Wine region: Kamptal, Niederösterreich

The winery: The Waldschütz winery dates back to 1784 and is situated in Elsarn, at the south slopes of the Manhartsberg, at the beginning of the Kamptal wine region (it means the valley of the river Kamp). Since 1994 Reinhard Waldschütz has been the estate’s owner and winemaker. In recent years his son Markus has started to take over the wine making, with the help of his entire family. The winery’s goal is to create nature-oriented, fruity and fresh wines, so typical for the Kamptal region.

Winemaker: Reinhard & Markus Waldschütz

Vineyards:  

SUSTAINABLE farming, no pesticides/herbicides

50 hectares: 30 ha.estate grown/20 ha. from growers

Low pruning in winter, thinning and trimming are essential componentst of quality control in the vineyards. The number of vines averages 3,800 to 4,000 per hectare. The height of the trunk is a little bit shorter in order to have more foliage. The harvest usually takes place from September till November and is done by hand. Every vineyard will be harvested two to three times. Useful herbs and flowers are planted in between vine rows to maintain a natural habitat for bees and lady bugs

Annual production: 300.000 -350.000 bottles / year

Soil: Predominately “Loess”soil which is perfectly suited for classic Grüner Veltliners. Loess is a sediment, which was formed by the accumulation of wind-blown dust during the ice ages. The rest of the other vineyards soil is mica-slate

Climate: The Kamptal region is characterized by the contrast of hot summer days and cool nights during the ripening period in late summer and autumn, which provides optimal developing of flavor and particular fine aromas which are characteristic for the wines. The long growing season in Kamptal into late autumn gives the grapes a chance to reach their physiological maturity. Annual rainfall of about 550 mm and an average annual temperature of nine degrees Celsius can be considered as common parameters. 

Single vineyards: Hasel, Stangl, Rosengartl, Wechselberg, Gaisberg 

Varieties: White wine (90%): Grüner Veltliner, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Frühroter Veltliner, Gelber Muskateller, Weißburgunder Red wine (10%): Zweigelt, Merlot 

Vinification: For the estate wine:
Harvest hand selection by hand beginning mid of September. De-stemming, 5 hours of maceration, gentle pressing followed by temperature controlled (17-19°C) fermentation. We prefer a slower fermentation of about 5 weeks, then the wine goes in steel tanks.
For our premium estate wines:
Strict yield control. Two to four healthy and ripe grape bunches will remain per vine. After harvesting the grapes will be de-stemmed and after a longer maceration (12 hours) they will be pressed very softly in order to avoid the extraction of tannins. The fermentation is temperature controlled and spontaneous.
It takes place in steel tanks. The wine is left on fine lees (sur lie) for about 9 months. Some go through malolactic fermentation.