The 26 hectares of vines at Goettweig are planted mostly to Grüner Veltliner, with half as much Riesling, a small but important patch of Pinot Noir and some Chardonnay. A far more complete profile of this historic winery and the winemaker in charge can be found here.

For those who subscribe to Jancis Robinson’s Purple Pages, this link gets you the whole ratings and tasting story.* The short version is, Goettweig’s wines, although appreciably different of character in all recent vintages, were evaluated at a very high and consistent level.

Here are a couple of notes from our English colleagues:

This wine will arrive at port in just a few weeks. Currently available is the luscious 2008 vintage:
Bottle:$18 / Case: $216


Stift Goettweig Grüner Veltliner Goettweiger Berg 2008

Ripe juicy nectarine and satsuma aromas with just a suggestion of caraway seed. On the palate, something distinctly exotic - sweet apricot and orange flecked with cumin and caraway, a brush of salty saffron and a bite of lime. Lazily unfurling on the tongue… (TC) 12.5%
Bottle $26.25 / Case $315

Stift Goettweig Riesling Silberbichl 2008

…and in addition to Jancis Robinson’s selected wines from the Stift, we have also available—and not to be missed—the magnificent 2008 Riesling Silberbichl. From a southeast-facing parcel actually in the Wachau, nose of vineyard peach overtoned with mashed mango. Nicely chewy depth of fruit, great finesse and filigree, with a detailed mineral presence (from loess over gravel and weathered rock).
Bottle: $33.75 / Case: $405

*We highly recommend subscribing to the Purple Pages. And we’re not getting anything in return for saying so!

Another important issue, and a very tricky one, is whether the measurable sugar ripeness is complemented by physiologic ripeness in the grape. Most hierarchies (Prädikat steps like Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese) involve measuring the sugar ripeness, he number of degrees Brix, Öchsele or KMW, which is not the same as being able to judge whether the grape has achieved optimal maturity and has attained the perfect condition for yielding a balanced wine. This is where the expertise of the grower comes in… Famous Australian winemaker Dave Powell from Torbreck in the Barossa Valley frequently kicks off his seminars by smashing a refractometer somebody has brought—that fiendish device, which measures sugar content alone…

Biodynamics is a method of organic farming—including but not limited to viticulture—that treats farms as unified and individual organisms. It seeks a sense of balance in emphasizing the holistic development and interrelatedness of soil, plants and animals as a closed and interdependent system, which flourishes as much as possible without external inputs.

Biodynamics is regarded as one of the more sustainable organic farming systems, and shares some techniques with other organic approaches—the use of manures and composts, along with the exclusion of artificial chemicals. Unique to Biodynamics is the use of fermented herbal and mineral preparations as compost-additives, as is the use of an astronomical calendar for planting vines.

Biodynamics grew out of the work of Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925), founder of the Anthroposophy movement—a spiritual philosophy whose epistemology is based upon the Weltanschauung of German poet Johann Wolfgang van Goethe.

Manure needs little introduction—though as a child I was taught to say instead “nature’s fertilizer”—but biodynamic compost preparations include yarrow blossoms, chamomile blossoms, stinging nettle, oak bark, dandelions and valerian.

The Biodynamic calendar takes into account not only lunar, planetary and solar cycles but also pinpoints Root Days, Flower Days, Leaf Days and Fruit Days—on which the lunar cycle favors development of those particular parts of the plant.

Proprietor Kurt Feiler, of the Feiler-Artinger estate in Rust, Neusiedlersee Huegelland, Burgenland, has just launched a newsletter, BIO-TOP, wherein he documents his recent engagement with Biodynamic viticulture

From Rust, Kurt writes:

Honored Friends of Good Wine,

You’ve got here in your hand the first edition of our new newsletter, BIO-TOP. We’d like to share with you the very latest about issues and topics that interest us. One major focus will be Biodynamic viticulture. In this first issue, I’ll tell you how we decided to make the move in that direction, and introduce you to the stinging nettle, a very important plant.

…and so, how did Feiler-Artinger start with Biodynamics?

At the end of 2005, when the fermentation in the cellar was just done with, certain ideas began to ferment in our minds. We began our initial deliberations about possible organic viticulture in the vineyards.

Nettle - loved only by butterflies

We started out to read up on it, but also consulted and questioned colleagues. And we found our way through the organic agriculture organization Bio-Austria to a seminar with top consultant Uwe Hoffman. In the winter of 2006 I took my first 2-day course in organic farming. But we weren’t quite ready to make such a drastic change in the direction of the estate.

At the same time, though, we winegrowers in Rust had just experienced two years of extremely positive results with the latest technique for abatement of the Vine Moth, Eupoecilia ambiguella. This seeks to put a damper on the mating instinct of the male moth, distracting him by means of pheromones from any nearby available female.

Finally, we considered the experiences my father Hans had had in the “good old days,” the period after the war. Back then, the winegrowers had only sulfur and copper to protect the grapes and vines against fungal disease—just like today in organic viticulture. And what worked best back then, it cannot be considered a mistake now!

Therefore we began from Spring 2007 to work our entire estate along organic lines. This succeeded so well that we considered further experiments to be justified. Our grapes were healthy, and the quality of the wine was very fine. Although up to this point, we had done this without making any move toward official certification.

And since we had gotten a taste of this, we wanted to know and learn more. So at the end of 2007 we started the Biodynamics course with Dr Andrew Lorand. And it quickly became clear to us—Biodynamics offers the most effective and appropriate methods and solutions to bring the soils, the vines and the immediate environment up to the healthiest condition possible. Because of enhanced health, the resistance of the vines to predators and disease is improved, and one doesn’t need to spray quite so often any more. So, since 2008 we have run the estate according to Biodynamic guidelines. And in the meantime we’ve made the changeover official and are now inspected by the certification board.

An essential part of biodynamic viticulture involves spraying with tea. Now in the springtime, beginning before the full moon at the end of March, we begin the spraying season with the first application of stinging-nettle tea. This serves as preparation for the ox-horn fertilizer process, one of the essential biodynamic treatments.

The Nettle Tea

The stinging nettle is a widely proliferating plant. Thanks to its unpleasant characteristic of causing skin irritation and burning upon contact, it doesn’t have many friends. But at the same time it’s a very useful plant. Well into the 18th century it was considered a rather useful botanical manifestation because of its fibers. Also considered valuable as a medicinal plant, it found a further use in the garden as compost, in which state it produces a natural insecticide. Also, a few of the loveliest butterflies are very fond of the nettle—it’s the sole source of nourishment for the Small Tortoiseshell and European Peacock.

So for the tea we use either fresh or dried leaves, and we steep them very slowly, so that the plant slowly releases its essential oils. This is what proves effective in cleaning the grapevines and inhibiting the destructive fungi.

And more later!

The Moric Vision

Neckenmarkt and Lutzmannsburg are villages in the Burgenland region. The Neckenmarkter is a Blaufrankisch that expresses wines of that appellation.

Those three things make for every excuse needed to fire up the grill and enjoy what summer is all about.

Here are our picks for the perfect wines to pair with whatever you’re tossing onto those coals. And might we suggest an easy-quaffing wine while you wait for those briquets to get hot? Chill up a bottle of the dry-styled Feiler-Artinger Rosé. This wine is perfect for sipping while you wait for everything to cook-

GRILL IT AND PAIR IT:

RED WINES

Big and Bold
We’ve said it time and again- the Blaufrankisch grape just screams to be paired with BBQ, thanks to its full body and nice kick of spice. Think thick campfire steaks, slabs of ribs, and even your fat burgers and sausages.
Two picks drinking perfectly right now:
WENZEL BLAUFRANKISCH 2006 $24.75
MORIC NECKENMARKTER BLAUFRANKISCH 2005 $48.00

Spicy and Full
These reds, while not quite as big as the Blaufrankisch wines, have still got the spice and body required to stand up to your grilling. Our first pick is a Zweigelt from Feiler-Artinger- this wine is a serious bargain and should be poured freely all summer long. The second is a beautifully old-world styled Pinot Noir. Not so much the wine for the steaks, but just lovely with the flame broiled birds.
FEILER-ARTINGER ZWEIGELT 2007 $18.99
WENZEL KLEINER WALD PINOT NOIR 2005 $52.50

WHITE WINES
Paired with Seafood

Shrimp on the barbi just begs for a refreshing Sauvignon Blanc. We like our Italian version for its fruit-forward profile, while the Austrian has a more herbal and mineralic profile. Both would pair perfectly with grilled shrimp, oysters, lobster, clams or crab.
BUTUSSI CORNO DI ROSAZZO 2007 $15.00
SABATHI POHARNIG 2004 $16.99

Any kind of fish (think salmon, swordfish, trout, halibut) pairs great with a not over-oaked (that is, not too heavy) Chardonnay. Our pick:
VELICH DARSCHO 2001 $19.99

Go Grilled Veggies

Gruner Veltliner was made for pairing with grilled vegetables: zucchini, peppers, eggplant, onions, and particularly asparagus. With its kick of white pepper spice on the finish and its mineralic and fruit forward profile, you’ll be reaching for glass after glass. Be sure to serve it slightly chilled!
GRITSCH MAURITIUSHOF KALMUCK 2007 $17.50
HOGL SCHON GRUNER VELTLINER 2007 $26.00
DONABAUM SPITZER POINT 2006 $29.99
MELUSINE LYRA 2004 $50.00

Or you can just order up our pre-selected GRUNER VELTLINERS FOR GRILLING flight of three bottles at 20% off the individual bottle prices.

FOR DESSERT
Sweet Wines and Fresh Fruit

There’s so much gorgeous fresh produce this time of year, it would be a crime not to mention some of our favorite ways to pair those fruits with a few of our world-class sweet wines.
Try grilling up the best from the farmer’s stand: strawberries, watermelon, peaches, you name it. That’s right, grill it! Then serve it up with a chilled glass of dessert wine. It’s the perfect finish for your meal. The first pick here is just off-dry, and comes in a full bottle size. The second pick is a half-bottle of not-too-sweet Beerenauslese:
FEILER-ARTINGER QUARTETT SPATLESE 2007 $18.99
PASLER MUSCAT-OTTONEL TROCKENBEERENAUSLESE 2002 $29.99

To be honest, any of our dessert wines, from Beerenauslese to Ice Wine to Ruster Ausbruch, would pair beautifully with a simple dish of fresh fruit.

SIMPLIFY
Want to make your life easy? Grab our pre-picked summertime selections, in a flight of 3 bottles or a mixed case:
GRUNERS FOR GRILLING $96/3 bottles
MIXED GRILL - PAIRING CASE OF WINE $220/case

ALL HAIL SUMMERTIME!

To read the interview in its original German version, follow this link to Christian Seiler’s website.

Translated from German by James Wright.

You can shop for Moric wines by following this link.

Christian Seiler: Robert Parker’s “Wine Advocate,” the most influential wine-publication in the world, has just published its scores of Austrian wines. Your wines did magnificently well. The Moric Blaufränkisch Neckenmarkter Alte Reben 2006 was awarded 95 points, thereby attaining a standard heretofore unachieved by any Austrian red. Were you surprised?

Roland Velich: Well, in any case, quite glad of it. Not totally surprised, though, because David Schildknecht, who evaluates Austrian wines for Robert Parker, had scored our wines very favourably in the past couple years. And he had already drawn attention to the excellent quality of the 2006 vintage: he said that it was “at least” as good as 2004—so although not entirely surprised, I was most certainly wonderfully pleased.

Christian Seiler: In recent years you have consistently withdrawn from any critique by the Austrian wine-press—for this reason some people might be surprised at your delight over the Parker points.

Roland Velich: I had invited quite a few Austrian journalists to visit me in my cellar and observe the different forms of vinification that we use, to find out what’s going on. Nobody came. David Schildknecht undertook the long trip from the East Coast of the USA to Burgenland, and devoted several hours to tasting my wines. He tasted intensively and referred frequently between wines, made his notes and was as a result of this very well prepared to write quite perceptively about Moric, because he understood it so well.

Christian Seiler: So with this you intend to criticise the fashion for blind tastings currently prevalent in Austria, where the tasters sample a great number of wines without knowing their origin. Isn’t that a good way to prevent yourself from being inordinately influenced by the image or the mystique of a wine?

Roland Velich: Not at all. In blind tastings as a rule one tends to prefer wines of the currently fashionable style, which means alcohol content, intensity from new oak and the degree to which it has been toasted—so that one is distracted by opulence, weight and power. Finesse doesn’t stand a chance in blind tastings.

Christian Seiler: How is that?

Roland Velich: The palate is simply not intended to try 30-50 samples within a couple of hours. And wine isn’t made to be experienced in this fashion. The very nature of wine invites one to spend time with it, and to appreciate over time the pleasure of its various qualities and characteristics.

Christian Seiler: Plainly speaking, wines that don’t follow the current fashion score poorly in blind tastings?

Roland Velich: Clearly so. Elegant and finely-tuned wines—which are designed to develop over time, first in the barrel and then in the bottle—are very difficult to evaluate when you taste them young. They don’t reveal themselves. And they don’t stand a chance alongside the heavyweights. For this reason I’ve stopped showing my wines in Austrian tastings.
The style of your wines, as you describe them, presents quite a departure from the currently favoured model of Austrian red wine. You are pursuing the goals of expressing minerality and terroir, while your most successful colleagues are producing fruity, powerful and oak-influenced wines.

Christian Seiler: Why did you decide to swim against the mainstream?

Roland Velich: For me that’s got a lot to do with the concept “Tradition.” Burgenland is an ancient wine-region. For example, the vineyards of Neckenmarkt, in the southern foothills of the Ödenburger Mountains, have always fascinated me. I had always engaged myself with differing soils types, but primarily with the ancient grape variety Blaufränkisch.

Christian Seiler: Why exactly Blaufränkisch?

Roland Velich: Because so far as quality is concerned, the variety is fairly durable. Even when it’s made in style that’s totally modern, or even sloppily vinified, it yields interesting results. So I got it into my head to find out what happens when I allow Blaufränkisch grapes to ferment into wine under the best possible conditions. I wanted to know: what are the expressive capabilities of this variety? What happens when I don’t distort the wine by means of technology?

Christian Seiler: How did you get the idea, that in fact the Blaufränkisch possessed the potential to yield great wine?

Roland Velich: Initially in a purely theoretical fashion. Burgenland is situated at the northwestern gateway to the Pannonian world, where the climate is rather somewhat cooler. The nights in September are no longer so oppressively hot, and since the Blaufränkisch is picked in October, frequently toward the end of October, the grapes have time in the cool nights to develop very refined aromas. That fits quite well with my idea of making wines that are not so powerful and opulent as in the southern regions of Europe, or in the New World, where the heat supresses most any sense of delicacy.

Christian Seiler: Despite this, it wasn’t obvious to concentrate on Blaufränkisch and to develop an entirely new style for this variety…

Roland Velich: No, not at all. But here comes the practical part: I had always tasted old Blaufränkisch wines, which reminded me of entirely different regions: of wines from Piedmont, of Pinot Noir from Burgundy—possibly also of the Syrah from the northern Rhône. I was struck by flashes of similarity.

Christian Seiler: And these were?

Roland Velich: Partly the fruit, partly the structure, partly the spice. There are places in Burgenland which provide a spice similar to that of Northern Rhône Syrah, particularly when the Blaufränkisch has the chance to develop for years in the bottle.

Christian Seiler: You mean the top wines?

Roland Velich: No, it works with simply made wines as well. In grapes from certain vineyards in Lutzmannsburg, a tannin structure develops in this fashion that is similar to Nebbiolo from Piedmont.

Christian Seiler: You have, then, utilised a deep knowledge about international wines to divine the potential of Blaufränkisch

Roland Velich: Of course. I am a wine grower, body and soul. My enthusiasm for wines didn’t stop at the borders of Burgenland, or even Austria. It was clear to me that I wanted to know more about the so-called great wines. How do the vineyards look? How are the soils composed? How are the grapes harvested? How do the people work in the cellar? What, all things considered, distinguishes a great wine?

Christian Seiler: You acquired this knowledge with the intention of making a great wine yourself someday?

Roland Velich: I just took notes, and made comparisons. What is it that makes La Tâche so special? Why does it stand apart from all other wines?

Christian Seiler: And the answer?

Roland Velich: That it’s not the opulence, not the power—but rather the eloquence of a special perfume, which makes a wine from a particular region or site so incomparable. The French call this “goût de terroir”: the flavour that a small patch of ground calls forth in combination with a grape. That’s the special thing—the encounter with nature. It’s the art of allowing something to develop naturally, something that no technical wizardry can possibly fabricate.

Christian Seiler: Where have you experienced this “goût de terroir” the most intensely?

Roland Velich: Interestingly enough, in the borderlands of winemaking, at the extremes of where grapes can be grown. The places where the vines have a tougher time of it, where they are challenged by climatic conditions during the course of a year. That’s exactly what puts a vine in the position of producing something totally great.

Christian Seiler: And why is that?

Roland Velich: Because the plants must root themselves deeper, and the day-to-night differences in temperature are substantial. We find this in Burgundy, in Chablis, in the Riesling-growing parts of Germany, in Austria with Riesling and Grüner Veltliner, and—as I see it, particularly with Blaufränkisch in Burgenland.

Christian Seiler: So you just put two and two together?

Roland Velich: It wasn’t quite that simple. It was more of an experiment. I wanted first-off to understand what is possible, naturally inspired by the thought that a fine and elegant wine should be the result, a wine that doesn’t grab attention by means of opulence, but rather from the lasting impression of terroir in its character. For this reason I came simultaneously to two places, to Lutzmannsburg and Neckenmarkt, to vineyards some ten kilometers apart, in order to see what the detailed combinations of soil, grape variety and microclimate might be capable of producing.

Christian Seiler: You say that great wines bring the flavour of their place of origin to the fore. Can Blaufränkisch do that?

Roland Velich: I believe that with Moric we’ve provided the evidence of this.

Christian Seiler: And how is that evidence demonstrated?

Roland Velich: Our wines, which come from various vineyard sites, but made by a single hand, exhibit totally different flavour-profiles. One notices this not only in sites that are a few kilometers apart from one another in Neckenmarkt and Lutzmannsburg, but also in the individual vinification of grapes from gneiss, loam, limestone or slate soils in Neckenmarkt. This provides me with the evidence that Blaufränkisch can do what a great variety has got to do.

Christian Seiler: At the time you began to devote yourself to Blaufränkisch, who shared your assessment of the variety?

Roland Velich: Let’s just say that there were more skeptics than there were believers.

Christian Seiler: And as your first wine from the vintage 2001 came on the market?

Roland Velich: The reaction was relatively unanimous: we’ve got something lean and wispy, it’s got relatively little alcohol and relatively little new wood. No new super-Burgenländer. Of no great interest.

Christian Seiler: So the skeptics saw their views confirmed?

Roland Velich: Yes, but there were of course individuals who considered the experiment to be a success, like the wine merchant Oskar Ammann in Nenzing. There were a few others, and that was also extremely important for me.

Christian Seiler: For economic reasons?

Roland Velich: Exactly. I was fortunate in that I already had many contacts—international ones as well.

Christian Seiler: Since you together with your brother Heinz had already made white wines, including the very successful chardonnay “Tiglat,” considered to be one of the best whites in Austria.

Roland Velich: Yes. With “Tiglat” we managed to make a variety—not native to Austria—speak with our voice. With the Blaufränkisch I wanted rather to give an indigenous grape an unmistakeable and distinctive status. I wanted to create an original.

Christian Seiler: How does your winemaking philosophy translate itself into practice? How does one “allow a wine to express itself,” as you are fond of saying?

Roland Velich: First we looked for old vines, which perhaps don’t yield as bountiful a harvest as the younger ones, but offer significantly more flavour. The stalks were a little weaker, the bunches looser, with smaller berries. That’s the first resource. Then it became a matter of harvesting perfect quality. That meant, most frequently, reducing the yield, and—most importantly—stringent selection at harvest. Then we brought the grapes into the cellar, where we tried to do what earlier generations had always done.

Christian Seiler: Namely?

Roland Velich: We let the grapes begin fermenting on the skins in wooden vats, with only a little extraction made by means of punchdown, so that the tannins couldn’t get the upper hand. We attempted to take the raw material to the next part of the process in the best possible condition, without changing the character of this material at all… Because when you cut the bunch from the vine, that’s when the quality of the wine is determined. You can only try to optimise this in the cellar—you can add no quality to the wine. You can only express what’s already there.

Christian Seiler: You speak about the traditional methods of vinification. Whose tradition? Cellar technique in Burgenland, or in other wine regions?

Roland Velich: Naturally, it’s a synthesis, because that’s the story of winemaking tradition in Burgenland. The winemakers certainly had no three-week maceration time seventy or thirty years ago… and they hadn’t reduced their yields, simply because they couldn’t afford to do so. The old winemakers valued abundant harvests more than they did a bunch of grapes in perfect balance and ripeness. Refinement, depth and elegance aren’t really part of our tradition here.

Christian Seiler: So, no tradition?

Roland Velich: Let’s call it a re-acquaintance with a grape variety, with old growing-regions and old vines, but also with the determination to perfect the product contrary to tradition, for the high-end sector. Not to render the wine more impressive, but to enhance its delicacy of expression.

Christian Seiler: And how do you define delicacy?

Roland Velich: Balance between alcohol, tannin and acids. The tactile style and the feel of the wine. Wine should ultimately be able to quench thirst, and do this without needing a liter of water alongside to wash it down. This brings me back to Burgundy—a classically made red Burgundy is never heavy or cumbersome. Never.

Christian Seiler: Back to delicacy…

Roland Velich: Delicacy has much to do with aesthetics. One’s senses and perceptions must be educated, like in music or visual art. One requires a certain education of the palate, in order to appreciate the delicacy that is there to be appreciated. That is crucial.

Christian Seiler: Back when you launched Moric, there were very few purely varietal Blaufränkisch at the top-end. Today that’s different. The upper echelons of the Parker ratings are almost exclusively populated by Blaufränkisch. Have you changed the Burgenländer winemaking landscape?

Roland Velich: Let’s just say this: never before in the history of winemaking in Burgenland did we have so many wines from hundred-percent Blaufränkisch grapes in the upper-quality range—whose expression is based in elegance, expression and character of origin, that are fermented with natural yeast in large wooden barrels—as we do today.

Christian Seiler: You put that very diplomatically. Now name some names.

Roland Velich: I had, of course, a few colleagues, who have always had a good hand with Blaufränkisch. Uwe Schiefer from Eisenberg, for example, who was perhaps convinced by my work to apply himself more intensely… And that goes in the other direction as well: Uwe’s 1997 Rheiburg is an unbelievable wine, which still today tastes youthful and shows what exactly what grew on the vine. And of course there are other examples—wines from a few Mittelburgenland producers, the ones from the Krutzler family, from Ernst Triebaumer, old bottlings from the Schuster family in Zagersdorf, which demonstrate how great the potential of this variety is.

Christian Seiler: So you related to these experiences, without feeling obliged to recreate them personally.

Roland Velich: That’s correct. I can build upon the experience of the old masters. They help me to refine my own philosophy, in that I can compare and correlate my results with theirs.

Christian Seiler: And did you know, tasting the first Moric vintage, that you’d hit paydirt?

Roland Velich: Honestly, yes. 2001 was not a great vintage, and I had a few start-up difficulties to deal with. But this wine already showed evidence that was very encouraging. Then came 2002, a magnificent vintage—not too hot, but rather with cool periods, which is ideal for Blaufränkisch. The grape material was better than I could hope for, and in the meantime we had added wooden vats for the open maceration, and we could work like I’d always dreamed of doing.

Christian Seiler: The 2001 Moric received a rather cool reception from the pundits—did that change with 2002?

Roland Velich: The reactions were, very good but not exceptional. That’s totally ridiculous, when one drinks the wine today. There’s a cloud of perfume that climbs out of the glass. So much intensity, finesse, velvety elegance. I’m always impressed myself, again and again.

Christian Seiler: What happened during the maturation in the bottle?

Roland Velich: It wasn’t just that the tannins mellowed and the acids worked themselves into balance, but the aromas just exploded. That is exactly what I had always wished for.

Christian Seiler: In the current Parker reviews your Grüner Veltliner from St. Georgen got rated on the same rung of the ladder as the best Wachauer and Kamptaler GVs. What’s this with Grüner Veltliner from Burgenland?

Roland Velich: I’m always inspired by the idea of creating something original, and incidentally, Grüner Veltliner is in fact the most widely planted grape variety in Burgenland. So I said to myself, it must be possible to make a Grüner Veltliner that doesn’t emulate the style of Lower Austria, but strives in the sprit of originality to strike a path appropriate to Burgenland. We have different soils, different microclimates, and I wanted to let the wine ferment not in the usual steel tank, but in a large wooden barrel—these were experiments that we undertook, just as with Blaufränkisch, to let the wine express itself.

Christian Seiler: And how was it received?

Roland Velich: My English importer said, “Don’t force me to sell this as Grüner Veltliner?”

Christian Seiler: Why?

Roland Velich: He wasn’t alone. The people said, “this wine is quite good, but it’s not GV as we understand it.” So I had achieved my aim. I had created something original.

Christian Seiler: What’s your next step? Riesling from Rust?

Roland Velich: No, we’re working together with Hannes Schuster to preserve an ancient winegrowing district in the neighbourhood of St Margarethen, in Zagersdorf. Fossil grape-seeds provide evidence that people have been making wine there for 3000 years. 20 years ago there were 120 hectares under vines, today only 30, thanks to the government’s unfortunate land-clearing subsidy. It’s a crying shame, when old grapevines get hacked out like this—they can’t be replaced within a person’s life-span. So we’ve leased three hectares and are launching our new brand M. Jagini red wine.

Christian Seiler: From Blaufränkisch?

Roland Velich: Of course. An absolutely unmistakeable type of Blaufränkisch.

Christian Seiler: And now you’re producing wines from several different areas. Will you build your own winery/tasting room?

Roland Velich: Yes, without a doubt. I won’t remain the amateur without an address for very much longer.

© Christian Seiler

You can shop for Moric wines by following this link.

posted by:

In their article What’s Wrong With Wine on the Web, the Wall Street Journal named winemonger.com as one of 4 sites who are doing it right. They even said we’re elegant!

And check out the accompanying video where they taste one of our favorite Blaufrankisch reds (apologies for the commercial at the start - it doesn’t last long):

Of his philosophy, Franz-Josef puts it plainly: “Terroir is for me more than a word: it is the harmonious symbiosis between man and nature, between tradition and a vision of the future. And tradition doesn’t demand devotion to the ashes, but rather calls for carrying forth the flame. Preserving and building upon the legacy of many previous generations is my challenge and task for the future.”

Just at the bend of turning 30, Franz-Josef has brought the Mauritiushof estate in Spitz up to the top tier of quality in the Wachau. His style is characterized by clean and pure fruit flavors, coupled with distinct minerality and complemented by lively acidity- all finding their way together in perfect balance.

While other vintners will tweak a wine to impart an extra something through extended yeast contact, or by using some botrytis berries, Franz-Josef Gritsch likes to keep it all clean, and bottles only wines made from pristine fruit.

Check out the dates, make your reservations and join us for some wine tasting fun with one of Austria’s most talented young winemakers.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
Friday, March 27
Tasting at K&L Wines
5:00 - 6:30
3005 El Camino Real, Redwood City
(650) 364-8544 - reservations not needed

Saturday, March 28
Winemaker Dinner at Aziza restaurant in San Francisco
APPETIZERS
Squid
cabbage, chili, lime

Meatballs
grape, jícama, herb vinaigrette

Goat Cheese
tomato jam, pistachio, argan oil, mâche

assortment of spreads served with flatbread
chickpea, piquillo-almond, yogurt-dill

1000-Eimerberg Riesling Federspiel 2007
Axpoint Gruner Veltliner Federspiel 2007

FOLLOWED BY
Basteeya
chicken & almond

Singerriedel Gruner Veltliner Federspiel 2007
Singerriedel Gruner Veltliner Smaragd 2007

NEXT
farm egg
slow cooked, charmoula, castelvetrano olive

couscous
turnip, rutabega, cipollini, chickpea, raisin

1000-Eimerberg Riesling Smaragd 2007

AND
prawn
tomato, fennel, celery, currant, caper

quail
huckleberry, bread salad, cumin-orange glaze

Singerriedel Gruner Veltliner Smaragd 2005

THEN
An assortment of the following:
hibiscus
granita, rose parfait, citrus tuile

yogurt
mousse, blood orange, streusel, almond, honeycomb

banana
napoleon, walnut nougatine, mascarpone, honey

hazelnut
madeleine, huckleberry, meyer lemon-buttermilk sherbet

chocolate
milk chocolate-sesame cannoli, chocolate sorbet, date

Vision Riesling Select 2007

$90 - VERY LIMITED SEATING LEFT
Use our contact form or call us at 1-866-WMONGER to make your reservation.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Monday, March 30
Winemaker Dinner at LOU
5 wines paired with a 3 course meal
$65
724 Vine Street, Hollywood
Reservations strongly recommended
Call (323) 962-6369 Monday-Saturday after 5PM

Tuesday, March 31
Tasting at K&L Wines
5:30 - 7:30
1400 Vine Street, Hollywood
reservations not needed

Tuesday, March 31
Tasting at The Must Wine Bar.
9:30 - 11:30
118 W 5th St, Downtown Los Angeles
Franz-Josef will be pouring from behind the bar, and ready to chat wine.
As an added bonus, Tuesday nights are the famed “Tits & Wine” night at the club.
The wines will be sold by-the-glass as well as the bottle

additional details as well as more events to come - check back!

Check back often for future clearance sales!