Episode 285 of I’ll Drink to That has been released, and features Winemaker Gerhard Kracher of Weinlaubenhof Kracher, in Austria’s Burgenland region.

Curious about the differences between Welschriesling and Riesling? How about Scheurebe and Chardonnay? Or making a sweet wine from red grapes instead of white? This interview hits all of that up, while also setting the scene of a family winery in the Burgenland. If you have wanted to know why Kracher offers two lines of wines, or releases the same grape variety with different numbers attached, this is a helpful primer. But the real star of this interview is the back vintage discussion. Wondering about the relative quality of the 1992 and 1995 vintages for the Kracher sweet wines? Gerhard gives a complete rundown. He also explains how his father Alois Kracher helped get Austrian wines in front of journalists. The discussion also includes the project Gerhard has with sommelier Aldo Sohm, a dry (quite dry, actually) Grüner Veltliner they produce together in an entirely different part of Austria. Turns out they had both always wanted to make a Grüner and they discovered over a long lunch (which also became a dinner) that they shared an interest in doing so. This episode checks in on how that endeavor is going and more.

This episode also includes a Warm Up from Erin on the history of botrytized wines in Burgenland.

Finally, if you want to read more about Kracher’s wines, you might check out my review of them from a couple of years ago.

Listen to the stream above, or check it out in iTunes.

I’ll Drink to That is the world’s leading wine podcast, hosted by Levi Dalton. Levi has had a long career working as a sommelier in some of the most distinguished and acclaimed dining rooms in America. He has served wine to guests of Restaurant Daniel, Masa, and Alto, all in Manhattan. Levi has also contributed articles on wine themes to publications such as The Art of Eating, Wine & Spirits magazine, Bon Appetit online, and Eater NY. Check out his pictures on Instagram and follow him on Twitter: @levi_opens_wine