From chance encounter to Austrian organic pioneer

When the Diwald family’s mixed-farming business switched to organic viticulture in 1976, Austria was still a long way from being a world leader in organic farming: “Organic was a tiny niche market and viewed with suspicion by most people,” Martin and Ulli Diwald explain. Today, a third of Austria’s vineyard area is certified organic and the Bio Austria seal certifying organic production enhances a winery’s image and usually pays off financially too. This development is due in no small part to visionaries such as Hans and Paula Diwald. 

Wrong seminar room, right track… 

It was the early days of environmental activism, and in the agricultural sector, sustainable and ecological farming was still a largely unknown fringe phenomenon. As fate would have it, the Diwald family found themselves at a talk on organic farming in Alto Adige – they had, in fact, sat in the wrong seminar room at the Alpbach Forum, which focuses on European democratic issues. But it was there that the couple was ignited by the spark of organic farming. 

The earliest evidence of this pioneering work was found in the Diwalds’ wine cellar, on a bottle of Grüner Veltliner Ried Goldberg 1976. Exactly 50 years ago, the label already bore the words ‘organic viticulture’ – eleven years before ‘organic’ was even legally defined.  

Wine scandal as a quality booster  

Austria experienced an organic boom from the late 1980s in the wake of the wine scandal. Trust was particularly shaken in the larger, more conventional wineries. Organic wineries gained credibility and demand for their wines rose. Organic farming evolved from a novelty into a market requirement. 

From the very beginning, there has been steady growth in understanding the requirements of organic viticulture, and with it the quality of the wines. For Martin and Ulli Diwald, it has always been clear that this development must continue. 

It's the terroir, stupid! Winegrower not winemaker  

In 2006, Martin Diwald took over the winery and banned commercial yeasts from his cellar. His philosophy is no ‘manufactured’ wines, but rather wines that fully express the terroir. “I never wanted to be a winemaker, but a winegrower. Not to try to impose a style on the wine in the cellar, but to give expression to nature using the very best grapes.” 

The media and the wine world viewed the Diwalds as part of the then-emerging natural wine scene. But they prefer not to label themselves. “We produce wines the way we feel is right and don’t fit into any particular category.”  

Their fellow Wagram winemakers, Bernhard Ott and Karl Fritsch, recommended them to Österreichische Traditionsweingüter (ÖTW), and Diwald joined this group of premium Austrian wineries in 2019. The Diwalds have been working under certified biodynamic practices since 2023, and in the same year they were accepted into the international biodynamic organisation, respekt-BIODYN.   

Innovation in their DNA  

Austria’s flagship white grape variety Grüner Veltliner takes centre stage at Diwald winery. Unusually for the Wagram region, which lies northwest of Vienna, Martin and Ulli Diwald have omitted Roter Veltliner from their range of varieties, opting instead for Riesling.  

According to respected wine critic Petra Bader, their Riesling Ried Eisenhut 1ÖTW has set the “benchmark for Riesling from the Wagram”. The variety thrives in this vineyard: the soil combines calcareous loess with the iron that gives the vineyard its name in German (Eisen). This is reflected on the palate in a gripping acidity and a menthol-like coolness. The Eisenhut site ensures that typical cool-climate charm: “Because it is shaped like a hat, the vines grow on a south-facing slope, on the plateau and a north-facing slope. This allows us to bring all the facets of this fascinating terroir into the glass and ensures we are well-equipped for every vintage.”  

Diwald winery also places great importance on selecting the right genetic material for its vines. Martin and Ulli Diwald avoid buying in clones wherever possible, opting instead for Selection Massale. The couple carefully analyse which are the best quality vines in which vineyard sites. They then propagate the selected vines, which is why their vineyards predominantly feature old, unique genetics that contribute to the unmistakable style of Diwald wines. 

“No one is a prophet in their own land“ 

This biblical proverb could also be applied to Diwald as despite being Austrian pioneers, they are better known in the international market than in their home country. “Although our wines are well represented in the local restaurant scene, we’re still considered something of an insider tip in Austria.” 

Insider tip or not, Martin and Ulli Diwald have no plans to expand beyond their 23 hectares: “There will be no growth in the future, except in quality.”