Wieninger Herrenholz Grüner Veltliner 2015

Urban viticulture in Vienna is not just a tourist trap. Vienna is home to 612 hectares of vineyards which play a crucial economic role for the city. These vineyards not only support the production of top-quality wines ranging from the traditional Gemischter Satz to elegant Rieslings, precise Gruner Veltliners, and robust Pinot Blancs, but they also help maintain the city's green belt. Historically, vines were grown within Vienna's city walls, reaching into what is now the first district. Nowadays, the viticultural activities are concentrated on the city's outskirts, particularly on the Bisamberg north of the Danube, where soils favor the Burgundy and red wine varieties, tended by winemakers from Strebersdorf, Stammersdorf, and Jedlersdorf. In the districts of Heiligenstadt, Nussdorf, Grinzing, Sievering, and Neustift am Walde, the soil is predominantly chalky, ideal for cultivating Riesling, Chardonnay, and Pinot Blanc. To the south, in areas like Mauer, Rodaun, and Oberlaa, black earth soils support the production of vibrant white wines and rich red wine cuvées. Yet, the Gemischter Satz remains a staple, a blend of at least three different white grape varieties grown and harvested together, historically a strategy to mitigate the risk of uneven harvests, and now enjoying a resurgence in popularity. The Nussberg site, in particular, has attracted a new generation of innovative winemakers from across Vienna. The traditional Viennese Heuriger, or wine taverns, ranging from continuously open establishments with extensive buffets to the more secluded Buschenschanks in vineyard alleys open only a few weeks a year, draw both locals and tourists alike. These venues serve an expanding selection of premium wines by the glass, showcasing how modern winemaking techniques can blend seamlessly with longstanding family traditions. The city's leading wineries have united under the "WIENWEIN" group to enhance their wines' promotion, and in 2008, the Wiener Gemischter Satz was recognized by the Slow Food movement as a "Presidio product," marking it as the first Austrian product to receive this prestigious quality seal.