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Rising to the top of the world with Grüner Veltliner
© Weingut Bernhard Ott
Bernhard Ott and his team are currently struggling to keep up with celebrating all the successes they are achieving with the 2023 vintage:
Only Austrian wine in the Top-100 in the world at Wine Spectator
100 points in A la Carte Guide
Five stars and 99 points in Falstaff
Five grapes from Gault&Millau
These are just some of the top ratings from recent weeks. Is this accumulation a coincidence? Definitely not. Bernhard Ott has been running the family winery in Feuersbrunn (Lower Austria) in its fourth generation since 1993. Feuersbrunn lies in the Wagram, one of Austria’s most distinctive wine regions, defined by deep loess soils and a climate ideal for its flagship variety, Grüner Veltliner. For many international wine lovers, Wagram remains something of a hidden gem yet it is precisely here that some of Austria’s most characterful and age-worthy white wines are born. With uncompromising work in all areas, the winery has enjoyed a steep rise to success in recent years. The Veltliners from the magnificent 2023 vintage, which have just come onto the market, are considered high flyers.
How did this come about?
In the vineyard
Bernhard Ott's primary focus is on the vineyards, which he has been cultivating biodynamically since 2006. The Wagram loess slopes, where around two-thirds of his 55 hectares of vineyards are located, offer him excellent Veltliner terroir. The remaining third already belongs to the neighbouring Kamptal wine-growing region. ‘They are two sides of the same mountain, but there is an administrative border running through them.’ Of his 25 employees, 16 work exclusively in the vineyard. ‘It's expensive,’ says the winemaker, but ‘working with the soil and the vines is the basis of everything.’ Over the years, Bernhard Ott has selected the most exciting of his best Veltliner vines and built up his own genetic selection that perfectly matches the soil and conditions.
In the cellar
Thanks to careful biodynamic cultivation, his vines do not suffer from drought stress even in hot years. ‘That would destroy the finesse of the Veltliner, so we are particularly careful here.’ Especially because Ott macerates his Veltliners with the stems before they go into the sophisticated, state-of-the-art basket presses. Fermentation takes place with wild yeasts. Afterwards, the wines are allowed to rest in the cellar for up to two winters before being bottled.
© Winery Bernhard Ott
‘The better you work in the vineyard, the less you have to intervene in the cellar.’
In the market
Ott believes in gastronomy and specialist retailers. ‘Our wines are available exclusively from specialist retailers,’ he says proudly. This applies to no fewer than 36 countries to which Ott exports. The fact that France, of all countries, is becoming increasingly important as a sales market is symptomatic: Ott wines are particularly popular in top-class and Michelin-starred restaurants.
This applies both to his six single vineyard wines (four of which are ÖTW Erste Lagen) and to his Veltliner brand wines: „AM BERG®“, „FASS 4®“, und „DER OTT®“
FASS 4® in particular has become a bestseller in international gastronomy, which directly translates to BARREL 4. The story behind it is appealing: in the winter of 1989, Eduard Ott invited guests to a barrel tasting at his winery. The guests unanimously agreed that the best Veltliner was stored in the fourth barrel. Eduard founded the brand, which was later made famous by his son Bernhard and his wife Maria.
"For FASS 4®, we always use 100% hand-picked grapes from Wagram and Kamptal. The wine matures in a perfect blend of modernity and tradition, combining finesse and body in the most beautiful way. That's why it's just as popular with wine experts as it is with beginners. You can't go wrong with a Fass 4, it simply always guarantees wonderful drinking pleasure,‘ says Maria Ott. ’Joy and enjoyment are very, very important to us."
At the winery
That is why the Ott family has created a magnificent meeting place. In the heart of Feuersbrunn, Bernhard and Maria have converted the winery so that interested parties and customers can visit all year round. From a quick tasting and a small purchase to in-depth masterclasses and wine & dine events, everything that promises pleasure and enjoyment is on offer here, while at the same time helping visitors to better understand the soils and wines.
For the future
The eldest son, Moritz, has completed his education and numerous internships at renowned companies. With his first own wine (Blaufränkisch), he proves that he is ready to join the winery. Son Laurent is in his final year at VinoHAK, and daughter Rosalie (15) is training in tourism.
© Weingut Bernhard Ott
‘Our goal is for wine lovers and connoisseurs around the world to think of Veltliner when they think of Austria. And to think of Ott when they hear Veltliner.’
Bernhard Ott seems to be very close to achieving this goal. And the fifth generation appears to be in the starting blocks.
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About the Bernhard Ott winery
The Austrian winery Bernhard Ott is located in Feuersbrunn, in the Wagram wine-growing region, roughly halfway between Vienna and Krems on the Danube. The powerful, mineral-rich loess soils of the Wagram guarantee crystalline white wines, especially from Austria's most important grape variety, Grüner Veltliner.
Bernhard Ott and his team cultivate 55 hectares of vineyards biodynamically and export their wines to 36 countries. The wines are available in specialist shops and top restaurants. The latest listings include the three-star restaurant Trois Gros (France), the restaurants of star chef Gordon Ramsay (UK) and the restaurants of star chef Anne-Sophie Pic (France).
