A.W.A. Inc.

A.W.A. Inc. has been importing Austrian wine to Japan for over thirty years. The company is located in Nishinomiya city, near Osaka, and currently employs 16 people.

The company’s founder and CEO Norbert Tesch, was born in Mittelburgenland, Austria. In 1983, he left his homeland to travel to over 40 countries. After many adventures, he eventually found his way to Japan, where he decided to settle. He was particularly captivated by Japanese cuisine but quickly noticed that Austrian wine was nowhere to be found.

Having grown up helping in the vineyards of Burgenland, Norbert felt a strong desire to introduce the wines from his homeland to Japan. He promptly returned to Austria to arrange the first wine export. As a pioneer in the Austrian wine trade, he began importing wine to Japan in 1990. In 1994, he established his company, A.W.A. GesmbH, in Nishinomiya, later incorporating it as A.W.A. Inc. in 2011.

Over the past three decades, Austrian wine—once relatively unknown in Japan—has gained recognition and appreciation among professionals, including sommeliers in hotels and restaurants. During business trips to Austria, Norbert Tesch and his team personally taste and carefully select wines directly from the wineries on a regular basis. Additionally, he organizes an annual trip to Austria for his Japanese clients, giving them the opportunity to experience Austria firsthand and explore its culinary diversity through visits to wineries and restaurants. Norbert Tesch has always been committed to introducing high-quality Austrian products to the Japanese market and increasing awareness of Austria. He has succeeded in this mission and is eagerly looking forward to the EXPO 2025 in Osaka—a perfect platform to showcase an authentic Austria to even more people in Japan.