Austria’s ÖTW winegrowers’ association appoints new chair

It is a generational handover shaped by an unusually long mutual history. At the beginning of 2027, Michael Malat will succeed Michael Moosbrugger as chairman of the Österreichische Traditionsweingüter (ÖTW), the premier group of Austrian wineries. Malat has helped shape its development as a board member for around 20 years; his father was among its founding members in 1991. Since 2007, Moosbrugger has transformed the ÖTW from a regional initiative into an organisation of national significance, becoming an influential voice for the importance of origin in Austrian wine. The handover therefore represents more than a change of leadership: it combines continuity with a commitment to greater international visibility and reaching new audiences.

A foundation that changed Austrian wine

When Michael Moosbrugger became chair in 2007, he had already served on the board for more than a decade. At the time, the ÖTW had around 25 member estates. Today, the association brings together 91 wineries across eight wine regions in Lower Austria and Vienna. From its original heartland in Kamptal and Kremstal, the association has expanded to include estates in Traisental, Wagram, Carnuntum, Thermenregion, Weinviertel and Vienna. Together, they cultivate approximately 3,600 hectares of vineyards, representing around eight percent of Austria’s area under vine.

In 2007, Moosbrugger remained true to the founding mission set out in the association’s original statutes: to develop a vineyard classification for Austria’s wine regions. In doing so, he established a methodology that would become a model elsewhere in Europe. The ÖTW classification was subsequently prepared for incorporation into Austrian wine law. In parallel, the association collaborated with Germany’s VDP. Its work also inspired Hungary’s Tokaj wine region.

At its heart remained an idea that may seem self-evident today but was genuinely pioneering at the outset. Today, 145 vineyard sites hold ÖTW Erste Lage (1ÖTW) status, the Austrian equivalent of Premier Cru. Its two-tier system of Erste Lage and Grosse Lage (Grand Cru) that has been developed over more than three decades is intended to be incorporated into Austria’s new wine law.

From strong foundations to international reach

Malat sees the coming period as a deliberate shift in focus. In recent years, considerable effort has gone into laying the foundations for the next stage: expansion into new regions, the collective work on classification and robust organisational structures. Now, that work should have an even greater impact beyond the association. Together with Managing Director Michael Tischler-Zimmermann, Malat intends to build on those structures to increase the ÖTW’s visibility in key markets, communicate the vineyard classification clearly and reach new audiences.

¹ The national vineyard classification is included in the draft of the new Austrian wine law, which is expected to take effect in autumn 2027.

Sharing responsibility

Moosbrugger’s clear direction was crucial during the association’s development. Looking ahead, Malat wants to distribute responsibilities more widely. Plans include clearly defined areas of responsibility in which members can contribute their expertise and take ownership of projects.

Deputy Chair Markus Huber will work alongside Malat. With decades of experience in voluntary roles in wine-sector policy and the chamber of commerce, Huber brings both his expertise and an established network to the work of the ÖTW.

A successor who helped shape the story

Michael Malat has led the Malat family estate in Furth bei Göttweig since 2008, representing the tenth generation at the winery founded in 1722. He was 13 when his father co-founded the Österreichische Traditionsweingüter in 1991. He has served on the ÖTW board for around two decades and has chaired its Donauraum (Danube) regional association since March 2022. He is therefore familiar with both the early vision of a shared vineyard classification and the complex organisation that has grown from it.

“This is not about reinventing the ÖTW. It is about carrying its ideas and values forward with renewed energy. Origin is what unites us – and one of the most compelling stories Austria has to tell the international wine world,” says Michael Malat.