Preview
08.02.2019 – Josep & Vencenc Puiggròs, Katalonien, Spain
22.03.2019 – Weingut Bernhard Huber, Baden, Germany
05.04.2019 – Weingut Herbert Zollinger, Weinviertel, Austria
03.05.2019 – Weingut Pranzegg, Südtirol, Italy
6 Questions to … Stephanie & Eduard Tscheppe-Eselböck
What was the craziest thing you tried about making wine?
From the first vintage of 2007 onwards, the entire winery was expanded without any intervention to the grapes. It turned out that this was not crazy at all, but any other approach to the natural potential of the grapes is crazy.
What do you do differently from everyone else?
We do not know what we do differently than others, we only know that we do what we do with passion, humility, closeness to nature, quality thinking and great joy.
Why wine and not liquor?
Because wine unites the energy of the earth and the cosmos alive like no other drink.
What has been your best wine experience so far?
We have been consistently avoiding unpleasant wine experiences for years.
How would you describe the changes of the German, Austrian, and international wine industry over the past 10 years?
A gentle revolution in wine-growing and winemaking comes with quiet soles, as it happens incessantly, even if some can’t or don’t want to see it. This brings with it a re-awakening of land and soil, in other words, wine is again perceived as a living agricultural product more than as a reproducible drink.
4, 5, 6 glasses of wine and you…?
…and with the right company we want more!
WINERY Gut Oggau
Forty minutes away from Vienna, this is the most unusual winery and the most unusual guest house in Austria. Simple dishes and wine from their own production are served here by Stephanie and Eduard Tscheppe-Eselböck, the owners of Gut Oggau. Gut Oggau can look back on a long history and is today managed by the owner couple “modern”, i.e. the main focus is on its essentials. Stephanie and Eduard Tscheppe-Eselböck carry a tight assortment of regional-typical and authentic wines. Each of the wines has its own personality and is closely related to the other wine characters. They both do what everyone is talking about as natural wines. The wine is produced as close to nature as possible, largely without pesticides in the vineyard and chemical additives in the cellar. Whether the wine is sulphurated or not is a question of faith. Some use near-natural pesticides, others swear by Rudolf Steiner’s methods. The couple even have to create their own wine family from the different varieties. This is also how in other words they design their wine bottles. With the vintages, the faces on the labels also become older and older – a small but important detail, because it shows how consistent the two winemakers are. Here, unmistakable wines with great inner strength are created. Perhaps this is why the Oggau Estate is one of the most popular wineries in Austria, because they are not only hip, they also have depth!
THE REGION: LEITHABERG The cultivation area Leithaberg was called Neusiedlersee-Hügelland until 2016. In fact, the vineyards on the slopes of the Leithaberg and are characterized by the Pannonian climate and the special microclimate of the flat Lake Neusiedl. It is the hottest cultivation area in Austria. But due to the morning fog, the wines retain a typical freshness. In addition to the Blaufränkisch, fresh white wines are produced at Leithaberg, as well as famous sweet wines. The white grape varieties Grüner Veltliner and Traminer are cultivated. (Gelber-, Roter-, Gewürztraminer and the red varieties blaufränkisch, (Blauer) Zweigelt and Roesler.)