TRINK started with an observation and a question.

Observation: Europe is home to six countries where German is an official language — Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, and Belgium — plus the Alto Adige/South Tyrol region of northern Italy, and Alsace in northeastern France, which have long histories of German bilingualism. 

Question: What links them? 

TRINK offers answers.

Wine and language have much in common. They are both expressions of humanity, speaking to community, collaboration, and creation. We believe the linguistic bonds these areas share reflect deeper affinities and exchanges. Some of these have been obscured over time. But by taking care to uncover such cross-influences, we believe we deepen our appreciation and understanding of each region and the area as a whole. German-speaking wines encompass some of the most distinctive varieties, dynamic producers, evolving terroirs, and innovative styles anywhere. We believe it is more important than ever before to give each one its own stage.

For now, we’ve narrowed the focus of German-speaking wines to Austria, Germany, German-speaking Switzerland, and Alto Adige/South Tyrol. We’re convinced there has never been a better time to dive headlong into these underexplored regions. We’re delighted to be your guides.

Latest articles about Germany

Red stone French church in foreground among vineyards with mountains in back.

In Alsace

The ancient injunction to keep your friends close and your enemies closer is all very well, but in Alsace it can be hard to tell the two apart. Control of…

Latest articles about Austria

Reimagining Pannonia

A map of vanished Pannonian wine culture is beginning to reemerge with regional heroes such as Roland Velich and Tamás Kis leading the way.
Carnuntum winemaker Dorli Muhr holding a bottle of her Blaufränkish wine

Why Dorli Muhr Bet It All on Blaufränkisch

Austrian wine splashed back into the headlines recently when four of its wineries were chosen by a leading U.S. wine publication for inclusion in their “Top 100” worldwide. Notably, three…

Screw This! It’s Time for Screwcaps on Fine Wine

It’s an anniversary that still has some bottled up with anger. Johannes Hirsch, the acclaimed biodynamic Kamptal winemaker, is celebrating 20 years of screwcaps. He rejoices in no longer having to…

Latest articles about Italy

A bumblebee pollinating flowers in a regenerative vineyard in Alto Adige

Rooted and Regenerative

It starts with the soil. “I am passionate about the microbial world under our feet, and the key role it plays in the vine’s adaptation to climate change,” says agronomist…

Rainer Zierock: Visionary Provocateur

If Emilio Zierock finds it hard to talk about his controversial father, you can’t tell it by listening to him. He speaks with remarkable openness about the man. Rainer Zierock,…

Alpine Wines Get New Scouts

Archetype, a Portland, Oregon-based import start-up, is focused on Alpine wines. They are refining consumer’s understanding of the category and building community near and far.

Latest articles about Switzerland

Swiss R and D Chases Winning PIWIs

With a third generation of fungus-resistant hybrid wine grapes in development, are we poised for a breakthrough in the spread of so-called PIWIs? Will the quest for an alternative to…

Räuschling Renaissance

​Räuschling isn’t just wonderfully umlauted, it’s also one of the most exciting autochthonous white wine varieties in German-speaking Switzerland. This became clear to me on a March afternoon in 2015….
crystal ball sits atop a wine glass with white wine overlooking the Mosel River

Future Casting

Trink Magazine | Valerie Kathawala hazards forecasts for the future of wines from Alto Adige-Südtirol, Austria, Germany, and German-speaking Switzerland.