Florian Alphart - Austria (Alphart Winery)

Name: Florian Alphart

Country: Austria

Currently: Winemaker at Alphart Winery

Website: www.alphart.com

Questions:

Please, tell us about how you got into wine , the wine industry and how your career developed ?

I was born into a family doing wine in the 9th generation and since I can remember I devoted the greatest attention to the wine and its origin . After my oenology studies, I got more involved and discovered the great art of wine making. I am in charge for the production in our winery. In recent years, my love to the autochthonous grape variety „Rotgipfler“ has manifested more and more.

What is your philosophy to making wine and viticulture ?

The greatest asset of a winemaker are vital, old vines on the best locations. I do everything I can to take care of my plants so that this objective can be implemented. For me that includes a balance between near-natural cultivation and targeted education in combination with intensive manual labour.

After harvest I try to intervene as less as possible in the creation of the wine and give each wine in the cellar as much time to develop as the wine needs.

Which cultivar is your favorite to work with and why ?

The ancient grape variety called Rotgipfler because this ancient grape variety is autochthonous and is grown nowhere else in the world.

- I have been involved in the selection of the fittest parent plants for further propagation, and this work is now bearing the fruits that I have wished for.

- wines of this variety have high durability and I like to drink matured white wines.

- the typicality of Rotgipfler is unmistakable.

How do you see the future of wine production and what are the challenges and the opportunities ?

Of course, each winery will be facing increasingly stringent quality and hygiene controls. It will also be more and more bureaucracy necessary to sell wine (alcohol). Newer technologies are always invented with which we can make wines as great as ....? As they are earlier succeeded without the frills.

For me, wine is a valuable piece of culture, a zest for life , as it was already many years ago. I see the future in a reflection of regionality to honest products with soul and backbone .

Where do you see the global wine market in 2025 ?

I had misjudged the development of the last 10 years, so I don't dare to make predictions.

Certain trends will always be, and what is right today may be wrong tomorrow.

Florian Alphart

@ by Dominik Kozlik – Zeitgeist Sommeliers - International Sommelier Positions - www.sommelier-jobs.com