Proprietor: Ilse and Josef Maier Founded: 1600 Website:Geyerhof Winery Country Location:Austria
A venerable history of making wine on this site anchors Geyerhof, and the elegance of its wines speaks to the vines’ harmony with their vineyard sites and a steady hand in the winery, an avoidance of trends or interference with the fruit. But through this calm confidence runs a current of forward-thinking savvy that makes Geyerhof modern, too.
400 Years in Wine. Ilse Maier’s mother’s family has lived on this site since the 16th century, located in Kremstal, but on the south side of the river Danube, in the hilltop village of Oberfucha. The family began in agriculture and brickworks (bricks still emerge from the lawn at times), but were always in wine and the wine trade as well. In the 17th century, Maria Theresia, archduchess of Austria, granted the property owner, whose name was Geyer, a concession to transport wine on the Danube in trade with Hungary and other regions along the river. The ship on the wine label refers to this trade.
Today, the modern stainless steel tanks and other winery equipment are housed in a 16th-century structure built of brick, with cellars beneath it constructed between about 1300 and the 1700s. Among these, the “French cellar” was where Napoleon’s army stored their wine rations when they billeted at Geyerhof during a battle in nearby Wagram. During later conflicts, the family hid valuables in the French cellar by sealing the opening to the cellar and placing a barrel in front of the new wall. The French cellar maintains a constant temperature and humidity year round, and is still where the best wines of each vintage are stored, back to the vintage of 1947.
A Pioneer of Organic Growing. In 1986, after studying agriculture in Vienna and spending time in San Rapael, Argentina, Ilse joined her father in wine production at Geyerhof, just as many generations had done before her.
In 1988, a presentation on organic farming by winemaker Hans Diwald brought Ilse’s attention to the importance of the vineyard as a living organism. That and concern for the vineyard workers, who experienced skin irritations from working with chemicals, prompted Ilse and her husband, Josef, to commit to organic viticulture for their 5 hectares of vines. Diwald became a mentor, as there was little knowledge or literature on this approach at the time. Ilse now has a close knowledge of the natural cycles in the vineyards, and is able to foresee problems to maximize grape quality. She has also written a technical manual on organic viticulture, to help others who may lack information about this beneficial approach to farming.
Today the Geyerhof vineyards are about 20 hectares, most of them located on the hillside around the winery and surrounded by fields that are also farmed organically. Ilse points out that Grüner Veltliner and Riesling reflect the soil where they grow, and organic growing promotes this by allowing the vine root to obtain minerals from the soil itself rather than from chemical fertilizers added to the soil. These influences include loess east of the winery (Gaisberg vineyard), primary rock to the northwest (Steinleithn and Kirchensteig), and loamy soil to the south (Hoher Rain). 60% of the vineyard area is planted to Grüner Veltliner, 20% to Riesling, and the balance to Zweigelt, Weissburgunder, Chardonnay, and Gelber Muskateller. The grapes translate to razor-sharp varietal character in the wines, and an unusually pure expression of site and vintage.
Asked if biodynamic viticulture has ever seemed to be a next step, Ilse says she doesn’t believe it to be necessary—bio is not a “step up” from organic, just a different approach.
In the Winery. Geyerhof strives to make its wines naturally, and this is usually possible with good-quality fruit. It is ideal to use wild yeasts for fermentation, but a clear wine with pure flavors is also desired. The thorough settling used to achieve the second sometimes removes too much of the natural yeast in the must to achieve the first. In this case, organic selected yeast is used. These circumstances vary from wine to wine and from year to year.
Fermentation is carried out in stainless steel tanks in order to preserve the typicity of the grapes and terroir, and malolactic fermentation is avoided. Sulfur is added only after fermentation, an oxidative approach that leads to deeper flavor and better ageability in the wines. The wines remain on the lees until just before earth filtration and bottling, in February or March for lighter wines, and later for Grüner Veltliner and Riesling.
The Future. The Maiers’ son, Josef, is set to enter the family business. As his mother was, he is a student in agriculture and winemaking in Vienna, and contributes to marketing the wines when he is able, by traveling for tastings.
“For me, it is very important to keep the family business going. To work with nature, and understand the [risks], the problems, the history, and of course the modern way of winemaking is fascinating for me. That’s the reason I study this.”
Riesling Sprinzenberg 2008
$26.95
This organic vineyard is not the most prestigious that Geyerhof farms, but it is one of the most consistent, making it prestigious in its...
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Zweigelt Ried Richtern 2009
$24.95
This is one of the finest Zweigelt we have ever encountered. Ironically from a producer in a whit...
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A venerable history of making wine on this site anchors Geyerhof, and the elegance of its wines speaks to the vines’ harmony with their vineyard sites and a steady hand in the winery, an avoidance of trends or interference with the fruit. But through this calm confidence runs a current of forward-thinking savvy that makes Geyerhof modern, too.
400 Years in Wine. Ilse Maier’s mother’s family has lived on this site since the 16th century, located in Kremstal, but on the south side of the river Danube, in the hilltop village of Oberfucha. The family began in agriculture and brickworks (bricks still emerge from the lawn at times), but were always in wine and the wine trade as well. In the 17th century, Maria Theresia, archduchess of Austria, granted the property owner, whose name was Geyer, a concession to transport wine on the Danube in trade with Hungary and other regions along the river. The ship on the wine label refers to this trade.
Today, the modern stainless steel tanks and other winery equipment are housed in a 16th-century structure built of brick, with cellars beneath it constructed between about 1300 and the 1700s. Among these, the “French cellar” was where Napoleon’s army stored their wine rations when they billeted at Geyerhof during a battle in nearby Wagram. During later conflicts, the family hid valuables in the French cellar by sealing the opening to the cellar and placing a barrel in front of the new wall. The French cellar maintains a constant temperature and humidity year round, and is still where the best wines of each vintage are stored, back to the vintage of 1947.
A Pioneer of Organic Growing. In 1986, after studying agriculture in Vienna and spending time in San Rapael, Argentina, Ilse joined her father in wine production at Geyerhof, just as many generations had done before her.
Today the Geyerhof vineyards are about 20 hectares, most of them located on the hillside around the winery and surrounded by fields that are also farmed organically. Ilse points out that Grüner Veltliner and Riesling reflect the soil where they grow, and organic growing promotes this by allowing the vine root to obtain minerals from the soil itself rather than from chemical fertilizers added to the soil. These influences include loess east of the winery (Gaisberg vineyard), primary rock to the northwest (Steinleithn and Kirchensteig), and loamy soil to the south (Hoher Rain). 60% of the vineyard area is planted to Grüner Veltliner, 20% to Riesling, and the balance to Zweigelt, Weissburgunder, Chardonnay, and Gelber Muskateller. The grapes translate to razor-sharp varietal character in the wines, and an unusually pure expression of site and vintage.
In the Winery. Geyerhof strives to make its wines naturally, and this is usually possible with good-quality fruit. It is ideal to use wild yeasts for fermentation, but a clear wine with pure flavors is also desired. The thorough settling used to achieve the second sometimes removes too much of the natural yeast in the must to achieve the first. In this case, organic selected yeast is used. These circumstances vary from wine to wine and from year to year.
Grüner Veltliner Hoher Rain
Grüner Veltliner Rosensteig
Riesling Sprinzenberg
Zweigelt Ried Richtern