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It is not easy for individual winegrowers to make themselves heard in the large, increasingly globalised wine world. This realisation led to a real boom in marketing and interest groups in Austria at the beginning of the 1990s. The massive activity of the then still quite young ÖWM and the Chamber of Commerce abroad, which for the first time made it possible for a large number of winegrowers to take part in trade fairs at favourable prices, contributed not insignificantly to this.

But even in a community, trees do not grow to the sky: organisational problems, dissension, lack of money or changing interests of individuals - the reasons for failure are numerous. So things soon quietened down again in the Austrian wine scene after it was realised that wishful thinking and a brand name in themselves do not achieve anything.

Very rare, not to say a real rarity, were and are communities that encompass several wine-growing regions. Of course, the largest of this kind are well-known, namely the wine women, whether in Italy, Germany or Austria. Here, a sense of community other than region unites. But otherwise?

Even in Austria's novelty-addled wine scene, therefore, the Leithaberg project caused quite a stir. Sure, in recent years it has happened more and more often that a winemaker, instead of talking about "international standards", suddenly said something about "terroir" and "originality" when talking about his top wine. With red wines, mind you, because globalisation has never had a chance with white wine in Austria, certainly not with the top products. And terroir does not stop at wine-growing region borders.

The beginning:

"It all started," Andreas Liegenfeld, chairman of the Leithaberg brand association, tells us, "when a group of winemakers from Donnerskirchen invited friendly colleagues from Purbach to talk about how the Leithagebirge and its special features could be better publicised." The local neighbours quickly agreed, after all, there had been special wines from the special mountain for a long time, they were already aware of the uniqueness here. It was also clear that the mountain was a long time coming, and therefore quite a few colleagues from other places would join them. Moreover, among them were some who already had great experience with marketing and winegrowers' associations, apart from outstanding winemaking skills.

Already after the first discussions it was quite clear which producers appreciated "their" mountain as much as the people from Donnerskirchen and Purbach. In the end, there were 15 producers who wanted to pull together. Clear minerality and a certain playfulness have always distinguished the wines from the mountain from those from other regions, where the emphasis is more on power and opulence. Contrary to the assurances of most tasters, this still brings top points in the tastings, but elegance, depth and also character of origin are now better and better received by wine lovers, while sheer power and chocolaty-sweet wood spice are viewed with ever greater scepticism.

The strong bond of the correctly understood terroir, however, unites the 15 winegrowers of the "Leithaberg" association. This mountain, which is more of an elongated hill in the eyes of the profane observer, the common soil and the common microclimate are the vinological home of the Leithaberg winegrowers. This and a great esteem for each other, in which the wine-growing area, degree of fame and size, age and gender, religion and property play no role, make the association "Leithaberg" one of the quite interesting producer communities.

Origin and soil:

So where is this legendary Leitha "gebirge"? Austrian (though not Burgenland) wine lovers often ask themselves this question. About 25 km southeast of Vienna, the Leitha Mountains are the last foothills of the Alps before the Pannonian Plain. It is a remnant of a sunken mountain range that connected the Alps with the Carpathians; the highest point is 484 metres above sea level. The Leithaberg stretches from north to southwest for about 35 kilometres. The relevant vineyards are all located on the eastern, gentle slopes facing Lake Neusiedl. A total of 2000 hectares are under cultivation here, although not every spot is a Grand Cru.

The last foothills of the Alps before the Pannonian Plain

To know what is going on, you need reliable data. That's why the Leithaberg people had precise soil analyses carried out right at the beginning. So-called primary rock with mica schist and gneiss, and elsewhere an often thick layer of Leithakalk (shell limestone) form the main part of the soils. In some places, the crystalline core of the old mountains still comes to the surface, which enables the production of exciting and at the same time playful white wines. In the area around Jois there is also sandy loam, which is very well suited for the Burgenland's leading variety Blaufränkisch. The soils warm up quickly and store heat during the day, which they release again in the evening. The orientation of the gardens to the southeast provides excellent light and plenty of warmth during the day, while the altitude and the forest above guarantee cooler nights, especially towards autumn. A long ripening period for complete physiological maturity is thus given in most years.

The wines:

The production guidelines are almost self-evident, and the respect for the terroir, which has almost become a dirty word because it has to be used in an inflationary way to enhance the value of any wine, no matter how faceless and semi-industrially produced, if only its origin can be clarified to some extent, is here for once not just lip service.

Mica schist% gneiss% and Leithakalk form the main part of the soils

"You have to be able to taste Leithaberg" is the official statement. By this they mean the special spiciness, minerality and fruit, which are rooted in the soils and the exposure of the Leithagebirge, local varieties and the authenticity due to the largely traditional vinification. Leithaberg wines are wines of high class and structure and special single vineyards. Fresh, elegant and mineral wines with an unmistakable character are produced here. The spiciness, minerality and fruit, shaped by the slate soil and shell limestone of the Leithagebirge are the distinctive characteristics of these single vineyards, also according to the motto "The best from local varieties", which is the summary sentence behind which the association stands. A Leithaberg wine can be made single-varietal or as a cuvée. In any case, this wine must have inner tension and liveliness, must be close-knit and multi-layered, and does not necessarily have to open up at the first sip, but may quietly be somewhat closed at first in order to develop later.

The local varieties Chardonnay ("Feinburgunder"), Pinot Blanc and Neuburger play the main role in Leithaberg white. In addition, Grüner Veltliner has a special position, as the village of Donnerskirchen has a particular affinity for this variety. In Leithaberg red, Blaufränkisch is the leading variety and must dominate the wine in cuvées with a minimum share of 50 percent. Zweigelt, Pinot Noir and St. Laurent are also permitted.

Which wine that complies with the specified criteria from the outset is allowed to bear the designation "Leithaberg" is determined in internal blind tastings. A special 5-point evaluation system tailored to the specific requirements is used. At least 85% of the winemakers must be present at the all-important final tasting. Only barrel samples are tasted, so that small corrections concerning the composition of the varieties or the selection of the barrels are still possible. This may seem a little vague to extreme purists, but it is more than sensible and is used worldwide for the selection and blending of top wines. Only not everyone talks about it so openly.

The 15 members are aware that they are treading new, old paths with their vinification of Leithaberg wines and stand by it. No sweetish vanilla aromas that drown out the wine, and also all the toasty, spicy wood tones combined with jammy fruit to achieve the highest globalisation points are rigorously rejected. Whether cuvée or single-varietal, it is all about multi-layered, regionally typical, profound, exciting wines. It is clear to anyone who knows wines produced in this way that they often need to be stored well and sometimes even matured. By decision of the winegrowers, the wines are bottled exclusively in Burgundy bottles.

The members:
(alphabetical order)

Bayer Erbhof, Donnerskirchen
Josef and Andrea Bayer cultivate 17 hectares of vineyards with a great diversity of varieties. Tradition and modern hygiene technology are seen as central points of the farm philosophy.

Dr. Bichler, Purbach
A business lawyer fulfilled his dream of owning his own winery and cultivates mainly Burgundian varieties on the mica slate and limestone soils, apart from the Blaufränkisch. He has a long friendship and common enology with the Leberl winery.

Birgit Braunstein, Purbach
The active winemaker mainly presses red wine from the 22 ha of vineyards. Her wines show more character, tension and identity from year to year, which ensures top rankings in the international tasting field, e.g. in England and the USA.

Norbert Gmeiner, Purbach
The former lateral entrant successfully cultivates 20 hectares. His main focus is on red wines and here again on regional, traditional varieties.

Toni Hartl, Reisenberg
A large part of the vineyard is located on the Leithagebirge, the rest in the Thermenregion. Sustainable vineyard work and respect for nature characterise the winemaker, the vinification of his wines is highly individual - and the qualities are mostly first-class.

Andreas Liegenfeld, Donnerskirchen
The current chairman of the community has a special love for Grüner Veltliner. Here, too, the best combination of tradition and modernity results in optimal wine.

Josef Leberl, Großhöflein
A quality business from the very beginning, indispensable in the fight for the recognition of high-quality Austrian wine. Gerald Leberl has long since followed in the footsteps of his already legendary father. He runs the business with a lot of knowledge and heart.

Gabi & Richard Mariell, Großhöflein
First-class sites, 7.5 ha under yield, clean cellar and gentle cellar technique. This very often leads to the best wines.

Hans Nehrer, St. Georgen
The 21 hectares of vineyards are all located on the southern slopes of the Leithagebirge. The soil conditions vary, which is reflected in the clearly different wines of the cleanest kind.

A & H Nittnaus, Gols
The headquarters of the winery and the main part of the vineyards are in Gols, but a few of the most beautiful vineyards in the northern part of the Leithagebirge also belong to the quality pioneer Nittnaus. The maxim is closeness to nature and authenticity at the highest quality level.

Martin Pasler, Jois
The 13 hectares of vineyards owned by this unconventional winemaker are planted with red and white vines in almost equal parts. Martin Pasler has travelled far and wide, and a little bit of that can be found in his wines.

Silvia Prieler, Schützen
Engelbert Prieler has found worthy successors in his children. His vineyard work is still the measure of all things, the cellar is Silvia Prieler's unrestricted realm. Her motto: "Make wines with a lot of development potential, wines that stay in the memory".

Thomas Schwarz, Purbach
The 14 ha of vineyards are cultivated organically and biologically. The main varieties are Grüner Veltliner and Chardonnay, as well as Blaufränkisch. The winery is considered one of the pioneers in the region.

Leo Sommer, Donnerskirchen
This winery has been in existence since 1698. Three quarters of the 22 ha of vineyards are planted with white varieties, with special attention being paid to the Grüner Veltliner variety.

Erwin Tinhof, Eisenstadt
After studying agriculture and an internship at one of the most renowned wineries in southern France, Erwin Tinhof began producing his own wine in 1990. The grapes come from 11 hectares of vineyards, some of them in the very best locations. After gentle processing and careful vinification, they produce wines full of character.

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