The 2026 harvest is over!

The earliest harvest ever began as quickly as it ended. We wanted to send you reports on ripeness checks, preparations, and the harvest itself. However, we started much earlier than expected and were unable to post any updates online. But here’s now an overview:

Every Beginning

On August 24th, we had the earliest harvest start ever. The grapes were affected by drought and heat. Sugar and acidity were concentrated in the small berries. Since there was simply a lack of water this year, the sugar levels skyrocketed and so did the potential alcohol content. It was time to get to work, especially for our entry-level wines. We were able to harvest our Grüner Veltliner Fliegengewicht and Roter Veltliner Symphoniker with optimal quality.

A Rain Dance please

In the almost nine months before harvest started we only received 220 mm of rain (Hagel Versicherung), while the average annual rainfall is 540 mm (Geosphere Austria). Under these conditions it was impossible to successfully cultivate cover crops between the rows. However the vines endured the combination of heat and drought remarkably well. Growth was correspondingly slow, but they didn’t wilt.

Liters Liters

We harvested approximately 30% less than average. This wasn’t due to the quantity of grapes, but rather their size. The individual berries were mostly only a quarter of the average diameter. Where there’s no rain, there’s no grape volume. The smaller quantity allowed a faster harvest. More vineyards were needed to fill a press.

The Early Bird

The summer temperatures required us to work several night shifts. The first musts were already rushing from the press at 2:00 a.m. This meant the grapes were 10 to 15 degrees Celsius cooler than if they had arrived at the press house in the afternoon – a clear advantage for elegance, fruitiness, and hygiene.

Roll up your sleeves and get to work

We’re a family business and so during the harvest every hand is needed.
Eugen drives the tractor, makes repairs and pumps the must from the press to the cellar.
Ulrike keeps the business running smoothly beside the harvest. She handles the office, sales, calms stressed family members and much, much more.
Hans meticulously records everything and keeps track. Where each must has to be pumped to, when a vineyard should be harvested, etc.
Marie-Theres takes care of the two presses and receives the grapes.
Schani as our feel good manager has the most important job and has got all paws full.

Vintage 2026

How will the wines turn out? We had to pay meticulous attention to avoid any unwanted tannins or high alcohol levels. Early harvesting, short or no maceration time and allowing the grapes to hang protected by leaves as much as possible were key measures. Heat reduces acidity, so we expect wines that open up more quickly but shouldn’t be stored for too long.