Terrible News: Alois Kracher dies

From Decanter.com

Alois Kracher dies
December 5, 2007
decanter.com staff

Top Austrian producer Alois Kracher has died of cancer aged 48. More details to follow.

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When I last saw him, Alois Kracher Jr, 48, seemed like a big kid, even an early-middle-age wunderkind. Maybe it was because Alois Jr worked with Alois Sr, his quiet, retiring, 78-year-old father, who faithfully tended vines 12 hours a day, treating them like favored cronies.
The younger Alois, a friend-for-life type of person, grabbed your hand enthusiastically. Hugging came easily as he blanketed others with spontaneous warmth. His cherubic, thoughtful face and dark hair reminded you of the slightly portly Dylan Thomas.
Alois's open moods chased each other like a summer's rain squall and sunbeams that followed. When fun caught his always amused eye, he lit up like neon. And when you tasted his dessert wines he became a benign fox, watching keenly for your slightest wrinkle of judgment, which came easily. What was not to like?
'Genius' and 'Kracher' sometimes occupied the same sentence. In the small world of extraordinary dessert nectars, the name Kracher deserves to be geographic - to be synonymous with peer destinations like Sauternes, Tokaj and Madeira.
In Illmitz, the Austrian town that is home to the estate, Weinlaubenhof Kracher, they called Alois 'Luis.' Maybe the municipality should now change its name to Kracher, since Luis's winning international celebrity status has steadily drawn visitors to the region and enriched its identity.
For everyone who loved Luis, myself included, the fog that covers Lake Neusiedl - the fog that gave birth to his unparalleled botrytised wines - now resembles tears. But the Burgenland sun always burns away that fog and brightens the land. From now on we will think of that sun as Luis incarnate.
Howard G Goldberg, New York City, USA

Wow; sad. Lovely tribute. Really sad.

Sad news indeed; here's a tribute from the Austrian Wine Board:

he Austrian wine community is mourning one of its greatest pioneers.
Alois Kracher, who died early in the morning of 5 December from
complications due to cancer. His death came unexpectedly to many in the
wine community. With Alois Kracher's passing, Austria has lost an
irreplaceable visionary, not only because his wines achieved so much
international success, but also because of his dedication and service to
Austrian wines around the world.

In 1986, "Luis" Kracher, who was educated as a chemical engineer, went
to work at the winery of his father, already known as a sweet wine
specialist. The young Kracher's reputation soared very quickly due to
his new style of sweet wine making, and within only a few years, he had
become an outstanding ambassador of the new Austrian quality wine
philosophy. Alois Kracher went on to garner innumerable awards and
accolades, including being named - a total of six times - "Winemaker of
the Year" by the internationally renowned Wine Magazine in London. In
addition to the national and international awards, his wines received
the highest scores by some of the world's most influential wine critics.
All of this success and appreciation had turned Alois Kracher into
Austrian wine's most globally-renowned luxury brand name.

Alois Kracher had worked tirelessly, not only for his own winery, but
for the reputation of Austrian wine overall. He opened the door to the
international markets for many of his fellow wine colleagues. His son,
Gerhard, with the support of the Kracher family, will carry on the work
of the great wine pioneer from Illmitz.

All the worst because Erich Salomon of the Kremstal also ended a battle with cancer on Sunday. Austria has lost two great winemakers and men.

Leaving for the funeral in Illmitz in one hour ... life is so sad ...

[David M. Bueker]

It's terrible news (about both men). The best we can do now is keep their families in our thoughts and prayers, and celebrate their memories with the wines they gave us.