While worldwide 2017 saw the lowest level of wine production in years, Austria was able to record a harvest that was very good in terms of quality and also blessed by abundant volume. The yield of 2.6 million hl (according to October’s third harvest estimate) amounted to a quarter above the five-year average, which will go a long way to filling cellars that in many places have been rather empty. True, there were late frosts in 2017 as well as hailstorms, but both caused substantially less damage than in the previous year.
The early harvest paid off: grapes are of very high quality. The patience and expertise of many winemakers has proven once more that even challenging years can yield excellent wines.
