Press Release

"Premium Wineries Weinviertel" Unifies Top Producers

The most important wine producers of Austria’s largest wine growing area have come together.


For the first time, the 16 most important Weinviertel wineries have created an association. The goal of the Premium Wineries Weinviertel (PWW) is to recognize and develop the individual strengths of the wines of the area. So far, the Weinviertel, Austria’s largest wine growing area with some 16,000 hectares under vines, has been largely identified with mass-production wines and very traditional but mediocre products such as the "Brünnerstrassler" wine. The immense potential of the region, however, has not yet been unlocked.

"We want to express the uniqueness of our terroir," says Werner Zull, the Chairman of the Association. "Market demand also seems to swing towards such wines. After years of the world market having been flooded with uniform, "techno wines" which have no connection with their terroir, consumers now want to see unmistakable, regional wines."

Austria’s most northern wine producing area, the Weinviertel is situated between the influences of the Pannonian climate with hot, dry summers, and the continental European climate, with its cool, long autumns, Zull explains. Together with the Weinviertel terroirs, these factors create wines that could not have been grown anywhere else in the world. The wines show delicate aromas and fresh well-integrated acidity. Even wines with high alcohol content are elegant and combine early drinkability with a surprisingly high cellaring potential.

"We want to learn together and to formulate conceptions in order to make the wines of the Weinviertel, and especially the Grüner Veltliner, more true to their origins," says the Chairman of the organization. "There are already some wines like this, wines that have been produced with relatively little use of cellar technology such as industrial yeasts or addition of enzymes, clearing and filtration. The character of the soil must express itself through the wine, that is our declared goal."

In addition to regular tasting for colleagues and wine lovers, the Premium Wineries are also planning symposia and workshops for interested members of the public as well as for wine experts.
The initiative is designed to work inwards as well as outwards: a constant exchange of experience is designed to develop the possibilities of all of the members as well as to unlock the potential of the region. Close contacts with wine lovers will help to decrease lingering prejudices and to create for Weinviertel wines an image commensurate with its real quality.

The Weinviertel Premium wine producers are:

Norbert Bauer, Jetztelsdorf
Schlossweingut Graf Hardegg, Seefeld-Kadolz
Weingut Julius und Erika Klein, Pernersdorf
Hofkellerei Fürst Liechtenstein, Wilfersdorf
Schlossweingut Malteser Ritterorden, Mailberg
Christian Pleil, Wolkersdorf
Franz Prechtl, Zellerndorf
Weingut Schwarzböck, Hagenbrunn
Hans Setzer, Hohenwarth

and the wine producers of the eight-year-old association
"Die Weinviertler":

Norbert Fidesser, Platt
Roland Minkowitsch, Mannersdorf
Roman Pfaffl, Stetten
Josef Salomon, Falkenstein
Helmut Taubenschuß, Poysdorf
Fritz Rieder (Weinrieder), Poysdorf
Werner Zull, Schrattenthal

Information:

Obmann Werner Zull
A-2073 Schrattenthal 9
Phone and Fax: +43 - 2946 - 8217
office@winezull.at