# Alte Reben Welschriesling (2023)

- **Producer:** Jakob Schönberger
- **Colour:** white
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Welschriesling
- **Region:** Burgenland, Austria
- **Style:** Natural
- **Alcohol:** 13.5%
- **Average price:** €28
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 10–12 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** apple, peach, pear, herbaceous, lemon, toast, butter, bread, honey, hay, almond

## About this wine

Weingut Schönberger was established in 1991 by Günther Schönberger, a former pop star who played saxophone and bass for the legendary Austrian rock group EAV. Today, his son Jakob Schönberger runs the estate, bringing a diverse background in politics, law, and oenology, alongside experience at Berlin's famous natural wine bar Cordobar. Located in Mörbisch am See on the slopes of the Leithaberg, the estate has been biodynamically farmed for over two decades. This cuvée completely redefines Welschriesling—traditionally a simple tavern grape—into a serious, structured, and age-worthy masterpiece using 40-year-old vines.

## Interesting facts

- Founder Günther Schönberger was a famous Austrian pop star in the band EAV before dedicating his life to biodynamic winemaking.
- The vines for this cuvée are over 40 years old, growing on marine limestone and crystalline slate soils on the Leithaberg slopes.
- Winemaker Jakob Schönberger studied politics and law before oenology, and worked at Berlin's legendary natural wine bar Cordobar.

## Food pairing

This wine's creamy texture and old-vine concentration are balanced by a driving, saline acidity. It pairs beautifully with rich, textured dishes like roasted poultry or mushroom-based recipes, where the wine's acidity cuts through the fat while its weight matches the dish's intensity.

## Wine making process

The grapes are hand-harvested from old vines and undergo spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts in used, multi-fill neutral oak barriques. The wine is aged on its full lees in these barrels to develop texture, complexity, and a subtle phenolic grip. To preserve its natural integrity, the wine is bottled completely unfined and unfiltered with minimal sulfur additions.