IN BRIEF
- The Weinberg Arlberg event will take place from December 4 to 13, featuring over 40 appointments including tastings, masterclasses, and meetings.
- The program will focus on Bordeaux and Riesling, while also addressing topics such as the anti-alcohol movement and the relationship with new generations.
- Clemens Riedl aims to create a culturally significant format, beyond a classic food and wine festival.
- Meetings with industry experts, tastings of fine wines, and discussions on wine trends are planned.
- Additionally, the program includes activities related to skiing and art, fostering an interactive and networking environment.
From December 4 to 13, over 40 events including tastings, masterclasses, meetings, and dinners. Bordeaux and Riesling will be at the heart of the program, along with topics like the anti-alcohol movement and the relationship with new generations. Lech Zürs am Arlberg, in the Austrian Vorarlberg, is preparing to host the 2026 edition of Weinberg Arlberg, an event created in 2015 by entrepreneur Clemens Riedl.
For ten days, the alpine village will bring together key players from the world of wine, press, sommellerie, trade, and hospitality. The program includes over 40 events: meetings and tastings at the new Lechwelten space, dinners and evening tastings in hotels and restaurants, as well as activities related to skiing and art.
“We absolutely do not want to be a trade fair,” comments Riedl, “nor just another food festival. Of course, it’s about excellent wines and exceptional cuisine. But the content, conversations, and personal encounters are just as important. For this reason, alongside the tastings, there are debates on topics currently affecting the wine world.”
A FORMAT BORN IN LECH
Weinberg Arlberg is part of a tradition of food and wine events organized in Lech at the start of the winter season. Clemens Riedl says that such initiatives had existed for some time, but lacked continuity and a precise cultural identity. “The goal,” he explains, “is to build a format linked to the territory and its alpine culture, capable of going beyond the formula of a classic food or wine festival.”
The event is managed by an association. According to Riedl, the project is based on a shared initiative by the village and its operators, involving hotels, restaurants, wine merchants, the tourism organization, and local partners. At the center are not just tastings, but also conversations and spontaneous meetings encouraged by the short distances between event venues.
Weinberg Arlberg 2026: BORDEAUX AND RIESLING AT THE CENTER
One of the main themes of the 2026 edition will be Bordeaux, examined through climate change and market transformations. Opening the path will be Neal Martin, critic for Vinous, with a tasting of Château Pichon Comtesse, La Conseillante, and Figeac. Other meetings will delve into the region’s new trends and the La Place distribution system.
The second major theme will be Riesling. At the Grand Opening, Master of Wine Romana Echensperger will present some benchmark vineyards from Alsace, Rheinhessen, and Wachau along with Jean Trimbach, Philipp Wittmann, and Katharina Salzgeber from Nikolaihof. Also on the program is a tasting dedicated to Wachau vineyards and a discussion on the variety’s challenges, with experts in viticulture, criticism, and sommellerie.
FROM THE ANTI-ALCOHOL MOVEMENT TO YOUNG PEOPLE
The program also addresses the debate on the anti-alcohol movement and how the sector can communicate wine responsibly. Journalist Felicity Carter will reconstruct the origins and motivations of campaigns against alcohol consumption; doctor and producer Laura Catena will speak about the interpretation of certain studies, while New York Times critic Eric Asimov will offer a reflection on a conscious relationship with wine.
Another meeting will be dedicated to how to engage new generations. Other announced topics include Furmint, Blaufränkisch, rare Ports presented by the Douro Boys, and sparkling wines. A tasting of Alsace Grand Cru led by Sascha Speicher and Stephan Reinhardt is also planned.
TASTINGS AND DINNERS IN THE PRESS PROGRAM
The press program previews, among the appointments from December 5 to 9, tastings dedicated to Rieslings, Bordeaux wines, Ports, and Alsace Grand Crus. Also on the agenda are meetings on the future of Riesling and Bordeaux, the role of wine in communicating to new generations, and the growth of sparkling wines. Dinners include those with producers from Vinea Wachau and Österreichische Traditionsweingüter.
In the evening, an Egon Müller vertical tasting and tastings with Domaine de Chevalier, Raveneau & Salomon Alttus, and Giovanni Gaja are announced. Also planned are skiing appointments with Austrian producers and a sunrise at Skyspace Lech, James Turrell’s installation blending art and the alpine landscape.
