August 2010

Manual work in th vineyard is nearly finished. We are still busy to thin out Grüner Veltliner and Zweigelt.
Three young trainees join us for the summer:
Marlies and Madeleine from Josefinum Wieselburg
Isabella from university Geisenheim in Rheingau.

Tractors still drive threw the vineyard to loosen up the soil. Right after that they put a special mix of clover for manuring.

This year we have no plant holiday, so there is always somebody around.
Our cellar-team is still busy filling up the wines, we need for summer and fall.

After that the whole machine will be removed and the filling-hall will be renovated with new floors and electricity.

We begin on the 18th of October to fabricate our new filling-hall.

In August we cleaned our press-house and controlled all machines, so that everything is prepared for the harvest.

July 2010

The blossoms of our vines enjoyed the warm summersun. The grapes grow very fast and there are still water-reserves in the soil.

All our staff works hard in the vineyards binding the vines in the wireframes.

A big party was celebrated in our estate: Hans Topf senior had his 80th birthday on july 8th.

At the winetasting of the Austrian Wirtschaftsverlag our Grüner Veltliner Ofenberg Erste Lage 2009 and our Riesling Wechselberg 2009 were awarded four glasses and are now two of the best Austrian white wines.

May-June 2010

When the weather is fine we spend our time in the vineyard. There is a lot to do, putting the vines in their wire border and we also have to weed.

Our early sites are in full blow. This year we mowed our vineyards, so that the green manures can take the water out of the ground. The machine track is walkable and trafficable.

The whole team used the rainy days to clean up our cellar and fill bottles. As from now Grüner Veltliner Hans Topf 2008 and Weißburgunder Stangl 2008 are ready for tasting and selling.

April 2010

We decided spring came to stay!

Early in April we began planting the new vines. The following vines are planted:

Hasel Grüner Veltliner
Steinbühel Grüner Veltliner
Eichberg Grüner Veltliner
Gaisberg Grüner Veltliner
Stangl Grüner Veltliner
Reith Riesling
Hasel Chardonnay

A part of our team has their full attention on planting the vines, tying them to their aiding sticks.

In the cellar our Erste Lage-wines: Riesling Wechselberg Spiegel, Riesling Heiligenstein and Grüner Veltliner Ofenberg will be filled midmonth. In time for Kamptaler Wine Spring and Tour de Vin for tasting and selling.

Big shafts of sunlight at the beginning of March melted the snow.
The water could get deep into the earth, because the ground under the snow was`nt frozen. So the vines could get all the water they need.

The cutting in the vineyards is final. Now we are busy with the binding work. A work which has to be done very carefully, so that no fruit vines are broken off.
Vineyards which still have aiding sticks made of wood get modernised. The old, rotten stakes will be exchanged and wire will be strained.

In the cellar the great wines are seperated from the yeast and filtered carefully.
Chardonnay Hasel and Sauvignon Hasel, completed their biodegradation of acid. They will be filled afterards they mature on full yeast for some month.

We proudly present our Trockenbeerenauslese vintage 2009 (43 degree Klosterneuburger Mostwaage) The wine is just before the finishing line of the alcoholic fermentation and will be completed within some weeks.

Now we are looking forward spring, and do hope winter does not come back with extreme temperatures.

Site Classification of the Traditional Vineyards

Austrian Traditionsweingüter introduce a site classification of their First Sites.
Details you can find here.

Low temperatures are difficult for the vines.
At the end of January a record was set with 22,5 degrees below zero.

At the moment we can not say how much damage the frost causes.

In the cellar the 2009 wines are filled:
Grüner Veltliner Wechselberg, Riesling Wechselberg und Sauvignon Strassertal.
From now on ready for tasting and selling.

The bagger work at site Sental is finnished, and the bottom rests below a thick layer of snow.

Frost can get deep into the earth and loosens the ground with freezing.
So everything is prepared for the seed and the cover crops.

After christmas, on January 11th, work restarted at the vineyard.
The whole team is in a good mood.

The snow is great for the vine and also my sons enjoy it while sleding on Gaisberg and Wechselberg. Winegrowers like winters like this - snow and temperatures around -5° C.

In the cellar the first Kamptal DAC is filled: Grüner Veltliner Strassertal 2009. From now on ready for tasting and selling.

We are busy cutting the vines. There is no time for a rest. In spring we will plant 3 ha new vines. Until then the cutting and binding work must be done.

Since December we have a lot to do on Wechselberg. The historic old site is vegetated. Humus is taken away carefully. After that the terrace will be formed and then the humus layer will be brought out again.

A site one will hear about!