Winery Franz Weninger

With the wines of Franz Weninger, terroir is an experience that can be tasted. The specialist in red wines from Horitschon in the Austrian Burgenland pays great attention to the appellation and soils, because they form the wines and their character. To enhance the harmonic, naturally balanced thriving of the vines he decided in 2006 to cultivate his vineyards according to the principles of bio-dynamic farming. One part of this is the authentic vinification, for which he uses the spontaneous fermentation of hand-harvested grapes and natural yeast in wooden casks.
Red wine accounts for 99 per cent of the production in the Weninger winery. In addition to the regionally predominant “Blaufränkisch” the varietals Zweigelt, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Sankt Laurent also grow in the vineyards. All those wines have the respectable average age of 40 years. The appellation “Dürrau” has become widely known. The significant amount of iron in the clay soil gives the legendary “Blaufränkisch Dürrau” its unmistakable mineral characteristic and its enormous potential. Thanks to thinning out rigorously Franz Weninger achieves a smaller harvest, but the grapes are more aromatic. Ridges, the characteristic appellation in Horitschon, feature deep clay soils, on which expressive Merlot and “Blaufränkisch” can be grown.
However, not only the Austrian wines of the Weninger family are distinctive. The family has also been active for a long time in Hungary. A joint venture with the Hungarian grape grower Attila Gere in Villàny, in the south of the country, was the beginning. In the meantime Franz Weninger’s son Franz Reinhard has also become involved in Hungary. He has got his own winery in Balf, not far from Sopron and situated directly by the lake “Neusiedlersee”. Working according to the principles of bio-dynamic farming as well, he has dedicated himself to the Blaufränkisch or Kékfrankos like his father. The centre of his attention are the appellations again. No wine grower can resist the fascination of an appellation “Sperrnsteiner” or “Frettner” with their typical slate terroir.