Markus Altenburger

Markus Altenburger - of patience in viticulture

Direct, honest, close to nature - this is probably the best way to describe the Markus Altenburger winery in Jois. Viticulture on the estate, which is managed by Markus and his wife Bernadette, is characterized by a lot of patience, simply letting nature do its thing. Markus Altenburger himself says that from the point of view of school opinion, his vineyards seem backward and untidy: so the greenery between the rows of vines is left standing, fresh, young shoots are not pruned. No comparison with some neighboring winemakers with perfectly trimmed vineyards. However, the philosophy behind this is to bring viticulture back to nature. Greening serves to restore the habitat for all kinds of fauna in the vineyard, pruning shoots first and foremost creates stress for the vine. Leaving the vineyards so "shaggy" is a test of patience for the winemaker who is eager to do something, but one is rewarded with the natural beauty and genuine, natural results of his viticulture.

Markus Altenburger - between lake and mountains

The vineyards in Jois are located in the wine-growing region on Lake Neusiedl. The community forms the northern end of the region, and is also located at the eastern end of the Leithaberg. The influence of the lake and the Leitha Mountains shapes the vineyards, whose soils are composed of limestone and slate. The soil composition is closely linked to the prehistoric history of the region: The primordial sea once stretched across this region, broken only by individual peaks of the Leitha Mountains. The many algae, corals and sea creatures remained as limestone when the sea finally retreated, thus forming the famous Leithakalk. If one exceeds a certain altitude, the soils consist only of shale, the limestone is only in the lowlands where the sea once was.

The winery Markus Altenburger cultivates several sites on the Leithagebirge, for example:

• Jungenberg: the southern slope of the mountain known in the region as Tannenberg, the soils are dominated by slate
• Hackelsberg: the northern slope of the Tannenberg, also slate soils
• Gritschenberg: very distinctive Leithakalk soils
• Ladisberg: limestone soil
• Bergschmallister: limestone soil
• several vineyards in the plain, characterized by calcareous loams

The grape varieties and the aging in the cellar

One grape variety is Markus Altenburger's specialty: Blaufränkisch. This grape variety seems tailor-made for the limestone and slate soils of the area, and no other grape varieties have been planted at Markus Altenburger since 2006. However, this does not mean that the winery has no white grapes, quite the contrary. The region has historically been home to a variety of white grapes, such as Grüner Veltliner, also often referred to as the "Riesling of Austria," Chardonnay, Neuburger and others. The calcareous loam of the plains offers impeccable potential to produce very mineral wines.

The patience, which is needed in the vineyard, can not simply be dropped in the cellar. The wine must develop itself, the methods must not have too much influence on the wine. Thus, no bacteria, enzymes or yeasts are added to the wine to falsify the result of aging. Especially when, as a winemaker, you see that the young wine is developing in a direction that you hadn't planned, it's not easy to keep your feet still and let nature take its course. In return, you are rewarded with an authentic wine that is close to its origin and represents it without tricks.