Neusiedlersee

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The Neusiedlersee is the largest steppe lake in Central Europe, with a combined water and reed surface of 300 km², and plays a significant role as a climate regulator, creating a distinctive microclimate.
• In summer, the large surface of the lake heats up and slowly releases its stored warmth into the surrounding area during the night.
• The region lies at the heart of the Pannonian climatic zone, characterised by dry, hot summers and cold winters with little snowfall.
• High atmospheric humidity resulting from the lake's extensive surface area, together with autumnal fog occurrences, are typical features of the ripening season in the Neusiedlersee PDO.
• On the north-eastern shore of the Neusiedlersee, loess soils and black earth (chernozem) soils are found, while the southern Seewinkel additionally features gravelly, sandy, and saline soils.

• The Neusiedlersee PDO and Neusiedlersee PDO "Reserve" wines are produced from the Zweigelt grape variety, which favours nutrient-poor soils.
• For Neusiedlersee PDO Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese, shrivelled grapes are used, with desiccation on the vine brought about by infection with noble rot (Botrytis cinerea).

• Zweigelt wines from the Neusiedlersee PDO display characteristic flavour aromas of sour cherry, damson, and apricot, shaped by the nutrient-poor gravelly, sandy, and saline soils of the Seewinkel.
• The Neusiedlersee PDO Spätlese and Auslese wines, produced from overripe grapes, show hints of tropical fruits such as banana and pineapple on both the nose and palate.
• The Neusiedlersee PDO Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese wines, produced from shrivelled, noble-rot-affected grapes, display characteristic aromas of nuts, honey, and caramel.

• The dry, hot summers and the thermal regulation provided by the warmed lake allow for the extended ripening of grapes to Spätlese and Auslese level, giving rise to aromas of tropical fruits such as banana and pineapple.

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.

All appellations in Austria

Sources

• Specification (EUR-Lex, single document)
• eAmbrosia register (EU) — File number PDO-AT-A0219
• Official trade body site — Verein Neusiedlersee DAC