Allram

A small Austrian winery whose products were made world famous by Lorenz Haas-Allram, a vintner who has been practising his trade for only a couple of years.

Allram winery is located in Kamptal, one of the most well-known wine-growing regions of Austria. It is a small family business passed on from one generation to the next and only has about 30 hectares of vineyards. The winery really gained recognition in 2018 when they won the Champion White Wine award at the annual International Wine Challenge in London. They were the first Austrian producer to receive such an award. The 2016 Riesling ÖTW Gaisberg was the wine that won them this award.

The family’s son Lorenz Haas-Allram is the winemaker. Lorenz has been in charge of vinification for a couple of years now. In total, the Allram winery submitted three wines to the competition and of these three the other two won awards as well. Lorenz Haas-Allram says that winning first place came as a surprise to him. He jokes that since there are no higher mountains to climb in the wine world, he might as well retire now at the height of his career. Lorenz actually wanted to become a professional soccer player after graduating from upper secondary school, and it was only after he injured his foot that his mind was changed and he decided to attend viticulture school.

According to Lorenz Allram, the secret to good wine is first and foremost great terroir – the vineyard is where most of the work must be done. Once the wine is in the cellar, the winemaker should take a step back and give the drink an opportunity to develop. The soils of the Kamptal region are ideal for growing Austria’s most widely planted grape variety, Grüner Veltliner, as well as Riesling. However, Allram is also lucky to own vineyards in two of Kamptal’s best vineyard sites: Gaisberg and Heiligenstein. The soil of the latter also contains volcanic conglomerates, which lend the wines a pronounced mineral character. Allram’s product selection also includes Grauburgunder, Chardonnay, and Rosé.

The Oscar of Wines
The 2016 Allram Riesling ÖTW Gaisberg is the 2018 winner of the Oscar of Wines.

A strong sense of family
A family business where all the employees have grown up on vineyards, surrounded by winepresses and barrels, and whose joint efforts and tradition create a synergy that also translates into the wine.

The wine speaks for itself
When asked about the philosophy of the winery, vintner Allram says that no words are needed as it is reflected in their wine.