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The Carnuntum wine-growing region stretches from the eastern outskirts of Vienna to Bratislava and is known above all for Zweigelt. But Blaufränkisch is also becoming increasingly important there - especially for those winegrowers who cultivate it on the Spitzerberg.

This unspectacular gentle ridge near Prellenkirchen towers over the plain by about 150 metres. It is geologically related to the Leithaberg, i.e. a foothill of the Alps. This is where the slate soils on the higher parts come from. The dominant limestone deposits are surf reefs of the primeval sea. The approximately 80 hectares of vineyards are interspersed with hedges and green strips, where beneficial insects cavort, but also game, which waits for the ripe grapes.

Dorli Muhr is a driving force for viticulture at Spitzerberg

Dorli Muhr is one of the protagonists of viticulture on the Spitzerberg. She explains the challenges of this terroir: "Drought is the biggest issue. We get almost all of the year's precipitation between mid-May and early July. But then so much at once that there is severe erosion, even though the slopes are not extremely steep. My father told me that after every heavy rain he loaded the washed-off soil at the foot of the slope onto horse-drawn carts and brought it back up the mountain. One of my ancestors even drowned in his cellar during such a storm." cover crop is therefore important for stabilisation; it must be built up with humus and compost because of the poor soil. At the same time, it must not compete with the vines for water. Yields are extremely low, says Dorli Muhr: "I planted the Kobeln vineyard up on the mountain in 2008, it should be in full yield now. But in 2021 we harvested 1,100 kilos of grapes from one hectare there, and that in a very good year."

Therefore, Muhr is also thinking about other varieties for the area. "For the Spitzerberg, Blaufränkisch is ideal today. It wasn't necessarily so in the past, when the acid structure wasn't optimal. In barren sites like the Liebkind, it reaches its limits, tends to dry out before physiological ripeness. That's why short rain showers just before harvest are not so bad for us, they relax the tannins. In the lower, loamy sites, however, this can water down the wines and lead to stalk rot. Mediterranean varieties could develop into a second mainstay wherever it becomes too dry for the Blaufränkisch. I'm having increasingly good experiences with Syrah."

The art, according to Dorli Muhr, is "to harvest when the tannins are ripe but the grapes are not overripe. Sometimes grapes are harvested very early to avoid any impression of over-ripeness, although this can also go to the other extreme. Physiological ripeness with a lot of freshness and no taste of wood, that is the goal. And: you should really give the wines a lot of time!"

More on the topic:

All currently tasted Blaufränkisch from Carnuntum

Photos: ©OEWM WSNA, ©AnnaStoecher

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