Schmelzer’s Weingut
For 4 generations, in a true expression of permaculture, the Schmelzer family has been producing wines on the outskirts of Gols, Austria since 1968. The vine rows live amongst the pollinating bees, farm animals and vegetables grown. The winery is run by Georg and his life-partner Elisabeth.
The vines are treated with gentle biodynamics, allowing intuition to be the driving inspiration. 17ha are dry-farmed with no use of pesticides or synthetic treatments. Reds are aged for long periods in neutral oak and whites aged on lees in order to incorporate beautifully. From 2013, Georg has been experimenting with extended skin-contact whites and rosés.
The Schmelzer’s protect an undemanding ethos of accessibility in the price of their wines and an open door policy at the vineyard. They are not secret-keepers or information hoarders. The aim of their work is not to maximize, but to harmonize and support.
Lake Neusiedl or in German, Neusiedler See, is the largest closed-system lake in Central Europe. Constant warm winds, shallow waters, and a home to migratory birds are all key to a microclimate that breeds Austria’s most sought-after wines. Schmelzer’s Weingut is a voice in this conversation. All vineyards are located within 5km of the winery. From the Parndorfer Plateau to the gravelly plains of Seewinkel, Georg saddles a wide array of geological Neapolitan ice cream layers if we’re to take a cross-section of the terroir. Below the gravel plains are silt and sand overtop of loam, all on underlying dolomite rock and limestone. The sand remains an echo of the beaches and seas of massive Lake Pannon.
The diverse permaculture flourishes with the help of concentrated horn silica and homeopathic remedies to feed the vines. Mallow and camomile teas are blended to exploit their active nutrients to assist vines in resisting disease while promoting beautiful biodiversity.
