Josef Schuller MW Retires as Managing Director of Austrian Wine Academy, Christian Zechmeister to Succeed

After 36 years as head of the Weinakademie Österreich (Austrian Wine Academy), Josef “Pepi” Schuller will hand over the reins to Christian Zechmeister, who is currently Managing Director of Wein Burgenland, the Regional Wine Committee of Burgenland and the Authorized Signatory of Weintourismus Burgenland GmbH. The Austrian Wine Academy is a 50% subsidiary of the Austrian Wine Marketing Board (Austrian Wine). Since the Academy was founded in 1991, more than half a million participants from around the world – from wine amateurs to Masters of Wine – have attended seminars at Europe’s largest wine school.

“The Austrian Wine Academy is testimony to the pioneering role that Austria plays in wine training. Since its founding, Pepi Schuller has ensured a strong intake of international students in Austria, gaining a solid grounding in both Austrian and international wines. I would like to thank him sincerely for this achievement. Schuller has a strong track record, yet I am certain that Christian Zechmeister will successfully follow in his footsteps. I am very much looking forward to working closely with him,” says Chris Yorke, CEO of the Austrian Wine Marketing Board (Austrian Wine) and Chairman of the Board of the Wine Academy.

A strong international focus from the outset

The Austrian Wine Academy was founded as a subsidiary of Austrian Wine in 1991 with the aim of implementing a professional approach to training in the field of wine, in particular wine training for the hospitality industry, retail and consumers, as well as winegrowers. Josef

Josef Schuller, who became Austria’s first Master of Wine, has been Managing Director since the Academy was founded. He developed the Wine Academy to Austria’s national school of wine focusing on Austrian wines and hosting seminars throughout the country. Having worked and trained overseas himself, Schuller established the international focus of the Wine Academy right from the outset, not only in terms of the syllabus but also by forging links with international training institutions such as the Institute of Masters of Wine, the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET), Geisenheim University in Germany and Zurich’s University of Applied Sciences in Wädenswil. “I am proud that the new Managing Director is a Wine Academy graduate and is therefore already familiar with the spirit of the Wine Academy,” Schuller says. “I will be pleased to stay involved on the Academy’s Board of Directors and support Christian in his new role."

Zechmeister came out on top

When Josef Schuller announced his retirement as Managing Director at the end of 2026, an international search was launched to find the most suitable successor for this executive position. Christian Zechmeister, a native of Burgenland, was chosen as the successor from a large number of good applicants. Zechmeister has a strong foothold in the wine industry. His latest roles have included Managing Director of Wein Burgenland, the Regional Wine Committee of Burgenland and Authorized Signatory of Weintourismus Burgenland GmbH. The handover phase with Josef Schuller will start in August, with Zechmeister taking over the reins of the Academy completely from January 2027. Zechmeister is a Wine Academy graduate and lecturer who knows the Academy and its structure very well. According to Zechmeister, “The Austrian Wine Academy has become one of the most well-known international wine institutions under the leadership of Josef Schuller. I am delighted about the professional challenge that lies ahead of me but am aware of the great responsibility that I will face. The goal will be to keep the successful Weinakademiker programme going while developing and putting in place new offers that are adapted to the current market situation. However, I firmly believe that I will achieve this, together with my future Wine Academy team and in association with the Austrian Wine Marketing Board. For me, it’s like coming back to my roots – after all, the Austrian Wine Academy was where I first started my career.”

About the The Austrian Wine Academy and Austrian Wine

The Austrian Wine Academy is a 50% subsidiary of Austrian Wine -The Austrian Wine Marketing Board. The seminar programme ranges from introductory topics to in-depth courses for wine experts. So far, more than 1,300 students from 58 different countries have graduated with the Weinakademiker diploma. This is an internationally recognised diploma that forms the foundation for the most prestigious qualification in the world of wine, the Master of Wine (MW) – a rare title that so far 12 graduates from the Wine Academy have achieved. Every year since 2004, the Wine Academy has also hosted courses from the Institute of Masters of Wine, which has led to the qualification of well over 100 Masters of Wine.

The Austrian Wine Marketing Board (Austrian Wine), based in Vienna, is a national service body for the Austrian wine industry. It was founded in 1986 with the aim of strategically supporting, coordinating and maintaining quality and sales. The company’s goal is to maintain the high share of Austrian wine on the domestic market. At the same time, it is also aiming to grow wine exports with a focus on value creation.