TRAISENTAL ÖTW: White Riot

By Stuart Pigott - last revision: 06.08.26

The tiny Traisental, a wine region in the Greater Danube Area has always struggled to attract any attention at all, although it is a unique niche in this part of Austria thanks to it's genuinely cool climate - the vines development and the ripening of the grapes is typically 10 or more days behind the warmest part of the Wachau. And the chalky conglomerate and dolomite soils are light years removed from what the Austrian's refer to as "Urgestein". So, why bother taking it seriously?

I first encountered the Traisental in the mid-1990s through the stunning dry Grüner Veltliners and Rieslings of the Neumayer winery. Their excellence was still striking a decade ago, but since then quality became increasingly erratic and no wines were submitted for my tastings. This is really sad, also because it means that apart from 3 good wines from Tom Dockner, this entire story is about a single wiemaker: Markus Huber. But what a great winemaker he is. His story demands to be told!

A decade ago I was already impressive by the dry whites wines made by the young and dynamic Markus Huber, but I didn't see how they would take off during the years from 2021. No doubt many members of the rigidly hierarchical Austrian wine and gastronomic scene will reject this assertion, but for me Markus Huber is one of the most exciting producers of dry white wines in Austria and the world. His wines stand out due to their brilliance and vibrancy, plus terrific aromatic and mineral freshness. They prove that dry white wine greatness can have a light touch. From the terraces of the great vineyard site you can see some of the mountains at the very eastern end of the Alps, from where cool air reaches the Traisental, a tributary valley of the Danube on the southern side of the river. And yes, this region has benefited enormously from climate change.

However, the cultural change that the maturing (and still dynamic) Markus Huber is creating here is at least as important as the effects of a warming climate. Although he’s an organic winemaker by conviction, Markus is anything but dogmatic. "I wish the organic wine scene was less about ticking boxes or rigid thinking, and more about actually doing something positive for the environment," he told me a couple of years ago, "let me show you my new Grand Cru!" We jumped in his carand took the main highway, turning off it towards what looked like a light industrial area. We stopped next to a huge array of solar panels right next to the highway. "This is almost 3 hectares in size. When I bought it was a gravel pit, and it was therefore very cheap. Slowly I filled it in, then I put all this on top. It powers the winery plus a thousand homes in my town and now we can say fuck you Putin!"

Although Markus knows what the rules and regulations say he doesn't care about them if they don't lead in the direction of better wine quality. And even his definition of quality ignores the norms of the rigidly hierarchical wine and gastronomic scene. Although his determination and attention to detail are extraordinary what Markus does is actually Pure Punk! Anarchy in Austria! White Riot! I could go deeper into his exact approach to vineyard cutivation,grape processing and a bunch of other things that are important to the Huber Method, but actually all this would only add a lot of detail and this would be counter to the Punk ethos that demands short songs. And we're already at the end of the fifth paragraph!

2 WINES THAT COMPLETELY BLEW MY MIND

Huber  Traisental  Grüner Veltliner  Ried Berg 1ÖTW  2024 - 13.5% / The greatness of this wine lies not in the concentration and power (of which it has plenty of both of the underplayed kind), but in the incredible mineral energy, the purity and finesse. A literally breathtaking Grüner Veltliner with enormous length and aging potential with a microcosmos of wild herbs! 99 (SP)

Lenzmark  Traisental  Grüner Veltliner  New Chapter Elevated  2025 - 13.5% / This sophiticated and innovative Grüner Veltliner that combines a wealth of ripe citrus, pear, Asian pear and white peach aromas with floral notes to create an extremely enticing and graceful whole. I love the way the power is neatly underplayed until the chalky minerality sweeps through at the creamy-silky finish. A joint venture between Markus Huber and Lenz Moser. 95 (SP)

24 wines tasted with nine rating 95 or more, all made by Markus Huber.