Alois Kracher Sr has died of cancer aged 81.
Kracher’s knowledge and vineyards laid the foundation for his son, the late Alois ‘Luis’ Kracher Jr, to produce some of the world´s most heralded sweet wines.
He planted his first grapevines in 1959 on half a hectare near the family home in Illmitz, at Austria´s Lake Neusiedl.
His first successful sweet wine bottling was in 1965, after which he grew the winery and vineyards. Kracher passed on the winemaking reigns to Luis in 1986.
Kracher´s experience and opinions were highly valued by his son, even as the younger Kracher´s botrytised wines found international fame in the 1990s.
Alois Sr worked up to recent months in the 32 ha Kracher vineyards in Illmitz. He had continued working after his son´s untimely death in December 2007.
Luis´s son, Gerhard Kracher, who now runs the winery together with his mother, Michaela.
Kracher recently said of his grandfather, ‘We wouldn´t have come this far without him.’
Written by Darrel Joseph in Vienna
