Claus Preisinger is one of Austria's most influential natural winemakers, working on the north shore of Lake Neusiedl in the Burgenland town of Gols. He pairs serious biodynamic farming with a restless, experimental cellar.
Backstory
Born in 1980, Preisinger made his first wine at twenty and established his own operation in 2002. He converted vineyards and winery to biodynamics in 2006 and today holds Respekt-Biodyn certification. In 2009 he moved into a striking modern winery overlooking his vines.
The Region
The estate is centered on Gols in Burgenland, on the warm, flat Parndorfer Platte beside Lake Neusiedl. Vines are spread across many parcels in and around Gols, Weiden and Mönchhof, with additional sites that bring fruit from both sides of the lake.
Vineyards and Farming
Preisinger farms roughly 19 to 22 hectares divided among dozens of parcels, following Rudolf Steiner's biodynamic principles with respect for soil, plants and animals. The grapes are mostly indigenous Austrian varieties led by Blaufränkisch and Zweigelt, alongside Grüner Veltliner, St. Laurent and selections of Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc.
Winemaking
He uses no cultivated yeast and adds little or no sulfur, often none at all before bottling. Widely credited as the first Austrian to seriously combine Georgian qvevri and skin-contact whites, he keeps cellar intervention to a bare minimum while continuing to experiment.