The winery is located in the municipality of
Gols in the
Neusiedlersee wine-growing region of Burgenland (Austria). At the beginning of the 1990s, the farm was taken over by Gerhard and Brigitte Pittnauer. The vineyards cover 18 hectares in the
Altenberg, Fuchsenfeld, Haidboden and Rosenberg vineyards. The red wine varieties St. Laurent, Zweigelt, Blaufränkisch and Cabernet Sauvignon are cultivated to 95%, as well as the white wine varieties Grüner Veltliner, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Welschriesling. Gerhard Pittnauer is regarded as the Austrian specialist for St. Laurent, his lead grape variety.
Biodynamic viticulture has been practised since 2006. The vines are planted at a high density of up to 7,000 per hectare. The maximum stem height is 80 centimetres. Great importance is attached to an ideal grape/leaf mass ratio. The yield is limited to six bunches per vine
The newly built "cellar" is a special feature, because from the delivery of the grape material, vinification to filling and packaging, all processing steps take place on the same level, on the ground floor, so to speak. The time of harvest is determined by analyses of
pH value, acidity and sugar content. However, the taste of the ripe berries (biting into them, sucking them out, tasting them) is ultimately decisive - that means "experience and feeling". In principle,
spontaneous fermentation is carried out (without pure yeasts). The red wine mash is fermented in stainless steel fermentation tanks, in oak fermentation racks and sometimes also in open vats or barriques. The mash is blended by round pumping, spraying the marc cake with the juice and punching down the
marc cap
After the malolactic fermentation, the red wines are aged for an average of 16 months in medium-toasted barriques at a temperature between 10 and a maximum of 16 °Celsius. During the ageing process, the evaporation loss is constantly supplemented and the wine is sensory controlled. When the wine is bottled, it is gently filtered, followed by a few months of bottle ageing until it is marketed. The premium wines include several St. Laurent wines from different vineyards, Pannobile red (Zweigelt, Blaufränkisch), Pinot Noir Reserve, and the Cuvée Weiße Reben (Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc). Around 130,000 bottles of wine are produced annually. The winery is a member of the
Pannobile and Respect winegrowers' associations
