The weather conditions during the past few weeks have translated into lots of work for Austrian winemakers. Official reports speak of an average volume for the harvest, and claim producers are satisfied.

The 2007 vintage has basically been completed in some areas such as Vienna and the Burgenland region, in some cooler areas in Lower Austria and Styria growers have started picking the high-quality late harvested grapes in the past few days. All areas report a labour-intensive harvest, the weather conditions - hot summer, rainy since early September - were not exactly what wine producers dream of. However, the Austrian Wine Marketing Office (Österreichische Weinmarketingservicegesellschaft ÖWM) reports the humid conditions have encouraged the development of botrytis in the lake areas in the Burgenland region, and goes on to say producers overall are satisfied.

The Austrian statistical service currently estimates the size of the harvest at 2,5 million hectolitres, absolutely in line with the average of the past five years. (WF)