The Kracher winery lies in the “Seewinkel” area of Austria’s Burgenland. With water evaporating from Lake Neusiedl, the evening fog and the warm Pannonian climate, the dominant weather here is warm and humid. These are ideal conditions for Botrytis cinerea to thrive, providing the basis for fantastic sweet wines such as Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese.

 

From the Welschriesling, Chardonnay, Traminer, Scheurebe, Muscat-Ottonel and, from time to time, even Zweigelt grape varieties, Alois Kracher created 10 to 15 different Trockenbeerenauslese wines each year, in two different styles.

 

“Zwischen den Seen” (between the lakes) wines are matured in large wooden barrels or steel tanks, following the method traditionally used in the region, as opposed to the “Nouvelle Vague” wines, which are aged based on the barrique method. The notable characteristics of barrique-aged wines are depth, spice and durability.

 

The winery is now run by Gerhard Kracher, but with the same devotion and energy adopted by his father.

 

The range offered by what is undoubtedly the most widely known Austrian wine estate features the world-famous Trockenbeerenauslese as well as Beerenauslese, Auslese, Eiswein (ice wine) and smaller volumes of dry white and red wines.