Weingut Prieler

Schützen am Gebirge , Burgenland

Weingut Prieler is located on the western side of Lake Neusiedl in Schützen am Gebirge in Burgenland. This particular area sees over 2000 hours of sunshine, making it one of the sunniest places in Central Europe, and rainfall is far below average. With agricultural roots in the region that date back to 1342, it wasn’t until 1972 that the Prieler family produced their first bottled wines. Since then, they have solely focused on wine production and have expanded to 24 ha. Led by Georg Prieler, the estate continues to focus on demonstrating the unique terroir through organic farming and low-intervention winemaking practices.

Their vineyards are located in two distinctive terroirs: Leithagebirge (Leitha Mountains), the furthest eastern outpost of the Alps where the vines are protected from western winds, and vineyards closer to Lake Neusiedl where the lake influence helps to temper the heat during summer months. The soils vary dramatically from vineyard to vineyard, with the soil closer to the lake containing fossilized limestone, which is where Pinot Blanc is grown; and closer to Leithagebirge, the soils are composed of iron-rich loam as found in Johanneshöhe or golden flecked mica schist soils of Goldberg.

Vineyard and canopy management are key, where rigorous pruning and cover crops are instrumental to the health of their vineyards. All grapes are hand-harvested, and they make multiple passes to control alcohol while still achieving physiological ripeness. Once picked, the grapes are gently crushed and undergo fermentation in either stainless steel or wooden barrels. The character of the vineyard and varietal determine which vessel the wine will mature in. For example, Pinot Blanc Seeberg will continue maturing in stainless to preserve clarity and freshness, whereas Blaufränkisch will see either large wooden casks or barrique. They have started to incorporate amphorae and will expect to see them used more in future vintages. Wine is made with minimal intervention, with sulphur being kept to a minimum at around 50 to 60ppm.