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Austria's cool new wine wind
A new star in the Austrian red wine sky? In addition to presenting her elegant single vineyard wines from Braunsberg and Spitzerberg at ProWein, Michaela Riedmüller will be showcasing her natural wine line 'Down to Earth'. The young winemaker from Carnuntum is talented, visionary and still (!) undiscovered in the wider world. So it's worth paying her a visit...
The guardian of Braunsberg
"When the sun shines, the Braunsberg sparkles like a diamond," Michaela Riedmüller enthuses about her local mountain, the nearly 400-metre-high Braunsberg, which is composed of hard granite and gneiss rock, covered with a fine layer of weathered limestone chips. Located in the very east of Austria, right on the border with Slovakia, the Braunsberg forms part of the Little Carpathians and has a view of the Danube, giving it a unique selling point.
The warmth in the river valley, cool winds that blow through the corridor between the Alps and the Carpathians, extremely low rainfall and good sunlight distribution create a singular environment for the production of exceptional Blaufränkisch wines. And winemaker Michaela Riedmüller knows just how to impressively bring out these special features of the top site in Carnuntum.
With gentle pruning and attentive vineyard work, she fights off the challenging conditions of the Braunberg. She cares for her vines, which are, on average, 35 years old. A high wall of foliage lends extra shade, bringing balance to her wines. Michaela Riedmüller supports the plants' natural supply of nutrients by spreading compost. There is no irrigation despite the extremely low rainfall. The very high humidity caused by the nearby Danube river serves as a water supply for the vines. Her grapes, which are usually harvested by hand at the beginning of October, are fermented spontaneously and vinified in used 500-litre wooden barrels. The result is wines with an unmistakable style.
Hainburg and Braunsberg have a long grape growing tradition dating back to the Celts and Romans. In the 1980s, traces of this were found at the foot of the Braunsberg in the form of a primeval or wild vine (Vitis vinifera silvestris) dating back to the Quaternary period. There are only a few vineyards on the Braunsberg today, besides those of Riedmüller. The young winemaker from Hainburg tries to save every vineyard area, either to continue its cultivation or to do new plantings of Blaufränkisch vines.
Jumping in the deep end
Michaela Riedmüller also runs one of a handful of Buschenschank open in the area today. There were once more than 40 of these uniquely Austrian taverns where guests can enjoy a plate of food and a bottle of wine. Riedmüller's Buschenschank, which dates back more than 70 years, is located right on the Danube and was the foundation upon which the young winemaker built her business.
That journey began when she was just 19 years old and faced the decision of what to do with the business when her parents retired. It quickly became clear: the agricultural land would be leased out, the focus would be on the now seven-hectare winery, with the Buschenschank continuing to exist alongside it. Today, after 13 years, the 32-year-old winemaker can look back on several milestones. She has found her own style of making wines, become well established in Austria and has received numerous accolades. Her 2019 Ried Braunsberg received 18 points from Gault&Millau, and 93 points from Falstaff & A la Carte. Now, at ProWein, she is preparing to present her wines to the world.
ProWein Hall 5/ K08
Down to Earth
Michaela Riedmüller brings a breath of fresh air to the Carnuntum region with her 'Down to Earth' wine bottles. Each wine was vinified in a different vessel.
"In wood, concrete or ceramic barrels, the 'Down to Earth' wines should authentically represent me and the region around Hainburg."
The four white and Rosé wines are all unfiltered, light in alcohol and have a lively and fruity taste. They express the deep roots yet modern approach of the Carnuntum winemaker. The Federnelke, which has adorned Riedmüller's labels since 2018, epitomises this sentiment. Despite its delicate structure, the native plant grows in the most adverse conditions, almost without precipitation. To do this, it has to root deeply in order to display its true flowering splendour.
The following wines can be tasted at ProWein:
Concrete 2021 - Welschriesling from the concrete-egg
Down to Earth Neuburger 2021
Down to Earth Rosé 2021
Ried Braunsberg Blaufränkisch Carnuntum DAC 2020
Ried Spitzerberg Blaufränkisch Carnuntum DAC 2019
Federnelke White Carnuntum DAC 2021
Federnelke Red Carnuntum DAC 2020
Hainburg White Carnuntum DAC 2021
Hainburg Red Carnuntum DAC 2019
Michaela Riedmüller Wine
Klosterplatz 4
A – 2410 Hainburg an der Donau
Carnuntum, Austria
+43 699 150 169 10
[email protected]
www.michaelariedmueller.at
