Tschida, Birdscape

Region: Burgenland, Austria

Grapes : Blaufrankisch, Pinot Noir, and some white varieties

Viticulture: Organic

Soils: Sandy Gravel, Schist + Limestone

Yeasts: Indigenous

Vinification: Grapes are hand-harvested, destemmed, and crushed by foot. The juice ferments in large barrels with indigenous yeast and no racking.

Aging: 1 year aging in large Stockinger barrels

Fining or Filtering: Unfined, unfiltered.

Notes from the Importer: Christian Tschida has the great fortune to cultivate 14 hectares of old vines, some of which have been with his family for 4 generations, since the 19th century. The winery is located in the Neusiedler See part of Burgenland, the easternmost point of Austria, more traditionally known for red and sweet wine production. The vineyards consist of sandy gravel, schist and limestone, which all enjoy a moderating influence from the extremely large and nearby Lake Neusiedler. Christian takes a hands-off approach to winemaking, where the wines spend a great deal of time in barrel in contact with oxygen, some for as many as 5 years before bottling. He says the key to all his wines is the vertical basket press he uses. This tool is like a modern re-imagining of an old manual screw press. Christian says he uses very light pressure when he presses, comparable to the amount of pressure a handshake would exert. By doing this he extracts only the best juice from the grapes. He then returns the must and remaining juice to the vines, in a special preparation he makes to aid the health of the vineyard.