Natural wine from Burgenland

Burgenland in Austria is one of the most important regions in Austrian viticulture, especially for red wines. In the 1990s there was a growing movement towards biodynamic viticulture and natural wines - ultimately also due to the wine scandal in the 1980s.

Vintners in Burgenland have opted for organic and biodynamic cultivation methods in order to improve the quality of their wines and to protect the environment. A return to the essentials. No pure culture yeasts, no or only minimal use of sulphur, no fining-a striving for quality that has long been present among top winemakers.

The approximately 12,000 hectare region itself is known for its outstanding red wines, especially from the Zweigelt, Blaufränkisch and St. Laurent varieties, although white grape varieties such as Welschriesling, Grüner Veltliner, Chardonnay or Weißburgunder are naturally also grown. Natural wines from the south of Burgenland, such as those from the Eisenberg, usually taste fresher and more meagre, while the heavy clay soils in central Burgenland around Lake Neusiedl produce extremely fruity wines with good length. On the eastern slopes of the Leithagebirge with its limestone and slate soils, complex white wines thrive, especially Weißburgunder and Chardonnay.

In Burgenland in Austria there are a number of winegrowers who were and still are pioneers in organic and biodynamic viticulture. First and foremost is Weingut Weninger, founded by Franz Weninger Sen. in Horitschon, who is today considered a great pioneer of the organic movement in Burgenland and set new standards very early on. Today the winery is run by son Franz Jun. and Petra Gratz, both of whom are considered an important voice for organic and biodynamic viticulture internationally.

Another pioneer in Burgenland viticulture is the Weingut Heinrich in Gols, run by Gernot and Heike Heinrich. "Nature itself brings everything to stabilise and protect the wine and to ensure its further development on the bottle. And the circle of people who appreciate natural wines is constantly growing," says Gernot Heinrich. However, in order to bring excellent natural wines to the bottle, experience is needed. He has been dealing with the issue of sulphur and preservatives for years and sees doing without them as a feasible challenge. Heinrich wants to produce elegant, fruity, lively wines; his mash-fermented wines, also called orange wines, enjoy great international popularity in the natural wine scene.

Over the years, many new wineries have joined the scene. One of the best known is certainly Gut Oggau, the faces on the labels are immediately recognisable. Eduard and Stefanie Tscheppe-Eselböck are among the most important voices for Naturweine aus Österreich. Other winemakers include Lichtenberger Gonzalez from Breitenbrunn, Wachter-Wiesler and Thomas Straka in the south of Burgenland, Christian Tschida from Illmitz, Claus Preisinger,Pittnauer’s and the largest Demeter farm Meinklang in Pamhagen.