We’re passionate about Austrian wine.
Austrian Wine Week Portland emerged from a collective passion for showcasing Austria's exceptional wine culture to the Pacific Northwest. This inaugural celebration brought together a dynamic collaboration of local Oregon distributors alongside national importers to create a week-long festival celebrating Austria's rich viticultural heritage. A driving force behind the event was Dana Frank of High Five Selections, who has been an enthusiastic part of the Portland wine industry. The event was further supported by TRINK Magazine, whose founders Paula Redes Sidore and Valerie Kathawala were brought together by their shared love for these wines and the conviction that a deep understanding of the cultural contexts in which they are embedded is essential to appreciating them. What began as a recognition that Portland's sophisticated wine culture was perfectly positioned to embrace Austrian varietals has grown into a comprehensive celebration featuring trade tastings, educational seminars, wine dinners, and public events across the city's most beloved venues, introducing Portlanders to the exciting diversity and sustainable practices that make Austrian wine so compelling.
After this initial successful Wine Week, Dana couldn’t wait to make it an annual tradition. This year, Austrian Wine Week has expanded to the city of Chicago. Leading Austrian importer Weinbauer was thrilled to lead the planning for the thirsty market here. With their Austrian expertise and a large number of partners also excited to share, Austrian Wine Week - Chicago is shaping up to be an exceptional inaugural event!
With a growing list of interested suppliers and partners in multiple markets, we look forward to building AWW as the delight, interest, and excitement in Austrian wine continues to grow throughout the country.
Portland, OR loves Austrian Wine
The Portland market has been smitten with Austrian wine, with 2024 delivering phenomenal success for the first ever Austrian Wine Week. This incredible city, with its cutting-edge wine culture and passion for discovering the next big thing, rolled out the red carpet for Austrian producers in spectacular fashion. The city's trendsetting sommeliers and hottest wine bars became unstoppable champions of Austria's most exciting regions, creating a buzz that established Austria as Portland's must-have wines of 2024!
An enthusiastic part of the Portland wine industry for over 15 years, most recently as the former owner of Bar Norman and previously as a Food & Wine "Sommelier of the Year" in 2015. Dana, who co-authored the book Wine Food and founded The Wild Bunch (Portland's natural wine fair) in 2019, launched High Five Selections as her newest venture, importing Austrian wine to the US alongside her husband, winemaker Scott Frank. Their portfolio focuses on small-production wines, all farmed using organic and regenerative agriculture, with a particular emphasis on the wines of Styria.
This addition shows how Dana's extensive background in Portland's wine scene, her expertise as a sommelier, and her commitment to natural and sustainable wines made her a perfect advocate for bringing Austrian wines to Portland, helping to establish Austrian Wine Week as a celebration of both Portland's wine culture and Austria's sustainable winemaking practices.
Austrian Wine Momentum in Chicago, IL
Chicago is about to explode with Austrian wine fever, and the stage is perfectly set for Austrian Wine Week 2025 to take over the Windy City! The energy is palpable – Chicago's world-class restaurant scene and increasingly sophisticated wine lovers are hungry for something extraordinary, and Austrian wine is exactly what they've been craving. These stunning wines complement Chicago's incredible food culture, and wine shops and restaurants are jumping on board as the list of participating establishments continues to grow. The momentum created in Portland in 2024 has created an unstoppable wave of excitement, making Chicago the hottest new market ready to embrace Austria's wine revolution. AWW 2025 is going to be nothing short of spectacular!
Chris Weinbauer brings a unique combination of deep Austrian wine expertise and intimate knowledge of Chicago's dynamic wine scene to his role as the inaugural leader of Austrian Wine Week Chicago. With his extensive background in wine education and appreciation for Austria's diverse viticultural heritage, Chris has long been an advocate for introducing Chicago's sophisticated palate to the exceptional quality and sustainability practices that define Austrian winemaking.
Chris's expertise extends beyond just wine knowledge to encompass the cultural narratives that make Austrian wines so compelling. He understands that Austrian wine tells the story of a nation where tradition meets innovation, where ancient grape varieties thrive in diverse terroirs from the steep slopes of the Wachau to the volcanic soils of Styria. His educational approach emphasizes how Austria's position at the crossroads of the former Austro-Hungarian empire created not just exceptional food culture, but also a winemaking philosophy that values both heritage and forward-thinking practices.
Through his guidance, Austrian Wine Week Chicago promises to be more than just a tasting event; it will be an immersive cultural experience that introduces Chicagoans to the wines, stories, and traditions that make Austria one of Europe's most exciting wine regions.