After two decades as chair of Österreichische Traditionsweingüter (ÖTW), Michael Moosbrugger is stepping down as chair of the Austrian winegrowers’ association.

Set to begin in January 2027, his successor, Michael Malat, will become the new chairman of the association, stepping up from his existing role as a board member.

A historic change, Malat’s relationship with the association stretches beyond himself, with his father being among the founding members of the group in 1991.

According to ÖTW, Moosbrugger has been of vital importance since he took up the post in 2007, transforming the group from one of national significance into one of international significance.

The association added that when Moosbrugger began his position, the group had 25 member estates, a number that has now risen to 91 across eight wine regions.

In addition, Moosbrugger was also integral to the ÖTW classification becoming part of Austrian wine law in 2023 – a premier vineyard ranking system which identifies and categorizes the country’s single-vineyard sites.

Likewise, the outgoing chairman was also influential in launching the Single Vineyard Summit, which debuted in 2013.

Looking to the future, Malat said that he has plans to focus on growing the association’s national reach, distributing responsibility more widely among the team and carrying the values Moosbrugger set out forward.

Malat said: “Michael Moosbrugger set a clear course for the ÖTW at a pivotal moment in its development. That was essential to get us where we are today. The association is now established enough to share responsibility for different areas of our work more widely.”

Image credit: Manu Grafenauer