Young Austrian winemakers strip off for calendar

The Jungwinzerinnen, or Young Female Winemakers’ calendar 2012 is the brainchild of publisher Ellen Ledermüller-Reiner (pictured, centre) who started work on the project nine years ago.

”It really helps the wineries because we get so much publicity from the calendar which is a big hit,” Ledermüller-Reiner told Decanter.com. ”It should attract attention and be sexy, but not be cheap or overly erotic,” she added.

The young winemakers had different reactions from family and friends when they told them they were appearing in the calendar, according to interviews with the Austrian Krone newspaper.

”On Christmas Eve I gave everyone in my family a calendar and told them that they need to buy one next year, because I will be in it,” said 23 year-old Stefanie Sauer of Weingut Sauer in the Austrian town of Grossklein.

There were some “unpleasant minutes of silence” before the family gave their consent, she said. “I reassured them I would not be naked.”

”My boyfriend was not so excited about the idea, but he is backing me up on my decision,” 18-year-old Cornelia Gamser of Weingut Gamser in Leutschach said.

Some 3,500 copies have been made of the calendar, which goes on sale in September for €25. It can be ordered online at www.e-ledermueller.com.

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