expert spotlight

With micro-seasonality, 2,000 preserving jars and a signature dish made from Norway lobster, Alexandru Simon is bringing a breath of fresh air to Vienna’s top gastronomy. In the “Glasswing” at The Amauris Vienna, preservation becomes a creative art.

A conversation about Sauvignon Blanc, sustainable viticulture and the art of bottling stories: In this interview, winemaker Stefan Potzinger talks about origin as the DNA of wine, his innovation “Welschriesling 10.5” and why wine is never boring for him – but a life’s work.

The Moosbrugger family has been shaping tourism in Lech am Arlberg for almost a century. In this interview, Johanna Moosbrugger-Lettner talks about the beginnings, the challenges of running a modern hotel and the aspiration to combine hospitality with artistic expression and sustainable thinking.

There is no standing still at the Naturhotel Forsthofgut. The family-run hotel in Leogang is committed to continuous development – with new feel-good rooms and wellbeing and health concepts. From May 2025, the 5,700 square meter forest spa will be expanded to include its own health area. New retreats will follow in June 2025: the redesigned suites in the Waldhaus and three new luxury family suites – the Berg Loft Suites. In this interview, Christoph and Christina Schmuck talk about their visions, new concepts and sources of inspiration.

Matcha is more than a trend – it’s a way of life. While matcha lattes are on everyone’s lips worldwide, Vienna was actually ahead of its time, according to Ayumi Kondo. For almost two decades, she has been teaching the finer points of genuine Japanese tea culture in her tea house Cha no Madie – beyond superfood clichés and green insta-drinks. In this interview, she explains why matcha should be more than just a decoration on desserts, what good matcha really needs to be able to do and how cherry blossoms and umami could enrich Austria’s menus.

What happens when vegetable roots, sea fish and fermented pears meet herbal art and kombucha? In this interview, Johann Schmuck and Maximilian Grandtner talk about the philosophy behind Terra, signature dishes with char and celery root, creative no-alk pairings – and why real enjoyment can sometimes just be a schnitzel. A journey beneath the surface – in the truest sense of the word.