone is enough to set any wine-lover’s heart racing. In addition to this our wines can be paired perfectly with Pannonian culinary specialities.

I also think that Burgenland’s wine-makers present a unique and unified front both nationally and internationally. This sense of community is a strength which is often commented on in specialist wine magazines. Above all I believe that Burgenland’s spectacular landscapes and tourist attractions are what make the Burgenland special, and I always make sure that my guests experience this.

Have there been any important changes in the wine market during 2009?
Liegenfeld: 2009 has been an exciting year and a lot has happened. One of the most significant new things is the new wine law which has brought changes in the areas of  vinification, official quality controls und labelling. In particular the changes regarding the labelling are important for consumers and winemakers.

How can consumers recognise quality wines from the Burgenland?
Zechmeister: The most important sign is the red-white-red band (banderole) on the bottleneck of all quality wines from Austria as a sign of quality and origin. As we say “if there’s red-white-red on it, then there’s quality wine in it!” Another important point to be noted is the origin. If the wine claims to be from „Burgenland“ or it states that it is a DAC wine then one can be sure that what is in the bottle comes entirely from those areas.


Does Wine Burgenland have any specific goals or strategies regarding origin marketing?
Liegenfeld: Our goal is to define regional areas in Burgenland with a protected appellation of origin. DAC Mittelburgenland has proved to be a successful model for this and it has recently been agreed to create a similar appellation under Leithaberg DAC. The first wines under this name will be on the market as of 1. September 2010.  There are plans to introduce the same system in Südburgenland and discussions are already underway relating to wine style, possible grape varieties and quality criteria. This means that Südburgenland will also be integrated in a protected appellation system in the not too distant future. I’m sure that the wine-makers in the wine-growing region Neusiedlersee will eventually find a successful way of following in these footsteps.
This use of the well-positioned umbrella brand „Burgenland”, along with the protected appellations of origin, would enable us to enjoy greater success on the international market using simple advertising slogans.

What will Wein Burgenland be concentrating on in 2010?
Zechmeister: 2010 is certainly going to be a varied one for Wein Burgenland. Activities will include PR and media work, the production of new and diverse advertising material and the organisation of various events. Of course we will continue our cooperation with The Austria Wine Marketing Board (ÖWM), food retailing (LEH), The Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (WKÖ), the Chamber of Agriculture (LWK), The Austrian National Tourist Office and Burgenland Tourismus.

Highlights of 2010 will definitely be our Burgenland Presentations, where we offer all wine-lovers the opportunity to taste the incredible variety of wines available in the Burgenland.
The dates for 2010 are:

•    Linz: 25. February 2010
•    Vienna: 8. March 2010
•    Bratislava: 16. April 2010