As part of our partnership with The Institute of Masters of Wine, we asked current candidates to submit to us an article dedicated to a person, place or particular drink discovery that helped first ignite their passion for wine – and we were blown away by the submissions. Here, we publish the first of two personal essays that most impressed the Club Oenologique editorial team. This one is written by Vancouver-based student Ian Casterton.
The Stephansplatz is at the centre of Vienna. Home to bustling Christmas markets, nearby landmarks like the Opera House and Austria’s most significant Gothic building, St. Stephen’s Cathedral, this vibrant square is a contrast to the tranquillity just beyond the city’s borders. Less than an hour away via the U-bahn lies another world: 580 hectares of vineyards, the long tables of traditional Heuriger restaurants and the sprawling biodiversity of the Wienerwald. For an eight-year-old boy newly transplanted from Ottawa, Canada, this was a world waiting to be discovered; a world that first ignited a lifelong passion for the wine industry.
Telling a young child they are moving to a new city, across the Atlantic, will undoubtedly result in temper tantrums, dramatic proclamations of ‘ruining my life’, and at least one failed attempt to run away with a backpack full of snacks. This was the reality until my parents introduced me and my brothers to our new home in the 19th District of Vienna, the gateway to the rolling vineyards of Grinzing and Nussberg. I have fond memories of building forts with vine cuttings, launching model airplanes between the rows, and, dressed in black, liberating apples from abandoned neighbouring orchards, as per my mother’s instructions. It was the ‘90s, a different time.
I have fond memories of building forts with vine cuttings and launching model airplanes between the rows
Such endeavours among the vines create an appetite, one easily slaked at the local Heuriger, a traditional wine tavern. Heuriger is roughly translated as ‘this year’s wine’ and this is exactly what you can expect. House wine is often young, charmingly simple white wine served in one-litre jugs alongside another jug of spritzer for guests to create their own ratios. The food is a smattering of various cuts of pork, roasted potatoes and buttered vegetables – perfect sustenance after a day in the vineyards. What makes the Heuriger so special, however, is its community feel. Long wooden tables and benches bring together people from all walks of life – university students looking for a cheap buzz, local farmers and U.N. delegates – sharing wine, food and conversation.
Vienna’s vineyards are open to the public, encouraging visitors and locals alike to wander the rows. Such accessibility in wine is crucial, particularly in the face of a global trend of declining wine consumption. Many regions are seeing a marked drop in wine interest among younger generations, perhaps due to the traditional image of wine as a product for the elite. Vienna’s wine culture, especially through its Heuriger tradition, offers a counter-narrative: a space where wine is for all, not just those with formal knowledge or wealth. The accessibility of this culture, both in terms of its proximity to the city and its open ethos, holds the potential to reverse the trends that threaten to alienate future generations from wine.
Years later, while running a wine programme at a five-star hotel in Vancouver, I rediscovered the depth of Vienna’s wine culture
Years later, while running a wine programme at a five-star hotel in Vancouver, I rediscovered the depth of Vienna’s wine culture. It was there that I first encountered Fritz Wieninger and the wines of Hajszan Neumann, a biodynamic producer based in Vienna. The tangy acidity and luscious body of his Gemischter Satz, a field blend of different white varieties cultivated and vinified together, is truly something to behold. To find his winery in the same neighbourhood where I grew up was nothing short of revelatory. In addition to his own biodynamic work, Hajszan Neumann co-chairs the Wien Wein group, a collective of like-minded producers who are dedicated to elevating the region’s wines, perhaps taking them off the Heuriger menu and onto the list at a Michelin-starred restaurant.
The group is a testament to the evolving nature of the wine industry in Austria, where a focus on sustainable and traditional practices is combined with an openness to innovation and collaboration. Being introduced to these producers and their shared vision for biodynamic, organic and sustainable winegrowing further deepened my understanding of what makes Vienna’s wine culture so exceptional: it is an industry rooted in respect for both the environment and the people who work in it.
Vienna’s urban vineyards had a lasting impact on this wine professional. They offer a picturesque escape from the city’s hustle and bustle, embodying a culture of accessibility with an eye on a future of quality wine and viticulture.
