Burgenland is a large region to the east and south-east of Vienna, bordering Hungary, which comprises the sub-regions of Neusiedlersee, Neusiedlersee-Hügelland, Mittelburgenland, and Südburgenland. The eastern part of Burgenland, near the Hungarian border, is the hottest part of Austria, and includes the areas around the Neusiedlersee, home to many fine Botrytus dessert wines. (These we list in a separate dessert wines section where I also describe the lake). This is red wine country par excellence - the exceptional Pannonian climate enables very high degrees of ripeness unmatched in most other parts of Austria, making possible big chunky reds - to the east of the Neusiedlersee, Zweigelt dominates, yielding strong, juicy red wines, and fantastic examples of St. Laurent are also produced. Blaufränkisch tends to be grown a little further south, around the southern and south-western shores of the lake, and further south still into Mittelburgenland and Südburgenland. There are also some international red varieties grown, including notably some Syrah, which does very well here. There are also many many useful whites, especially from around the shores of the Neusiedlersee, with varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc, Traminer, Welschriesling, Muscat, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, and the especially interesting Furmint. Conventional wisdom is that the soils on the west bank of the lake are more complex than those on the east; and it's worth understanding the soil profile of the area around Rust, whose 440 hectares of vines (“Rieden”, or Cru-vineyards) follow a 100 year-old classification system. All the vineyards on the western shore of the Neusiedlersee are east-southeast elevation sites facing the Lake. The soils vary, even between close rows, and can be differentiated into different types, taking Rust as the centre. To the north, the soils are loamy, cool and dense - ideal for Blaufränkisch and humid-loving white wine varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc. To the northwest, lime-clay soils have a top-layer of loess, which again is perfect for the native Blaufränkisch. Further towards the west the soils contain increasingly more chalk and are thus better for Burgundian varieties (e.g. Chardonnay). The soils of the vineyards to the southwest have a high portion of minerals, slate and quartz crystals, thus favouring aromatic varieties such as Syrah/Shiraz, Cabernet and Merlot. Click here to see a map of the vineyards around Rust.

Burgenland is also a great place to spend a holiday. Not only is there the wine to explore, and the delights of Vienna and the Wienerwald close at hand, but the lake itself is a big draw for windsurfers. The eastern shore is populated with low-key tourist facilities, with plenty of great value guest houses and hotels. It's quite flat along the lake edge and cycling is popular. And of course a meal at Josef Lentsch's restaurant "Dankbarkeit" at Podersdorf is to die for....

Heidi Schröck, Rust

Undoubtedly one of the most prominent female winemakers on today's Austrian wine scene, Heidi Schröck runs the family winery at Rust, on the banks of the Neusiedlersee near the Hungarian border. Here from 8 hectares of vineyards in top sites she crafts a wide range of lovely wines, principally from indigenous Austrian red varieties such as Zweigelt, St. Laurent, and Blaufränkisch, but also including historic white varieties such as Furmint (the Hungarian Tokay grape) and Muscat-Lunel (aka Gelber Muskateller), which hark back to the days of the Austro-Hungarian empire, plus a few international varieties. In addition to her range of reds and whites, Heidi also is noted for her range of sweet wines including the renowned Ruster Ausbruch. Heidi's rise to fame has included en route a stint as Austrian Wine Queen, time working in Germany and South Africa, and most recently the award of Vintner of the Year by Falstaff magazine, one of Austria's leading wine publications. She teaches at the Austrian Wine Academy headquarters in her home town of Rust, and is a member of "Le Donne del Vino" and the "Cercle Ruster Ausbruch".

Dessert Wines from Heidi Schröck

Heidi Schröck produces a fabulous range of sweet wines for which she justifiably holds a formidable reputation. The range includes delightful Beerenausleses and Ruster Ausbruchs. For organisational reasons these listed are on a seperate page dedicated to sweet wines, which you can find by clicking here.

Alexis Schreiner, Gols

Alex Schreiner typifies the young generation of Austrian producers; creative, keen to experiment, but firmly grounded in tradition. For generations, the Schreiner family have run their winery successfully, and Alex entered the business in 2004. The family have 15 hectares of vines scattered around Gols, of which 70% are red and 30% white. My attention was drawn to Alex and his wines as I was hugely impressed with his Blaufränkisch Reserve.

Josef Lentsch, Podersdorf

Like Jamek in the Wachau, this is really two businesses in one – a restaurant and a winery. And it’s not clear really which one dominates. The restaurant, in the lakeside village of Podersdorf am See, has been in the Lentsch family for generations, and is very much the public face of the business(es). The buildings are ancient, having originally been built by Cistercian Monks, and referred to in old documents as the “Ebenerdiges Schloß”. It was later the home of a Prussian Count, and was then a hotel before being converted to a restaurant in 1934 by the first Josef Lentsch (the current one is Josef Lentsch 3rd). Today, the gardens behind the main house are used in summer for the restaurant, a haven of peace and serenity, and eating here in summer, beneath the shade of old trees, is a real treat. An exceptional gourmet menu, based very much on local produce, is the order of the day here. Fish from the lake, and local beef and game feature prominently. To complement the menu there is of course the extensive winelist. Josef Lentsch makes some of the best sweet wines in this part of Austria, ranging from Auslese right through to Trockenbeernauslese, including a rare red TBA made from Pinot Noir. Grapes are grown on sandy soils near the eastern shores of the Neusiedlersee; some of the grapes are grown in Lentsch-owned vineyards, some are bought from other well-trusted suppliers. The quality of these wines is nothing short of amazing; great sumptuous, lavish, opulent stickies which go on forever. Josef also makes still dry wines – including a fabulous oaked Pinot Gris which wins wide acclaim, and a lovely seductive soft Pinot Noir. Josef (right in photo) is ably assisted by his son Markus (left), who is following him into the family business. One senses with Josef that he’s a man with a real passion for what he does – but that he just can’t quite decide whether the wine or the restaurant is more important. “Dankbarkeit” means “gratitude” – and what is for sure however is that once you’ve eaten at his restaurant or tasted his wines, that is exactly what you will be feeling!

Dessert Wines from Josef Lentsch

Josef makes a fabulous range of sweet wines from the eastern shore of the lake around Podersdorf. The range includes Auslese, Beerenauslese, and Trockenbeerenauslese wines which are luscious and with immense depth of flavour. They are truly exceptional, and if you are a sweet wine lover then they very definitely deserve your attention. For organisational reasons these listed are on a seperate page dedicated to sweet wines, which you can find by clicking here.

Weinbau Sattler, Tadten

Erich Sattler is a small family producer based in Tadten, a small village close to the eastern shores of the Neusiedlersee and nestled right up against the Hungarian border. At this point, the strip of Austrian territory between lake and Hungary is at its narrowest. On my first visit we got lost, and ended up down a dead-end dirt track with a decaying border post and watchtower at the end - remnants of the cold war paraphernalia that once cast a shadow over life here. Erich makes simply some of the most pleasurable wines I know - simply writing this makes me want to crack open a bottle of his Zweigelt Reserve. And what's amazing is that these stunners are turned out by a relatively recent entrant to the business - Erich only took over the estate in 1999, although it has been in the family for 4 generations. There are currently 10 hectares, on gravel and light sand soils rich in minerals. The largest part of the production is indigenous Austrian reds - 35% Zweigelt and 25% Saint Laurent - with a splash of Cabernet Sauvignon and some useful whites. All his wines are great and all represent real value for your hard-earned pound. I confidently predict great things for Erich given the quality of his wines and his relatively short track record.

Weingut Günter & Regina Triebaumer, Rust

The Triebaumer family have been active in Rust since 1691 - wine and winemaking has a very long tradition in the family. Günter Triebaumer and Regina Limbeck took a less direct route into the industry, having worked elsewhere in the industry and having travelled extensively and learnt a great deal about international winemaking before entering the family business at home. They have chosen a winemaking philosophy that is open-minded, modern and forward-thinking, combining roots and tradition with progress. They currently own 16 hectares of very high quality ‘Rieden’ vineyards in Rust, from which they produce a wide range of wines which are typical of the Burgenland region.

Franz Weninger, Horitschon

Austria is not all Grüner Veltliner - there are great reds too - the region of Burgenland is a source of some of Austria's finest reds, and some of the very finest come from Franz Weninger (right) in Horitschon, which is located at the southern end of the shallow Neusiedlersee, right by the Hungarian border. Franz came into the business in 1982 when he took over a 7 ha estate from his parents. In 1982, Austrian wines were not in the same quailty league as they are today, and in those days much wine, including Weninger's, was sold in bulk, with only a little made available for bottle sales. Franz decided to set out on the path to quality, and before long was producing wines which were already starting to be noticed by the outside world long whilst much other Austrian wine was still of a very poor quality. He rapidly developed a loyal band of regular customers, and today Weninger has some 23 hectares of vines on premium sites around Horitschon, on deep, heavy, loamy topsoils which are rich in clay and iron. Weninger's principal variety is Blaufränkisch, but other indigenous varieties grown include St Laurent and Zwiegelt, alongside international Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Blauer Burgunder. These wines are not just good - they are frankly world class, and deserve your attention - they include a handful of Austria’s very top red wines, including the iconic Blaufränkisch Dürrau. Weninger has also recently made investements in vineyards just over the border in Hungary, managed by his son Franz Jr. I am pleased to be able to offer you a selection of Weninger wines. (Note: we also have a few of the Weninger wines from their Balf vineyard in our Hungarian section).

 

Moric

One of the best producers in Burgenland, renowned for their red wines, which have received some of the highest ever Wine Advocate ratings for Austrian reds.