Winery Stiegelmar

In Gols, on the north-eastern shore of Lake Neusiedl, is the Stiegelmar Winery. Founded three generations ago (1956), it is now run by Jürgen and cousin Andrea Stiegelmar.

Even their predecessors Hans, Gerhard and Walter did not focus on top-class noble sweet white wines, as was customary in Burgenland at the time, but rather put the red varieties Zweigelt, Blaufränkisch and Sankt Laurent at the centre of their interest from the very beginning. Today, the most important white grape varieties are Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Muskat Ottonel.

In the meantime, the vineyard area has grown to around 50 ha. What has remained is the high standard of producing wines that are full of character, typical of their variety and influenced by their terroir. This begins, for example, with the renunciation of herbicides and insecticides and continues with a consistent limitation of quantities shortly before veraison, the colouring of the grapes, in order to achieve an optimal degree of ripeness.

The grapes are harvested exclusively by hand, and further selection takes place in the cellar. For vinification, the most modern technology and very different methods are used, depending on the wine and the vintage. "Whether whole bunch pressing for classic white wines in hot years or cold maceration and mash fermentation for site wines - fermentation in small vats and long mash periods promote the respective character. We reject technical concentration as well as the addition of wood chips, tannin and other additives altogether."

© Images: Stiegelmar Winery