NOVEMBER 2022

Wood or steel – that is the question to which a cursory glance at our cellar provides a quick answer. In fact, we age the majority of our wines in stainless steel tanks. Thanks to the inert material, they can mature in peace without absorbing foreign aromas that would mask the fruity taste. In addition, the temperature in the tanks can be specifically adjusted and controlled so that there are no unwanted fluctuations during the aging process. Our Cuvée Schweinerei and all wines from our variety range, in which the aroma typical of the grape variety is in the foreground, are vinified in this way. In the case of the stronger Gmeinböcks, such as our single-vineyard wines, wood is sometimes discreetly brought into play. Partial aging in large barrels smoothes out the young wines, some of which are still somewhat edgy. In addition, the wines can fully develop their complex aroma spectrum under the moderate influence of oxygen. Of course, we also have the famous exception to the rule: Our Pinot Blanc Old Vines matures 100% in wooden barrels and our future VINTAGES, where two of the three vintages involved will be aged in wood, also clearly shows in the taste where it comes from.

OKTOBER 2022

Yesterday we told you about the start of this year’s harvest, now it’s already over and we’ve done it! All grapes have been brought from our vineyards to the cellar and the 2022 harvest is over. The always changeable weather conditions, from fantastic sunshine to heavy rain within a few hours, have not made it easy for us this year. Also, the persistent drought in July and August has led to lower yields, especially in the Grüner Veltliner, which, however, also go hand in hand with a high quality! The long-awaited rain came just at the beginning of the harvest, but was then fortunately replaced by golden October weather. All in all, the 22 vintage promises to produce lean, delicate wines that you can enjoy relaxed with friends on the terrace – EVERYBODYS DARLING!

OKTOBER 2022

Three vintages, two grape varieties, one fantastic wine. With our ‘Vintages’ we show that great red wines can also be pressed in the Weinviertel. Following the example of the Italian Sassicaia, we bring 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Cabernet Franc into this cuvée. The different vintages bring additional complexity into play. The result is a wine that on the one hand shows the first notes of maturity, but on the other hand still has youthful freshness. Soon available!

OKTOBER 2022

Here we go! At five o’clock in the morning, the alarm clock gets us out of bed and shoos us out into the morning chill – because this is the ideal time to pick our grapes. At the low temperatures, the aroma is preserved and the risk of premature ‘wild’ fermentation is relatively low. Well cooled, the grapes are then transported to our cellar. For our Sauvignon Blanc and Muscat, we macerate the grapes for 48 hours to extract the delicate aromas that are characteristic of these grape varieties. After pressing, the yeast makes its grand entrance. We ferment mostly with pure yeasts to bring our wines to where we want them to be in terms of taste. The fresh, fruity wines are transferred to separate tanks for further aging immediately after fermentation. The more powerful site wines remain on the lees for two to three more months for more fullness and power. In this way, each wine style ultimately presents itself in its optimal guise.

AUGUST 2022

The most important phase of the wine year is approaching in leaps and bounds. We in Poysdorf are already bustling with activity. The cellar is being polished up and the last wines are being bottled to make room for the new vintage. Things are now getting exciting in our vineyards. Through daily ripeness measurements, we carefully monitor the change in acid and sugar concentrations in the grapes. The latter is traditionally expressed in Klosterneuburger Mostwaage (KMW) in Austria and has always been considered an important indicator for determining the degree of ripeness and thus the ideal harvest time. Depending on the location and grape variety, this can vary significantly. On the Hundsberg, one of our warmest sites, we usually harvest the grapes a few days earlier than in our other vineyards. We also harvest our Muskateller relatively early to preserve its youthful effervescence. However, sugar and acidity alone do not make a good wine. Especially in warm, dry years, the sugar concentration in the grapes sometimes increases rapidly, while physiological development lags behind. However, it is precisely this that ensures that the grapes can develop their varietal character. In addition to the factual analysis with the refractometer, we also assess our grapes according to visual aspects such as the degree of discoloration of the berry seeds. In this way, we ensure that only aromatically mature grapes are harvested, which deliver the unmistakably intense flavor that defines our fabulous wines.

AUGUST 2022

Wine has been grown and corked here in Poysdorf under the name Gmeinböck since 1734. We are proud of our long tradition, but we also want to develop further. Last year we planted several rows of vines in our vineyards with Goldmuskateller. Unlike some of its ‘relatives’, it shows much more resistance to fungal diseases and is better adapted to our climate conditions. Since 2018, the Golsmuskateller, which originally comes from South Tyrol, has been approved here in Austria as a quality grape variety. In the future, it will share the bottle with our Gelber Muskateller. The cuvée is scheduled for the 2023 vintage. If you don’t want to wait that long, you can already find some fruity-fresh blends in our online store, such as our Schweinerei.

JULY 2022

Everyone is talking about sustainability. In our work in the vineyard and cellar, we also focus on natural, resource-saving cultivation. One important contribution is summer planting. At the beginning of March, we sowed a special seed mixture of 48 flowering plants in our vineyards, which are now flourishing wonderfully as temperatures rise. The plant diversity attracts numerous beneficial insects, which protect our grapes from pest infestation. In addition, the vegetation improves the soil structure and promotes the build-up of humus.
Summer planting also brings another advantage. Special soil bacteria in the root zone of various legumes such as pea and clover bind nitrogen from the air. Targeted plowing can thus cover the high nitrogen requirements of the vines, for example, before flowering. With simple and, above all, natural means, high-quality grapes are created, which provide the best material for our fabulous wines.