The world of wine is studded with co-ops. Most work well enough on their own terms, but (with a few honourable exceptions) tend not to produce very exciting wines. Austria’s Domäne Wachau is another story altogether. This co-op has a strict regime, and the 250 members know their grapes won’t be accepted if they aren’t up to scratch. Director Roman Horvath, who has to manage harvest ‘like a military operation’, says quality is rarely a problem. The co-op members farm choice plots in many of the Wachau region’s best vineyards. They are also ferociously hard workers; if they weren’t, then they wouldn’t be trying to farm such challenging slopes. (NT 11/07/22)