The New Stars Of Wine.

Wine made in Burgenland is inspiring a lot of palates and worthy of paying homage to.

Just as most life changing events, this one was also by pure chance. Flicking through the channels on a Saturday afternoon, trying extremely hard to skip over the soccer mania before the Bobster noticed it, I happened across a documentary on wine. Not just any wine, but wine made mainly in Burgenland by the new guard of vintners.

Surrounded by the beautiful area of Rust in northern Burgenland close to the Neusiedler See, are a handful of avant-garde winemakers, who herald the various flavours of the grapes into vintages that go against the prevailing trend and style of wine, but which has woken up many a faded palate to the sheer joy of tasting one of Burgenland's finest.

These Vintners are the new rock stars of wine with their own lot of fans. Granted, a slightly more middle aged group, but fans nonetheless who instead of throwing underwear on stage might just throw away their names after a bottle too many....

Interestingly, most of these grape whisperers ( don't forget that most of the attractiveness of wine is created before it gets put into barrels ) do a lot of the work by hand and would rather make grape juice if the grapes are not to their expectations.

Ironically, in our modern world where everything has to be quick, complicated and mass produced, those few geniuses who buck the trend and forget about haste and appeasing the masses, are idolized by wine enthusiasts all over the world.

Poetry in a bottle comes with a rather hefty price tag but you know what, nectar like that needs to be appreciated rather than being spritzed into normality and so-so ness. Please don't let anyone break a wine's spirit by mangling it into a spritzer!

As I mentioned in the beginning, watching this program was life changing. Even though we know we live in paradise, it was a welcome hint to see the outer edges of our paradise also being divinely beautiful...

Burgenland rocks...

Biggi

Shouldn't You Rather Park Your Dosh In Extremely Liquid Assets?

A wonderful new idea for a haven...

Everyone and their uncle Charlie seem to have fallen for the idea of putting their dosh into far away climes, never to be seen again. What, is the use of that?

Why don't you rather enjoy your hard earned money in our wine-haven, right here in Südburgenland? Well, let's be honest, is there anything nicer than spending your wherewithal on some highly liquid assets?

Some of you might scoff and mumble that you cannot invest in junk bonds, but let me reassure you that some of the liquid assets in our village are triple rated with awards by various wine connoisseurs. Imagine, sipping your way through your portfolio and getting a nice buzz oh, sorry, return for your hard work?

Have you ever wondered what a holiday in a wine haven would be like? Well, once your car has reached the top of the hill and starts its descent into Eisenberg ( and might I mention that the road leading to us is saluted for miles by tall standing trees ) your breath will be taken away by the vista laid out for you.

Vines, fruit trees, forests and Kellerstöckls as far as you can see. Having chosen a place to rest your stressed body for a few days, you can let your car hibernate too, secure in the knowledge that most places in and around Eisenberg are walk-able.

We are small and quaint enough to have a taxi service known only by the owner's name...very Agatha Christie like.

Gosh, there is more to holidays than beach, bikini and martinis...A holiday in a wine haven is one where you can walk between the various vineyards, wine estates and speak to the vintner while tasting his wines, make notes and order more which you can have sent to your home.

Imagine a holiday with us, where the only choices you have to make are to do with food, wine and having a good time. Just in case you've imbibed too much, never fear, a spa is near...

Of course, I have to be honest and inform you, that once you've had a glimpse of our wine haven, it's not so easy to forget...

Just a simple lane through part of the vineyards...

...no further explanations needed...!

Biggi

New York's Wine Critics Are Discovering Our Local Blaufraenkisch Reds!

Fairly unknown, but once tried never forgotten...

One can imagine that the average palate of a New York Sommelier is rather jaded because they have such a vast variety of wines to taste. Mostly great wines but as I say, once in a while a red wine varietal comes along that somehow puts the sparkle back in their taste buds and a feeling of having found that proverbial nugget of gold.

For the last few years, I have been bragging about, writing about and luckily sipping our fabulous Blaufränkisch reds. The delightful, delectable, divinely tasting red wine produced around our village. My own mum makes fantastic wine, but alas you'll only get to taste it when on holiday, as she doesn't produce enough to do any shipping.

The new guard of vintners ( winemakers ) in our village have taken the wine world by storm. Most of them come from a long line of winemakers and I can picture them as toddlers having being there to imbibe their parental vintner's know how.

Take Christoph Wachter for example, who is a young vintner with the unique ability to transform humble grapes into eloquent and unforgettable treasures in a bottle, and who has won many awards for his excellent wine making skills and vintages. It was no surprise to me, that when the New York Times ran an article on Blaufränkisch and its brilliance, Christoph's name and wine was on their top 10 list. ( Thank you Polly for sending me the link. )

Our area is renowned for their Blaufränkisch wines ( and it has to be certified twice before it gets a quality seal ) and as a wine lover, it feels like a wink of fortune to have such high caliber wine estates within walking distance. ( There is never an even remote chance of running out of wine...) Apart from being as proud as punch, I am so glad that the wine glitterati of the world is sitting up and taking notice of our locally produced wines.

Of course, the cherry on the top in our village is that the Wachter-Wieslers Restaurant owned by Christoph's family has just received the official nod on their culinary abilities and they can now be called one of Burgenland's top 5 culinary destinations. Coupled with their world class wines it should tempt wine lovers, sommeliers and foodies to spend a weekend in our part of the world. A part that I tend to equate to paradise....

Wachter-Wieslers Ratschen...Top Restaurant and Inn.

Biggi

Never Mind The Empire, His Precious Strikes Back!

The Lord of the Rings saga continues in our house.

All week, Bob has been reminding me how he only wants to watch this one last movie ( well realistically there are more than one ) this year and the rest of the time I can choose the programs. Goodness, such selflessness made me almost haul out the violin!

We all know the there are ways and means to get your way. Bob's famous for saying

" Oh, you choose, I don't really mind. "

and then precedes to either play on the computer or do the old...

" I'm tired and am going to bed because your Rosmary Pilcher ( fabulous romcom ) isn't to my taste. "

Have you ever...!

Anyway, as you might remember The Lord Of The Rings is not my taste.. Yes, honestly there are a few of us left who don't enjoy it...But as a humble wife, I was prepared for this long saga. Jeezalou, here in Austria, this whole epic takes 5 times as long because of the numerous ad breaks. The movie started at 20.15pm and ended at 12.30 am the next day!

My plan was simple, enjoyable yet rather cunning. It involved sipping an extra glass of wine which would make me merrily doze along watching Frodo. To my surprise, the Empire of The Youth, the Eisenberg's Youth Fire Brigade was in my corner. They held a Glühwein affair yesterday afternoon...oh, I am sure you can see the end already?

As it was raining and chilly, I thought I would stay home and make a roast chicken for dinner. My parents had a spare one and dropped it off at 4 pm...as one does in the countryside. Apart from anything else, dangling a whiff of a roast chicken in front of Bob would make sure he wouldn't stay too late. Coupled with Lord of the Rings showing, a very late night out with the boys, was not in the cards!

Oh, I was right, but luckily he did manage to have a few drinks because after eating a full plate of roast chicken with all the trimmings, he did the fateful deed and leaned back on the sofa.

If I myself hadn't been prepared for this epic movie ( eh, that extra glass of vino ), I could have easily counted down Bob and his falling asleep in front of the TV. As it turned out, I awoke from a loud snore...truthfully, it could have been mine too.

The time was 22.30 and knowing that the saga was still hours from being finished I tried to wake Bob a few times. All I got was a loud chortle / snore and with that I changed the channel.

Let's see what epic saga is on TV next week and if " Mein Schatz " wins.

Biggi

The Secret Is Out: Deutsch Schuetzen & Eisenberg Make Fabulous Wine!

Ooh, another Falstaff Wine Award won.

I know it's not polite to brag, but having the best Blaufränkisch Red Wine in Austria ( 2014 ) is a big deal. Not only the best ( Kopfensteiner Estate ) but another of our wine estates ( Krutzler Wine Estate ) has won 3rd place. Now we're talking...

A few of our friends questioned our sanity when they heard that we would move to a village of not more than about 350 people.

" My God, what on earth are you going to do there? Are you mad?"

well, for starters we have landed right in the middle of a wine Mecca. At least I like to call it that. Try and prove me wrong, I dare you. Come and try all our local wines.

Who can boast of just being able to walk down the road for a bottle of great wine? No carbon footprint for us.

But seriously, this award is a big deal because it shows that the vintners push the boundaries, produce for quality and with that philosophy are making the rest of the world wake up to our bit of paradise.

You know, even the local wines that don't win awards are great. As I have told you before, for some reasons the wines from our area don't give one a headache. Yes, I hear you chuckling and mumbling that it depends on the number of glasses had, but I beg to differ.

A recent visitor from shores far far away ( South Africa ) has been overheard to tell all and sundry how despite his drinking a lot of our local wine ( as one does on holiday ) he never ever woke up with a fuzzy head.

Our vintners are leaps and bounds ahead of the pack, because they have realized that less is more. Quality needs no added help and the brilliance of a great wine is often found in letting nature take its course. Great wines needs no plumage!

Congratulations to our vintners. Here's a list to local accommodation, because tasting all our wines ( award winning or other ) is more comfortable if you stay with us for a few days.

Biggi

Wouldn't You Like To Live In Welsch Riesling Lane?

One of our villages gets new street names.

When I first heard it I thought it was a tad bit silly. There are only about 300 odd souls in the village. By the way, our Gemeinde ( district ) is made up of 5 villages which I tend to think of as boroughs of a 1100 odd souls...but, don't forget that as small as our Gemeinde is, it is littered with the Who's Who of Vintners.

A few weeks ago I had to run an errand at the Gemeinde house and as I went back to my car a TV Reporter and his cameraman stopped me.

" Do you mind if we ask you a question? "

Jeezalou, quelle blamage...sans make-up and in my oldest yet comfy togs. Talk about a rabbit caught in a headlight! What could I say other then, eh okay?

The reporter stuck a furry huge microphone close to my face and out of the corner of my eye I noticed the cameraman swing his camera onto his shoulder. It looked like the boom boxes of our youth!

" Your village is getting new street names.
What kind of names would you suggest? "

As it isn't everyday I get set upon by TV crews, I only had two thoughts in my head.

Don't make a fool of yourself and did I maybe put mascara on today?

Luckily the Gemeinde house is opposite one of those Who's Who / Wine Glitterati and there was only one answer I could think of...

" You know, since we live in wine mecca, I would name the streets Blaufränkisch / Welsch Riesling or Grüner Veltliner."

the reporter agreed wholeheartedly and switched off his microphone and thanked me for taking the time.

For all I know, they might have cut my tiny little interview but it was a touch of excitement for sure and I didn't stutter or falter much.

Last week, I was at our village shop and the guy in front of me asked me when I had started to become famous and on TV? I had forgotten about this interview but when he reminded me of it, I asked him whether he had seen me on TV...

" No, but I was driving passed the Gemeinde house and saw you surrounded by a TV crew! I just assumed they were there for you.

Ah, living in a small village, I just love it!

Biggi

A Red Beauty, A Yellow Rose & A Sunny Day In Eisenberg.

A lovely day, six weeks before Christmas.

When I saw this red beauty towards the end of my Sunday walk, I couldn't believe it. So vibrant, so proud, so prominent. Against the backdrop of its green neighbour, this tree's colours jump out the photo. This tree is opposite the Eisenberg Vinotheque. Co-incidence or not?

Same tree, different angle...still stunning in its simplicity. Yet, the red is so world class.

A yellow rose. Not seen as often, as most like to have the red and pink roses. This rose shrub blends in perfectly with the Autumn coloured vines in the background. This rose is in the Buschenschank garden of Kopfensteiner Wine Estate. Well worth a visit....they have a red wine, that was crowned one of the best in Austria 2014.

The most breathtaking white rose, stunningly positioned in front of the Eisenberg vineyards ( you can see the look-out platform in the background ) is also a resident in Kopfensteiner's garden. Beautiful.

This hedge caught my eye as I walked passed it. How does nature achieve such vibrant and eye catching colours? As per usual I took rather a lot of photos in order to get a good one...As I was clicking away, I heard a delicate cough out of an open window. The owner of this hedge made himself known, and I almost ran away...

The vineyard slide....imagine taking a slide down that steep slope! The village seen through the fog is Eisenberg Weinberg.

The vines in this area produce the famous Blaufränkisch grapes, grapes that make the wine which puts any wine lover into a state of euphoria.

Can you see how steep the vineyards are? Imagine picking grapes or even tending to them all year round...far from easy.
Half way up the hill are two heavy vehicles. Would you rather drive the top or bottom one? Just imagine the feeling in either of them. No, not for me!

Biggi

The Story Of Eisenberg's Passionate Men: Part 2

Our wine walk had us feel like we were floating in mid air!

Our next major pit stop was our local look-out tower. Just as well that we started off our walk a bit late, as a tour bus was just herding its passengers aboard. Oh yes, someone else has discovered us...

Dietmar, standing on the left was showing us where to go.

Wow...describes this view well, don't you think? To be honest, the view alone had most of us excited and snapping pictures. But when two different vintners shared their wine, it was perfect and most of us felt as if we were floating over the vineyards.

Walter & Elisabet Stubits's wines and Herbert & Martina Weber's wines were tasted. Very very nice indeed.

Both their Blaufränkisch D.A.C. Reserve went down a treat and the burst of berry flavour on the taste buds mingled with a velvety smoothness, was fantastic. How fitting to sample them suspended over the Eisenberg vineyards.

Nice look out point, don't you think? When everyone got their wine glass and had it filled with the delicious samples, they tended to hover there. The first bit of motion that I felt had me move back towards the walk way. Who knows what the weight limit is...

Helmut, Connie & Mario enjoying the day out. Nice photo.

Mario, Helmut & Bob holding the fort.

It was lucky that Dietmar had his tractor there, because I would have walked the wrong way home. How marvelous it was to meander through the various vineyards. A few grapes were snatched off for a quick taste!

Our village seen from a different angle. How fortunate are we to be able to live in it? Paradise.

Kellerstöckel / Cottages to rent in our area.

Happy walkers. Bear in mind that most of us had had a few wines to taste by now. As an added bonus, the vintners refused to take back half filled bottles and I must say that it wasn't hard for them to find takers. Such high quality wine and free as well, was too much to resist.

Sadly this was our last pit stop. The cooler box was raided and just about everyone had spritzers: Half wine, half soda water. Not my taste as I prefer my wine pure with water on the side.

It is a tradition in our area to mostly drink Spritzers but I think that it is a big waste. The wines in our area ( and the wines we tasted on our walk ) are of such great quality, that it seems a sin to mix them with soda or sparkling water.

I can't tell you how wonderful this adventure / wine walk was. Mingling with everyone and having chats along the way ( a bit more difficult up a hill though ) was priceless and what it is all about. Meeting friends, making new ones and all the while tasting the wonderful wines of our area.

Biggi

My Encounter With Passionate Men In Our Eisenberg Vineyards.

Eisenberg Weinberg was the place to be yesterday...

It isn't often that you get to meet up with men who are passionate and enthusiastic about their work. Or should I call it a hobby that they are fortunate enough to make a living from and share their vintages with others. Who else could it be in the Eisenberg vineyards but the Vintners themselves.

The Eisenberg Vintners Association had put together a wine walk to celebrate Weinlese ( Grape Harvest ). It was the 3rd year that it's been held and it was the first one that Bob and I have attended. Most definitely not our last...A 6km walk up, through and down the vineyards of Eisenberg, with enough pit stops in between to quench any thirsts.

The motley crew assembled. The weather was overcast with a scattering of raindrops, and unfortunately a lot of people didn't make the effort. No one is made of sugar, are they? Anyway, as you can see, most of us had raincoats and rain gear at hand.

Dietmar Rabold ( another excellent Eisenberg Vintner ) was the pied piper for the afternoon atop his little tractor. He lead us the whole way up the hill. An easy mark to spot on the distant hills and a desirable mark to reach as he had water & wine in his trailer.

At times he got too far ahead of us. Phew, thank goodness for modern technology...he was lassoed in the hi tech way. A simple phone call placed to his cellphone, had him pull over in a hurry.

A half hour into our walk, the skies cleared a bit and the sun peaked through. Let me tell you, a lot of us were huffing and puffing up the hills. But a view like this is unbelievable and so worthwhile the walk.

For some reason, Bob and I were always the nearest to Dietmar and the supplies...?

This was our first organized pit stop, and what a pit stop it was. Wow. This was one of the men with a passion. Passionate about making fabulous wine.

Mathias Jalits is a vintner who produces unbelievable wines. He is so enthusiastic about how and with what he makes his wines that it was riveting to hear him explain his philosophy. But let me tell you, the proof is in the pudding.

Tasting two of his wines ( Pinot Noir & Eisenberg Blaufränkisch Reserve D.A.C. ) had all my taste buds sit up in a pleasant surprise. His wines were smooth as velvet and tasty as can be. You got to try them...

To be continued in part 2 tomorrow.

Biggi

Seen & Heard Around The Village #3.

Another week of interest.

We were atop the lookout platform when we spotted this bunch of heavy buzzers. The photo looks rather grainy as there was a swarm of flying irritants about. Maybe mosquitoes or something just as annoying.

The platform itself is great as you feel as if you are suspended in midair over our village. Vines and forest as far as the eye can see. Of course it is just for the adventurous souls as you have to walk up a hill to get to it. Yes, I suppose you could drive, but where is the fun in that?

That reminds me, we are going to get a certified walking guide in the village. She will take ramblers around the fabulous and historically rich countryside. Lovely.

There is an establishment in Unterwart, which is a magnet for men. Especially men of a certain age ( above 30 ). It is almost unseemly how much time they can spend there drooling over the wares. You won't catch many women in there. Once a man enters the portals of this establishment, you can easily kiss an hour and lots of money goodbye. With the very obsessed, make it two and even more dosh. Only one shop fits this description...

Obi, a Hardware Chain.

All Obi staff members wear an orange t-shirt as part of their uniform. Well...our friends from South Africa went there to shop and as luck would have it, he was sporting an orange t-shirt. At least 5 people came up to him to ask for help finding drills and the like... Oh, did I mention that he doesn't speak German? Oh, I am still giggling when I picture it.

Last night was the annual Weinkost in Deutsch-Schützen and we went en masse. Bob and I did a spot of horse trading as to who would be the designated driver. Frankly, it could only have been me, because Bob has been driving us around the various Buschenschanks while my parents have been here. Fair is fair.

As usual the hall was divided into a white wall and a red one. The left hand side brought the white wine lovers into rapture and the right hand side made the red wine enthusiasts go into ecstasy.

I think that all in all there were about 50 wines to taste. All locally made ones of course. The vintners themselves were there pouring the tasting tots.
You could buy an armband that let you taste whatever and how much you liked.

Bob was late as he had to engage in a Fire department exercise first. When he finished, he came to get the car & house keys so that he could quickly go home and change. Oh my, did he look handsome in his fireman jacket. The big dark blue fireproof one. I was so busy looking at him that I forgot to get a photo!

Our friends had a great time and enjoyed tasting the various wines.

A serious bit of discussion taking place. It was so nice to see them all have a good time. By the end of the evening, Bob had the swirl down to a tee. That specific swirl of the wine, that the wine tasters have perfected.

" Bob, only one more. "

All of us had such a great time and I am almost certain that our annual Weinkost will become part of some holiday calenders.

Bob did say that he would drive next year, but I don't think he will. So just a little warning to everyone, that next year we will all walk there & back. A good 6 kilometer round walk...

Biggi

A New Buschenschank Is In Town!

The Kopfensteiner's have added a new dimension to tasting their fabulous wines.

We got the call at 4.30 yesterday afternoon.
The " do you want to go to the Buschenschnank "call. Luckily for us they happen with great frequency.

" Biggi, do you and Bob want to join us at Kopfensteiner's? But we are leaving in 10 minutes. "

This call yesterday threw a bit of a spanner in the works. Bob was doing manly stuff out back...mowing the grass in the back garden, and I had a seldom made curry on the stove. In great haste I ran up to the back garden and it took a while to get Bob's attention over the loud yet wonderfully hypnotic ( to me at least ) noise of the mower.

I explained the invitation along with the curry on the stove situation. The minute my Mum asked me, I knew that Bob would drop everything to go to Kopfensteiner's. ( It wasn't advertised yet everyone has been talking about it today. ) He put up a show of indecision but only for a second. Bob morphed into Speedy Gonzales: Lawnmower packed away, shower greeted, clean clothes put on, all in under 10 minutes. Unheard of!

Anyway, we all got to the place. The Kopfensteiner family purchased the house a while ago and the scuttle bug was that they were fixing it up to do a Buschenschank. Only winemakers and producers are able to host a Buschenschank, and as winemakers go, the Kopfensteiner family are on the top tier. Thomas, the vintner has just won an award for best red wine of Austria 2014 and this is an opportunity to taste his wine along with some vittles. Yes, they are offering their various wines by the glass ( or bottle if you like ). A wine lover's Nirvana.

Yesterday was their inaugural Buschenschank day and what luck for us. When we arrived, we saw Thomas carrying a big 6 liter bottle of wine inside. A gimmick I thought...but no, when we had paid and where ready to leave, his father came to our table with a decanted wine and 5 glasses. A special reserve red from 2009. From this super-sized bottle which apparantly ages the wine differently. Either way, it tasted out of this world.

The wine left a velvety residue when I swirled it. Always a good sign. Isn't it funny how the people in the know, such as vintners, Sommeliers, wine-fundies, wine-buffs and frequent wine-quaffers do have a special way of swirling a glass of wine. Honestly, I haven't mastered this art form yet.
When I try to look nonchalant while swirling my glass of wine, it shows an alarming wish to escape over the top of the glass. Lessons might be in order, because when you see an expert do it correctly, it looks oh-so-cool!

The entrance. The painted winebarrel is all the rage right now, yet I am not too fond of them. But they are jolly effective.

Sitting with my folks and enjoying the scenery, company & wine.

This one is for Lorraine.

The B & B team! We really did have a few glasses of wine each, but the photos taken with a glass in front of us were not that flattering...

The celebratory wine at the end. Can you see the velvety smoothness running down the bottle? Very nice wine indeed, and a very nice Buschenschank...one you'll have to put on your to-do list as well.

Biggi

A Few Reasons You'll Love To Visit Burgenland.

We love tourists by the way...

• The best is of course our award winning wine. The other day I was showing visitors their abode and they asked me casually if there are any quaffable wines in the area. Well....blase ( yet inwardly jumping for joy & with pride ) I mentioned that our village boasts the Best Red Wine of Austria 2014 / The Best Young Winemaker / Winzer in Dare I say Europe 2014 & The official supplier of Red Wine to the Austrian Olympic House in Sochi. Let me tell you, their eyes popped open at their fortunate turn of events! ( Don't forget that all of our winemakers in the area have delectable and very drinkable wines.)
• Nature, nature & more nature....it is just so beautiful here.
  
  
• Wildlife of all sorts: You can be walking around and different magic animals cross your path.
  
  
• We cater for exercise fanatics. Fanatics of all sorts. Those that love to walk have unending paths to pound. Did I mention that all the paths are amid the splendors and beauty of the vineyards? It is so amazing that you can easily walk for miles. Those that love to cycle are in luck, as we have bicycle paths ( next to the road, not on the road ) with pit - stops inbetween. Those pit - stops vary from a bench and table next to the path to an authentic Buschenschank to recharge your batteries.
  
  
• We are a friendly bunch. Of course you might get the odd exception, and greetings are usually with a nod of the head or wave of the hand, but on the whole we are happy to see tourists admiring and staying in our area. Staying in our area, will transport you back to a time when you were young and had a holiday in the country. Getting a whiff of either freshly cut grass or dare I say, horse manure, unclogs memories of spending time in the country. Absolutely divine!
• We are in the heart of Europe and doing day trips to various parts of it is easy and fun. The Austrian Grand Prix is only about two hours away...!
• Oh, and I nearly forgot....we have an average of 300 days of sunshine per year.

Biggi

link to our tourism site.

Look At These & Then Book Your Trip!

Südburgenland is clearly the place to be seen...

Our area of Südburgenland has great wines. Award winning wines. World class wines. Best of all, they are oh so drinkable wines.

The calibre and award winning quality of our wines & winemakers is enough reason to put us on your holiday itinerary. Heck, you should make us your only entry on this itinerary. But here is the best part: Our area is so stunning and has something for everybody. Nature, bicycle paths, ramblers paths, a quietness that refreshes the spirit and of course vineyards wherever you go
... ( never fear of going thirsty here ).

How is this for colour? Driving around is rewarded with views of note. A little church across the border with stunning rapeseed in the foreground.

Our village with the telltale slopes of the vineyards in the back. Oh, this is wine country through & through.

Can you already see yourself walking or cycling in the midst of this? Just standing there and looking outwards, will make most of your cares slip off your shoulders.

Are your legs itching to get the pedals turning?

A wise old tree in front of the Bildein Church. Can you see how small I am in comparison? Bildein is a ten minute drive from us.

Here is a typical Kellerstöckl to rent that has been refurbished and made into a holiday cottage ( cozy & oh so romantic bedroom, bathroom, kitchenette and a big comfortable table ). Views to thrill because they are right in the midst of the vineyards. Can you see yourself sipping a glass of delectable Grüner Veltliner or Blaufränkisch red?

Yet another beautifully refurbished Kellerstöckl to rent in the vineyard up the hill. Great views and a fabulous restaurant & wine bar within walking distance.

Imagine how nice it is to wake up and look over the vineyards...

Biggi

Feinschmecker Wine Awards 2014: Christoph Wachter Is The Newcomer Of The Year!

Wow, yet another world class winemaker in our neighbourhood.

This proves it: Living in this spot in Südburgenland is like winning the Trifacta.

1. The best winemakers & wines voted by the experts.
2. The most scenic, stunning and soul resonating surroundings.
3. The most friendly people.

Christoph Wachter is still in his 20's but gosh, he is creating wines that win awards and ignite the wine connoisseurs with renewed enthusiasm and sheer joy in drinking a glass of wine. It's funny to see him around the village or driving jauntily in the vineyards and at the same time know that he is a winemaker of note.

As you can see from this video clip, he loves making wine. Gosh, when I saw this clip, I couldn't wait to taste this and his future wines. He is still young and has so many vintages ahead of him. Tasting and of course drinking his wines will be something to look forward to each year. His family has a Buschenschank above his wine cellar and at various times in the year one can sit there, drink his delicious wines, eat the traditional local food and soak in the stunning scenery. Oh yes, his cellar is in the midst of the vineyards.

There are a handful of young winemakers in our village who are creating an amazing buzz and impression in the wine world. Winning awards is a by - product on the way to achieving vintages that they like. Wine is their calling and it its what makes our area so fabulous.

When Bob and I moved here, a Gemeinde ( district ) made up of 5 little villages with about 1100 people, most of our friends and dare I say family thought we were slightly mad. From the start of our life here, both of us loved this Gemeinde and the life it let us have. Pure gold. Pure paradise.

Well, little did anyone know, that Bob and I were moving to Wine Lover's Paradise.

Again, congratulations to Christoph. Fantastic achievment.

This makes it official: You need to pencil us into your holiday schedule or at least for a long weekend. P/S: Did I mention that we are only two hours drive time away from Vienna Airport? Here is a link to our Gemeinde website where you will find all the local accommodations etc.

Biggi