Austria’s answer to Beaujolais. A red wine that’s full of juicy dark-berried fruit and meant to be enjoyed by the light-hearted drinker. The winemaker is no simpleton though and has been growing wine, as opposed to “making” it for years now. Winemaker Gerhardt Pittnauer took over his father’s estate in the 1980s and learned through the decades that less is more when it comes to not only growing vines but vinifying in the cellar as well.

Zweigelt grape blend.

This wine contains allergens, sulfites.

The Estate

There is a simple and honest feeling in the wine and spirit of Gerhard Pittnauer which hails from his generosity and humility. Given the reins of his vineyard in the mid-1980′s after the unexpected death of his father, Gerhard, then 18 years old, had to train himself to make wine in the midst of scandal and chaos in the Austrian wine market.

Wine Making

The Zweigelt is hand-harvested in mid-September while the Blaufrankisch is done in early October; all de-stemmed with two weeks of maceration. Each grape is fermented spontaneously separately in steel with natural yeasts for 10-14 days. The wine spends 12 months aging in steel and old oak and then is blended. Unfined and lightly filtered before bottling.

Food Suggestions

Pairs well with beef, lamb, deer, & venison.

• Available Size: 750mL (12 pc)
• Type: Wines
• Sub-type: Wines
• Class: Red
• ABV%: 12.5