The origins of the Domäne Baumgartner estate in the Weinviertal area of Austria, north west of Vienna and close to the Czech border, go back to the 17th century, but it wasn’t until Wolfgang Baumgartner joined the family firm in 1968 that things began to take off. Back then they only had about three hectares but he expanded the contract winemaking and processing side of the business, being the first in Austria to introduce large, modern tanks.
In 1987 his son Wieland joined him, taking over in 2000 and during the next few years took advantage of the depressed state of vineyards in Austria by buying up land. Now, they have 195 hectares, making them the largest estate in Austria, and have storage capacity of 12 million litres and 46 tanks of 100,000 litres each for cold fermentation. They also buy in grapes and process for other growers and co-ops too, with Grüner Veltliner and Zweigelt being their main specialities but other varietals are produced as well. Wieland is also a big believer in technology with modern tanks and new construction very much in evidence at their winery in the village of Untermarkersdorf. They are not just about volume though and Wieland’s motto is ‘wine is fruit in a bottle’ and this approach has enabled them to win many awards both nationally and internationally, such as being named ‘Austrian Winery of the Year’ at the 2017 New York International Wine Competition. Wieland has now been joined by his daughter Katherina after finishing her studies at the famous Klosterneuberg, the Austrian wine college in Vienna and she is bringing new and innovative ideas with her. This is a forward looking family business and hugely impressive operation that is moving forward at great pace, successfully combining size with excellent quality.
ALC 9.5%
Austria
£25.00 / per bottleSweet and grapey
ALC 13%
Austria
