Ninth-generation winegrower, Michael Malat took the lead from his father, Gerald, at their Kremstal winery that dates to 1722. One of Austria’s prime Grüner Veltliner and Riesling regions, Kremstal is a climatic tug-of-war between eastern Pannonian warm winds and cold western Alpine air. It’s home to a great diversity of soil types on large terraces, from loess (wind-blown calcareous fine sands), gravels and various rock formations of limestone, crystalline, mica-schist and granulite. Most of their classic range is raised in ancient 50-100ha wooden vats, lending a unique flavor profile and rounded quality to their finely etched wines. Malat is also historically connected to some small-grower Austrian sparkling wines and is often considered to be the country’s top Sekt producer.