The Leitha Range is home to the all-rounders. There is scarcely any other wineproducing region that permits such a diversity of wine types as does the 3,097-hectare Leithaberg on the western shores of Lake Neusiedl.
Vineyard area
3,097 ha
Leading viticultural towns
Jois, Winden, Purbach, Donnerskirchen, Schützen, Oggau, Mörbisch, Großhöflein
Here, dry styles of wines exude aromas evoking the rich slopes of the Leitha Range, where layers of acidic crystalline schist and gneiss emerge through carbonate-rich layers. The specific regionally typical wines, labelled with the Leithaberg DAC designation, also have a legally defined viticultural area, encompassing the political districts of the free town of Eisenstadt including its outskirts, ranging up to the smaller winegrowing towns of Jois and Winden. Leithaberg DAC white wine may be only produced using the varieties Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc), Chardonnay, Neuburger and Grüner Veltliner, either as a monovarietal or as a blend of these varieties. Red Leithaberg DAC is produced using Blaufränkisch as the principal grape variety, yet the blend may contain up to fifteen per cent of Zweigelt, Sankt Laurent or Pinot Noir. The wines labelled as Leithaberg DAC display consistent mineral-driven characteristics and are relatively opulent, with declared alcohol levels of 12.5% to 13.5% by volume.
Alongside the DAC-designated wines, there is a wide selection of other varieties and styles vinified in the west of the Neusiedlersee, usually marketed under the general designation ‘Burgenland’.
The region has become a true wine Mecca for tourists, with its wealth of quality- oriented estates and dedicated producers. Cultural programmes, including wine, are on offer in Eisenstadt, capital of the federal state Burgenland, with its famous Schloss Esterhazy palace, along with the lakeside musical festivals in Mörbisch, the open air opera at the historic quarry in Sankt Margarethen or the wide variety of wine courses at the Austrian Wine Academy in Rust.
