300 Years Neudeggerhof . 30 years organic wine. Winemaker’s comment
Loving Roter Veltliner
The one with the snail.
Roter Veltliner is one of the oldest grape varieties in Austria. With not even 1% of the Austrian vineyard area, it is an absolute rarity. I remember that our grandma told stories about Roter Veltliner and how more than 70 years ago it was the main variety here. I’m proud that other local winemakers and I contribute to continue this tradition.
Slow Food, Slow Wine?
Due to this tradition, nine other organic-winemakers and I have founded the Verein Slow Food Roter Veltliner Donauterrassen in 2020. Our mission consists of developing the variety furtherso that Roter Veltliner is fit for the future. Each winery selects specifically vital vines and propagates them. So wird die Sorte noch unabhängiger von This will make the variety even more independent of weather influences, climate change and the intervention of the winemakers. Butthe group wants to go even further,
creating a series with a specific character for each winery. This will allow even more knowledge to be collected, shared and passed on to the next generation. In addition,
infraspecific diversity can also be seen as life insurance for any coming challenges from nature.
The common identifying feature is the Slow Food snail.
From vineyard to cellar
The young vines tend to be very vigorous which decreases with increasing age. Tobalance the young vine requires a lot of dexterity; when choosing the right site and regulating the soil correctly, for example in the form of thoughtful seeding. We reduce yields by splitting grapes in early summer. Thanks to increasingly mindful care of the Roter Veltliner vines, –their genetic material improved significantly, – towards small-berried grapes with high quality and lower growth.
In the cellar, the Red Veltliner grapes are always fermented with our own vintage yeasts and, depending on their origin – Wagramer Regionswein, Neudegger Ortswein or Ried Wadenthal – stored in stainless steel tanks or 1000 l wooden barrels. Roter Veltliner is a grateful companion, because it rewards our care in the vineyard year after year with distinctive character. Some surprises are waiting in 30-year-old wines!
Data and Facts about Roter Veltliner
- Origin: Northern Italy. Distribution of the variety in the Danube region goes back to the Romans, often the Caucasus is also mentioned as origin.
- Synonyms : e.g. Rote Fleischtraube, Rotreifler, Rotmuskateller, Piros Veltelini
- Ancestor of: Rotgipfler, Zierfandler, Neuburger, Frühroter Veltliner
- Characteristics:
Shoot tip: copper-coloured to reddish
Shoots: medium strong and long
Leaf: dark green, upper side is smooth, underside is medium hairy
Grape: medium to large size, dense berry, the basic grape is conical with one to three wings, the accession is small or missing
Berries: greenish-yellow to flesh-red in colour, thick-skinned, unevenly ripening - Vegetation:
Flowering: from mid-June
Beginning of grape ripening: from mid-August, aroma develops, acidity is reduced, at the same time sensitivity to Peronospora decreases
Harvest time: : depending on the weather, between mid and late October. Roter Veltliner is ripe when the berries are dark pink in colour and the aroma is ripe – regardless of the sugar gradation. In difficult years, multiple selective harvesting is necessary. Due to its late harvest, Roter Veltliner is called the diva of the vineyards, it takes patience and dedication to wait for the right ripeness. - Sensory: Roter Veltliner tends to produce wines rich in extracts, which have a good acid structurewhen grown in the right location and with the same care. When young, the typical aroma spectrum of Roter Veltliner ranges from juicy pear apple to honeydew melon, almond and orange zest. . When the rapes are harvested highly ripe, baked apple, tropical fruitsas well as fresh blossom honey can be tasted.