The Wine Cellar

Wooden casks are still in use next to modern steel or plastic tanks.

Of course it is important to keep wine production as natural and ecological as possible by greening vineyards, applying fertiliser in a targeted way and only after analysing soil conditions, as well as using herbicides prudently and economically. Apart from this, however, the work to be done in the wine cellars is of paramount importance. High-quality training in the local School of Viticulture guarantees high-quality wines. Cleanliness and state-of-the-art technical equipment also contribute their share.

Though wine is mainly stored in steel or plastic tanks nowadays, the good old wooden cask has survived. Many vintners still believe that wine can only mature to true finesse in wooden casks.

Storage in oak barriques has become increasingly popular in recent years as a special technique for intensifying wines - especially reds, which assume a taste of oakwood while maturing. However, due care should be taken since the oak taste may become so dominant in some barrique wines that the wine's natural bouquet can hardly unfold. Moreover, not all wine varieties are suitable for storage in oak barriques.

Many wines are bottled after maturing in tanks or casks. Especially wines classified as Kabinettweine, with a natural sugar content of 17 or more degrees KMW (Klosterneuburger Mostwaage or "Klosterneuburger Must Scale"), mature to excellent quality in 4/5 quart bottles (Bouteillen).

Needless to say, weather conditions remain an all-important factor in spite of modern technology and elaborate techniques.