Austria needs to extend its reach beyond top-end restaurants and sell its wines in pubs by the glass, claim producers and UK merchants.
While Austrian wine sales increased 79% in volume and 74% in value in the UK off-trade over the past 12 months (Nielsen MAT w.e. 14.06.08) and its wines have an enviable average bottle price of 7.21, the head of the Austrian Wine Marketing Board, Willi Klinger, admitted.
He said: "We need to broaden the white tablecloth image. We need more independent retailers and more pubs selling by the glass."