Origin:	Austria / Burgenland / Neusiedlersee
Site / vineyard:	Altenberg, Oggau
Grape variety:	Gewürztraminer
Label:	Vegan, Certified organic or biodynamic wine
Ripening potential:	2 to 5 years after harvest
Drinking temperature:	10 to 12 °C
Food Pairing:	Hot Asian dishes, Cheese board, Giant crevettes, grilled langoustines
Vinification:	fermentation with grapes' own yeast, fermentation in wooden barrel
Maturation:	in used barriques
Bottling:	no filtration
Maturation duration:	9 months
Volume:	13.0 %
Note:	Contains sulphites

Producer

Gut Oggau

What’s the secret of the wines of Austria's Gut Oggau?

Gut Oggau wines are among the best organic wines in Austria, and are produced by Eduard Tscheppe and his wife Stephanie Tscheppe Eselböck on the shores of Lake Neusiedl in Burgenland.

Before Eduard founded the winery, he produced conventional wine with his father in Styria, while Stephanie’s family owned and operated the Michelin-star restaurant & hotel Taubenkobel. They restored the 17th century winery, which had been abandoned for many years. When the restoration was completed in 2007 they started with nine hectares. Today, almost 15 years later, they own 15 hectares and are Demeter certified. The previous owner of the winery was a 92-year-old woman with no children. She hadn’t tended the vineyards for several years. That was an exciting challenge for the young couple. Fortunately, there had been a gap of several years between owners, so the soils had a chance to recover from the chemicals that had been used previously. It was important to Stephanie and Eduard not to change the vineyard, and instead they embraced its natural potential. From the very beginning their approach has been to work with nature and to handle the soil and the vines with great care with the focus on sustainability. They were amazed at just how much character the barrels revealed in the very first vintage; each wine seemed so alive, shining bright with its own personality – and thus the Gut Oggau family was born.

Grape variety

Gewürztraminer

Floral wines for exotic cuisine

SeThe aroma is unmistakable: if it smells of exuberant rose, lychee and fresh grape, it is guaranteed to be Gewürztraminer. Its berries shine almost pink at harvest, but the wine is golden yellow. It has low acidity, but often reaches 14 percent alcohol and more. It is characterized by a slight bitter note at the end. These flavours stem from the family of the Traminers. It is cultivated on a large scale in Alsace, where the “gewurz” (spice) brings out an exotic side. In South Tyrol it is known as Traminer aromatic, and in Germany simply – and wrongly – as Traminer. In the Palatinate, there is a Gewurztraminer vineyard whose stocks are likely up to 400 years old. Wines of this variety harmonize fantastically with Asian cuisine, especially with Thai dishes and their lemongrass aromas.

Region

Burgenland

Burgenland: Reds, sweets and other wonders

Burgenland is often referred to in Austria as the new wine world. In fact, wines – with exceptions like the nobly sweet Ruster Ausbruch – were almost entirely unknown here 20 years ago. Today, the most substantial red wines in Austria mature here. And the sweet wine scene is also stronger than ever before. Even the whites – for instance, in the Leitha Mountains – are on the upswing. The basis for this wine wonder are the various terroirs that overlay the land in a complex patchwork.

Country

Austria

Austria – Sumptuous culture, accessible to all

Austria is characterized by unbelievable topographical diversity. A flat steppe in the east, forests and hills in the Alpine regions, wetlands and Mediterranean landscapes in the south. This in addition to a rich tradition and even greater love. It’s no surprise that the Romans found joy on this patch of Earth and cultivated wine growing. Austrian wine is not abundant, but it is high quality.