A book about natural wines

In it, he sheds light on one of the "hidden stars" of the industry - natural wine.

Kristian was born and grew up in Germany. As a Swabian, he was literally born into the world of wine. In Germany, as in Austria and Hungary, wine is more than just a luxury food, he explains. It is a cultural asset. It was precisely this - the history of wine - that interested him from a young age and he made wine his profession.

He studied economics and tourism and moved to London, the capital of the international wine trade, for five years, where he worked in purchasing and sales.

Kristian Kielmayer owes his decision to study at the Burgenland University of Applied Sciences to chance. He met Marcus Wieschhoff, head of the degree programme, at an event and immediately found the course exciting. However, it was several years before he came across the part-time Master's programme again. A friend recommended that he study in Eisenstadt and Kristian enrolled.

He enjoyed the four semesters and was able to learn a lot for his future career. He doesn't feel that he has finished learning - perhaps a PhD will follow at some point.

How did the publication of his first book come about? "I always wanted to write a book," says Kristian Kielmayer. He had already gained a lot of experience as an author of specialised texts and articles as well as contributions to wine guides, including the Sotheby's guide.

This is how Natural Wines of Hungary came about. He had long been fascinated by natural wines. He chose Hungary because it has unique legislation on natural wine. The grapes must be certified organic and harvested by hand. Little sulphur and only neutral gas may be used to produce the wine. These principles are unique in Europe, but what is particularly special is that Hungary has enshrined these regulations in its wine law. Kristian was involved in the drafting of this law as an adviser to the Ministry of Agriculture.

He is particularly fascinated by two things about natural wine. This naturalness and also the special flavour. "Natural wines are very exciting because they are different. The winemakers think outside the box and shake up the classic sensory system," he explains.

His book has been published in Hungarian and English, is available online and is also available in the library of the Burgenland University of Applied Sciences. Natural Wines of Hungary - Book by Kristian Kielmayer