Case study
Two Austrian producers secure UK listings following IWSC's Global Judging in Austria
Following their medal success at the IWSC 2023 Global Judging in Austria, two wine producers, Seegut Lentsch (Neusiedlersee DAC) and Esterhazy (Leithaberg DAC) expanded their UK market presence by securing new on-trade and retail listings.
In summer 2023, the IWSC held a Global Wine Judging in Austria, in partnership with Austrian wine. We brought to Austria a team of 13 international judges including the industry's key decision makers: Head Buyers, Wine Directors and Master Sommeliers, overseen by Master of Wine Dirceu Vianna Junior. The judges tasted over 450 entries and visited a number of local producers delving deep into the Austrian wine culture.
Austrian wines put on an impressive performance, earning over 380 medals. Looking beyond medal results, new international partnerships were ignited during the IWSC visit to Austria, bringing UK listings for Austrian wine producers.
Seegut Lentsch, Neusiedlersee DAC: retail listing with Waitrose
Seegut Lentsch is a family-owned winery in the heart of the Neusiedlersee region with vineyards stretching through the picturesque Seewinkel National Park area. The winery is run by third-generation winemakers, brothers Thomas and Markus Lentsch. Markus shared that they entered the IWSC looking to raise their winery's profile in the UK.
"We decided a few years ago that we wanted to focus more on the export and especially the UK. We did some research on which international competition could help us achieve this goal. The IWSC was one competition we decided to enter our wines into because they are an important and famous competition for the UK market and beyond the UK borders. Medals will show the consumers the great quality of the wine and will help them with their buying decisions," said Markus Lentsch.
At the 2023 Austrian Global Judging, Lentsch wines secured an impressive total of 12 medals. But for Lentsch the outcome of taking part in the IWSC went far beyond medals, as their Zweigelt Neusiedlersee DAC 2021 secured a listing with Waitrose – the UK’s leading premium supermarket chain.
Emma Penman, Wine Buyer at Waitrose and IWSC Judge shared: "In addition to tasting Lentsch wines at the IWSC judging in Austria, we also visited the winery with the judging team. There, we tasted their entire portfolio and I was very impressed with the quality of the wines, as well as the cleanliness and hygiene routines in the winery itself. Consistent quality of wines vintage to vintage is crucial for us as a retail business, and was an important factor to consider. I liked that they are family-run, and the third generation have taken the reins, so there is heritage there as well."
Following the Global Judging in Austria, the IWSC held a trade & press tasting in London of the award-winning Austrian wines. The event was instrumental for building the collaboration between Waitrose and Lentsch. "I went to the IWSC tasting with a view of looking for a Zweigelt that we could offer to our customers. After re-tasting all the award-winning wines, I met Markus Lentsch once again and I became confident that his wines would make a great addition to Waitrose's portfolio," Emma revealed.
Starting from April 2024, Lentsch wine will be the first Zweigelt available to Waitrose customers in selected shops.
Esterhazy, Leithaberg DAC: on-trade listing with Ellis Wines
With over 300 years of winemaking history, the Esterhazy family runs a modern winery at Trausdorf and holds 65 hectares of vineyards spread over the hills near the Lake Neusiedlersee. Since 2006 Esterhazy have been moving towards environmentally friendly viticulture having obtained organic certification in 2023. As the team at Esterhazy was looking to grow their UK exports, entering the IWSC Global Judging in Austria was a strategic decision.
Megan Clarke, IWSC Judge and Senior Buyer at Ellis Wines, the UK’s highly respected wine importer and on-trade supplier, shared that judging with the IWSC in Austria offered her a unique opportunity to source some great wines from the region.
At the IWSC 2023 Global Judging in Austria, Esterhazy secured six medals for their red and white wines. Outside the judging, the winery also hosted an informal tasting for the IWSC judges. Producer visits are an important part of our Global Judging events, offering our experts invaluable insights into the region and its wine culture, as well as facilitating industry connections.
"I met Esterhazy at the tasting they hosted at their winery, I spoke with them and was impressed with the overall quality when tasting through the range and felt they could potentially be a good fit for our portfolio, so I asked them to send samples over," shared Megan Clarke.
Three of the Esterhazy’s wines have been listed by Ellis Wines, including a bronze-winning Grosshöflein Blaufränkisch 2020 – the fact that once again proves that any IWSC medal, be it gold, silver or bronze is an industry-recognised seal of approval. The other two wines listed by Ellis are Zweigelt Estoras 2020 and Grüner Veltliner ‘Burgenland’ Estoras 2022.
