Saturday, August 3, 2019

Vineyard and Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Sommer, Donnerskrichen, Burgenland, Austria, with Leo Sommer - The 13th Annual Conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) in Vienna, Austria, July 14 – 18, 2019

Picture: Leo Sommer, Weingut Sommer, Burgenland, Austria, Pouring his Wines at the 13th Annual Conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE)

The 13th Annual Conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) which took place in Vienna, Austria, July 14 – 18, 2019, included 2 wine tours: Tour Burgenland and Tour Lower Austria (Wachau, Kamptal, Kremstal, Wagram).

Pictures: The 13th Annual Conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) in Vienna, Austria, July 14 – 18, 2019: Annette Schiller, ombiasy WineTours, Professor Astrid Forneck, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) Vienna, Willi Klinger, Austrian Wine Marketing Board, Christian Schiller - Professor Karl Storchmann, AAWE, Annette Schiller, ombiasy WineTours - Christian Schiller, Herwig Jamek, Weingut Jamek, Wachau, Professor Karl Storchmann, AAWE

During the Tour Burgenland my group (there were 3 groups) visited Weingut Sommer in Donnerskirchen in the morning and Weingut Esterházy, Trausdorf and der Wulka, in the afternoon. This posting covers the visit of the former. Leo Sommer, owner and winemaker, was our host at Weingut Sommer.

I am preparing 5 postings:

Vienna, Economics and Wine: The 13th Annual Conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) in Vienna, Austria, July 14 – 18, 2019Vienna, Economics and Wine: The 13th Annual Conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) in Vienna, Austria, July 14 – 18, 2019

Vineyard and Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Sommer, Donnerskrichen, Burgenland, Austria, with Leo Sommer - The 13th Annual Conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) in Vienna, Austria, July 14 – 18, 2019

Vineyard and Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Esterházy, Trausdorf and der Wulka, Burgenland, Austria, with Mag. Gerald Rouschal - The 13th Annual Conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) in Vienna, Austria, July 14 – 18, 2019

Tasting in the Vineyard at Weingut Jamek, Joching, Wachau, Austria, with Herwig Jamek - The 13th Annual Conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) in Vienna, Austria, July 14 – 18, 2019

Vineyard and Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Geyerhof, Furth bei Göttweig, Kremstal, Austria, with Josef Maier - The 13th Annual Conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) in Vienna, Austria, July 14 – 18, 2019 

Weingut Sommer Wines in Upstate New York

Sommer wines are not yet available in the USA. But, while we visited Weingut Sommer, the FLXcursion took place in the Finger Lakes Region in Upstate New York and Kelby Russell presented Sommer wines there with a view of finding an US importer.

Picture: 2017 Weingut Sommer Handwerk Riesling at #FLXcursion

Kelby Russell on facebook: One of the real joys of #FLXcursion was the chance to showcase wines that are under-the-radar and introduce them to a wide audience. No more so than this astonishing #burgenland Riesling from @leo.sommer, who I have the distinct honor of calling a good friend since we crossed paths working the 2010 NZ harvest. What a stunner.

“Our next wine comes from the best Riesling winemaker in Austria who isn’t known... yet.” - @stuart.pigott

Burgenland

wine-searcher: Burgenland is a large wine-producing region on the eastern border of Austria. Despite the country's image as the producer of some of the world's finest white wines, Austria is also home to a thriving red wine culture: Burgenland, with its sunny, continental summers, is the country's key red wine region, with its wines based mainly on the Blaufränkisch and Zweigelt grape varieties. Sweet, botrytized wines are also a specialty of the region, particularly in the terroir surrounding the Neusiedlersee lake.

Picture: On the Way to the Burgenland

The region occupies a narrow strip of land that runs from the Danube River down to Steiermark in the south. On its eastern side is the border with Hungary, and to the west lies the most eastern foothills of the Alps. Steiermark aside, Burgenland is one of Austria's southernmost wine regions, and topographically is more aligned with Hungary than with much of the rest of Austria.

Burgenland is divided into 6 sub-regions: Neusiedlersee, Leitharberg, Rust, Rosalia, Mittelburgenland and Eisenberg.  Weingut Sommer (as well as Weingut Esterházy) are located in the Leitharberg sub-region.

Vineyard and Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Sommer, Donnerskrichen, Burgenland, Austria, with Leo Sommer

Weingut Sommer is a family-run winery in Donnerskirchen, on the southeast slopes of the Leithagebirge. The Sommer family has been making wine there since 1689. Currently the vineyard area totals 30 hectares, with Leo Sommer junior, our host, at the helm of the winery.

Pictures: Arriving at Weingut Sommer

Cellar Tour

We started with a cellar tour. Then spent some time in the vineyard and came back for a sit down tasting in the courtyard of Weingut Sommer.

Pictures: Cellar Tour at Weingut Sommer

In the Vineyard

We then spent some time in the vineyard.

Pictures: Vineyard Tour at Weingut Sommer

Tasting

We moved back to the courtyard for a seated wine tasting with Leo Sommer.

Pictures: Tasting at Weingut Sommer

The Wines Leo Poured

Leo poured 5 wines, including the 2017 Weingut Sommer Handwerk Riesling, which was presented at the FLXCursion in Upstate New York.


2017 Weingut Sommer Grüner Veltliner Klassik


2017 Weingut Sommer Himmelreich Leithaberg DAC


2017 Weingut Sommer Handwerk Riesling

Handwerk versteht sich als beständiger Dialog zwischen Hand und Kopf. Spontan vergoren, im großen Holzfass ausgebaut und unfiltriert gefüllt. Riesling Handwerk – substanziell und individuell.

wineanorak.com (Jamie Goode): Stony and mineral with lovely texture, showing citrus fruit and a bit of yellow plum. Lovely mouthfeel. Very fine with a hint of mint, and some mandarin brightness. Lovely stuff. 94/100


2016 Weingut Sommer Blaufränkisch Leithaberg DAC

Nach allen Reisen weiß man die Erde wieder rund. Doch man erkennt ihn mehr. Den Wert der eigenen Heimat. Man spürt sie mehr. Die eigenen Wurzeln der Herkunft. Man freut sich mehr. Über diesen Blaufränkisch vom Leithaberg. Und das Wichtigste: man genießt wieder mehr. Diesen Stil. Mit Weltklasse.


schiller-wine: Related Postings

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UPCOMING Tours/ Wine Dinners/ Tastings - Annette and Christian Schiller/ ombiasyPR & WineTours/ schiller-wine, Germany, France, USA (Issued: July 1, 2019)

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Vienna, Economics and Wine: The 13th Annual Conference of the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) in Vienna, Austria, July 14 – 18, 2019

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