Naturbursch 2021/2025 Hareter Organic Wine

Nutritional information per 100 ml

Contains negligible amounts of fat, saturates, protein and salt.

Spontaneous Fermentation

Spontaneously fermented wines are made solely with naturally occurring yeasts, without adding specially cultivated yeasts, known as pure-culture yeasts.

Spontaneous fermentation uses natural, wild yeasts to metabolise sugar into alcohol and carbon. These natural yeasts either come from the vineyard, where they are found on the grape skins, or have developed in the cellars over many years. The must or crushed grapes are therefore left 'to chance', raising the intriguing question: which yeast species will dominate and prevail? This can vary, for example, according to the vintage, the origin of the grapes, the characteristics of the must (sugar content, temperature…) or the vessel (barrel or tank). Although all wine yeasts and wild organisms form the same products during fermentation, the quantities they produce differ. Fermentation with spontaneous yeasts results in individual, multifaceted aroma profiles shaped by vintage differences and the particular terroir. This is a popular way of influencing the wine as little as possible and is therefore widely used in organic winemaking.

When fermentation is not spontaneous, pure-culture yeasts can be used instead. These consist of a single yeast strain and have been cultivated for specific characteristics. Deliberately adding these yeasts, unlike using spontaneous yeasts, allows better control of fermentation and thus greater influence over the fermentation process and the eventual wine quality.

Histamine-tested white blend of Pinot Blanc, Grüner Veltliner and Welschriesling.

Hareter wine estate

This is probably the fourth generation of Hareters to devote themselves intensively to winegrowing. Even Thomas Hareter, who took over the estate from his parents in 2011, is not entirely sure. When the business, situated in the small municipality of Weiden am See in Burgenland, converted to organic farming in 2009, Darwin supplied its guiding principle: everything that goes against nature cannot endure in the long run. Conversely, for Thomas and his wife Claudia, this means working with nature to create products that last. 'Many people aim to create something lasting. We want to see this aim realised in our wines. We try to ensure that every wine can fulfil its greatest possible ageing potential. The delicacy that distinguishes our wines, the structure that supports them and the balance that makes them harmonious should still be perceptible after years,' explains Thomas Hareter.

The varieties grown are chiefly native ones such as Zweigelt and Blaufränkisch, alongside Pinot Blanc, Welschriesling and Chardonnay. The vineyards lie mainly above the village, on and above the Wagram, a ridge that was once a seashore. The vines benefit from the special lake climate, but the soils are stony rather than sandy, and mostly a mixture of loam and gravel. The wines ferment spontaneously, preserving the typical character of the fruit and soil. For Thomas, it is simple: he brings the grape straight into the glass!