Viticultural colleges and creative writing workshops impart a middling degree of capability, and nothing beyond that. The complex process of conscious construction and spontaneously appropriate reaction is something that cannot be taught. Here, the signature becomes distinctive, whether in literature or wine. There are certain winegrowers in the Wachau whose imprint is unmistakeable.
One of these is Rudi Pichler.
Benno Hurt, author
A fixture in Wösendorf since 1731, the family dedicate themselves to viticulture, cultivating fifteen hectares of vineyard.
During the most recent ice age, from 110,000–14,000 years ago, loess was deposited from outwash plains and tundra, drifting in from the eastern side, while sites near the Danube River are composed from more recently accumulated river sediments.
Their area under vines is apportioned between 65% Grüner Veltliner and 30% Riesling, with the remaining 5% shared by Weissburgunder and Roter Veltliner – all vinified according to the three quality categories of the Vinea Wachau: Steinfeder, Federspiel and Smaragd.
