A glance over the winemakers’ shoulders

Terra preta (Portuguese for “black earth”) is a mixture of charcoal, clay fragments and copious organic materials. The Tropper winery in Vulkanland Steiermark has devised its own mixture comprising rock flour, coal from the local region and compost produced in-house, and uses terra preta to encourage the formation of humus and improve the storage of water and nutrients in the soil, among other things.

PIWI (fungus-resistant) grape varieties are new cultivars that display partial resistance against one or more fungal diseases. The Kobatl winery in Vulkanland Steiermark grows PIWI varieties on 100% of its vineyards. As a result, not only are they able to reduce the amount of plant protection products used, but the reduction in tractor use also helps to keep the soil healthier.

The advantages of lightweight wine bottles can be seen during the manufacturing process, since using fewer materials means that lower CO2 emissions. Around 10 years ago, the Pfaffl winery in the Weinviertel switched over completely to lightweight wine bottles (approx. 390 grams instead of approx. 580 grams). The lightweight bottles also bring benefits in terms of transport, as more pallets can be loaded onto a lorry. 

Bees are an important part of a healthy ecosystem and play a significant role in maintaining biological diversity. The Fuchs-Steinklammer winery in Vienna has kept beehives in the vineyard for a number of years now and also produces organic honey. Thanks to the use of diverse cover crops, the winery is also able to preserve the natural habitat of up to 90 different species of wild bees. 

The Zechmeister winery in Burgenland relies on a combination of innovative ideas and traditional craft in order to maintain the old structures for the next generation. This includes, for example, the conversion of an old carpenter’s workshop in the town centre into a “wine workshop”, where they host workshops and sell regional products. 

Encouraging biodiversity is a vital prerequisite for maintaining soil health and a diverse landscape. The Geyerhof winery in the Kremstal relies on a range of measures in order to create a vibrant environment. Their holistic approach includes using a variety of cover crops and hedges to provide a habitat for beneficial insects, as well as keeping cattle and horses. 

A bottle-return system offers many advantages for the environment: refilling reusable glass bottles (up to 50 times) results in a 95% reduction in waste. The carbon footprint shows the benefits as well: If 50% of the bottles in a winery are refilled, greenhouse gas emissions are reduced by around 32% compared to the use of new disposable glass at the same winery. The Schwertführer 47er winery in the Thermenregion has developed a comprehensive deposit-based bottle-return system for its customers. The bottles that they get back are run through a bottle washer and undergo ozone sterilisation before being refilled. 

Sebastian Angerer from the Angerer winery in the Kamptal has given the feathered inhabitants of his vineyards the affectionate nickname “the male flatmates”. In the summer of 2023, the winemaker was able to rescue six cockerels that would otherwise have ended up in the slaughterhouse. Since then, the cocks have been enjoying their new freedom and the many insects they find in the vineyard. Meanwhile, Sebastian Angerer is monitoring the soils in his vineyards closely. Is there a chance that the cocks help fertilise and maintain the soil – and could they even be contributing to better vine growth? The “vineyard cockerels” project is one to watch.

In viticulture, optimised water management is key to using this natural resource efficiently and sparingly. The Bernthaler winery in Gols (Burgenland) has set up its own water cycle and cools its wines using well water. Additionally, the winery is focusing on cultivating its old, established vineyards. The advantage of these old vines lies in the root growth: the roots have burrowed down so deep into the soil that no additional watering is required. 

In 2018, the Domäne Wachau winery was awarded the Sustainable Austria certification. As the winery is an association representing over 250 wine-growing families, this means that around 35 percent of the area under vine in the Wachau is certified as being sustainably cultivated. Under the leadership of Roman Horvath MW and the cellar master Heinz Frischengruber, numerous measures are being employed in order to work the vineyards in the Wachau, which are organised in small parcels of land, in a manner that best preserves both the environment and resources. For example, the marc from all of the participating vineyards is collected and mixed with green waste in order to produce 100% slow-release compost that, among other things, sustainably improves the nutrient content of the soil.

The use of compounds to strengthen the vines plays an extremely important part in biodynamic cultivation. There are two kinds of compounds: compost compounds, which are added to the natural fertiliser in the form of manure or plant-based compost, and sprays, which are mixed in water and sprayed over the fields at regular intervals (source: Demeter). For example, the Ploder-Rosenberg winery in Vulkanland Steiermark uses chamomile flowers to treat damage to plants, and cow horn silica (finely ground quartz packed in cow horns) to compensate for bad weather conditions.

Austria's winegrowers rely on innovative measures to work in a more environmentally friendly way. This is also the case at the Pichler winery in Vulkanland Styria: Here, the tech-savvy young winemaker Thomas designed a tunnel sprayer that is more environmentally friendly than a conventional air blast sprayer. The tunnel sprayer sprays specifically on the vines and distributes fewer pesticides in the surrounding area. According to the Pichler family, the positive result is reflected in the amount of plant protection required - up to 2/3 less than with conventional spraying.

Dry-stone walls are a characteristic feature of the landscape in the Wachau and enable grapes to be grown on the terraces so typical of the region. What makes these walls so special is that they are built by laying local stones directly one on top of the other without the use of mortar, a craft that is skilfully carried out by Simon Gattinger from the Gattinger winery. The work that goes into maintaining the dry-stone walls benefits the environment. The walls provide protection and a habitat for many species of plants and animals, thereby helping to maintain a healthy ecosystem in the vineyard.

Pruning the vines in winter is one of the most important tasks carried out by the winemakers in the course of the year. At the Christoph Hoch winery, a lot of thought goes into which kind of pruning is best for each individual vineyard. Key factors that Christoph Hoch considers here include the age of the vineyard and the grape variety. In this age of climate change, he sees it as his duty to not only adapt his working methods to the changing conditions, but also the expectations he places on each vineyard. His aim is to produce the highest-quality wines while also ensuring that the vineyards remain healthy and resilient.

Corks made from natural cork are recyclable and don’t necessarily need to land in the waste bin. In cooperation with the cork manufacturers Korken Schiesser, Hotel Schloss Seggau in Südsteiermark is collecting the used corks from the wines it produces in a special box. Once the box is full, the corks are sent to Portugal to be reused to make other cork products such as shoe soles, insulating material, cork flooring or wall cork. In 2023, Korken Schiesser was able to send around one tonne of corks for recycling – a percentage of which came directly from Südsteiermark. 

The Grüber-Röschitz winery in the Weinviertel worked to a clear philosophy when they dug the foundations for the winery that they recently built: to avoid, reduce and offset carbon emissions. A total of 60,000 tonnes of loess soil was moved to nearby farmland in order to avoid long transportation routes and the associated carbon emissions. A further advantage is that this field has been leveled by the excavated earth material, so erosion damage can be avoided in the future. In addition, the vehicles needed for the construction were powered with HVO diesel (fuel made from 100% hydrogenated vegetable oil). Unavoidable emissions were offset by investments in climate protection projects. Thanks to numerous measures, the winery was able to save 123,000 tonnes of carbon emissions compared to the conventional method of digging a foundation.

The Schüller winery close to Retz in the Weinviertel has launched an ambitious project in association with neighbouring wineries. They have set out to confuse the grape berry moth, one of the most destructive pests in viticulture. Its caterpillars can seriously damage the buds of vines, as well as the grapes themselves. To prevent this, the Weinviertel wine-growers are using pheromone ties that disperse the scent of the female grape berry moth. This creates wafts of scent that confuse the males, which is a way of preventing the grape berry moth from mating and reproducing. Almost 170 hectares are now protected using this method, which also means that the use of chemical sprays can be avoided.

The Umathum winery in Burgenland uses a range of colourful cover crops in one of its vineyards, a steep plot of land called the “Kirschgarten”. The diverse cover crops not only look attractive when in full bloom, but they also provide some environmentally friendly benefits: they protect the soil and improve water storage. They also improve the vines’ nutrient uptake and help them develop greater resistance to diseases and fungal infections. And an intriguing side effect of this measure is that, according to winemaker Josef Umathum, the Blaufränkisch from his Kirschgarten has a unique spiciness and vibrant, fresh acidity.