Kitzbühel: Hahnenkamm & Wine

The Weisses Rössl vault dates to the 15th century — one of the oldest continuously operating wine cellars in the Tyrolean Alps. Leo Hillinger, Austria's most photogenic winemaker, runs a wine bar here bringing Burgenland reds 400km west to the mountains. During Hahnenkamm week, the Weißwurstparty at Stanglwirt is where Austrian business deals are sealed over Sekt and white sausage at 7am — the dress code is lederhosen, the stakes are real, and the champagne flows before most resorts open their lifts.

Between the medieval streets, Weinherz organic wine shop proves Kitzbühel takes terroir as seriously as it takes the Streif. The town's 8,000 inhabitants swell to 100,000 during race week, but the wine bars stay intimate — regulars know that the best seats are at the Tennerhof bar on Tuesday evenings when the sommelier opens library bottles for locals. The Hahnenkamm crowd comes for the adrenaline. The wine crowd comes back for everything else.