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Der Rebenhof

Welschriesling 2019

Price: $24.95
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Tasting notes

This is Welschriesling at its most site-specific: the steep Opok and sandstone-gravel slopes of Südsteiermark push the grape toward taut lemon, pineapple, and ginger rather than the neutral, entry-level profile the variety can produce in less serious hands. The light natural perlage on the finish and textural quality from lees aging give it more complexity than its modest price suggests.

BodyFruitTanninAcidity
LemonPineappleGingerGreen Apple
  • Style: Dry, light-bodied white; pale straw; lemon, pineapple, ginger; high acidity; natural perlage on finish
  • Grapes & Terroir: 100% Welschriesling; Demeter-certified biodynamic; 20-40-year-old vines; Opok (calcareous marl), sandstone, and gravel soils; steep slopes, Südsteiermark
  • Winemaking: Hand harvested; native yeast fermentation; no additions; unfiltered and unfined; extended lees aging; bottled without SO2 additions
  • Serving: Serve at 46-50°F; no decant needed; drink now through 2026
  • Pairing: Freshwater fish, white asparagus, soft-ripened cheese, cold-cut platter, herb salads
  • Similar To: For fans of Muscadet sur lie or Grüner Veltliner who want a biodynamic Styrian take on crisp, mineral whites

Welschriesling is unrelated to Rhine Riesling — it is a distinct Central European variety with high natural acidity and a crisp, lighter-bodied profile. In Styria, it is the second most planted white grape and is typically vinified dry, producing wines that read as fresh and mineral rather than aromatic or weighty. Rebenhof's version is a dry still white, estate-grown in Südsteiermark near the Slovenian border.

The vines are 20 to 40 years old and grow on ancient river and lake bed deposits of sandstone, gravel, and calcareous marl on a steep slope. Rebenhof farms two principal vineyard sites: Witscheiner Herrenberg, composed of layers of sand, gravel, and silt, and Ratscher Nussberg, where the dominant soil type is Opok — the same grey calcareous marl known as Ponca across the border in Collio and Goriška Brda. These are steep sites; hand harvesting is required.

Owner and winemaker Hartmut Aubell has farmed organically since taking over Rebenhof in 2008, transitioned to biodynamic methods in 2013, and received Demeter certification in 2016. His winemaking philosophy centers on non-intervention: no additions in the vineyard or cellar. Aubell works with multiple aging vessels and releases wines when he considers them ready, resulting in sporadic vintage availability rather than a fixed production calendar.

The 2019 Welschriesling shows zesty lemon, green apple, and spice on the nose, with pineapple, citrus, and ginger on the palate, and a slight natural fizz on the finish from extended lees contact. The wine is bottled unfiltered and unfined without additions.

The wine's high acidity and slight natural fizz make it a reliable match for simply prepared freshwater fish, grilled white asparagus, or soft-ripened cheeses. It holds up well against vinaigrette-dressed salads and herb-forward dishes that would overwhelm a lower-acid white. A classic regional pairing is a cold-cut platter (Brettljause) with pickled vegetables.

Wine details

Dry/Sweet:, Dry
Wine Type:, White Wine
Wine Style:, Light Body
Grapes:, Welschriesling
Farming:, Organic and Biodynamic
Vintage:, 2019
Alcohol:, 11.5%
Country:, Austria
Region:, Südsteiermark
Appellation:, Südsteiermark DAC
Bottle Size:, 750ml
Sugar Level:, Zero Added Sugar

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.


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Producer profile

Der Rebenhof

Der Rebenhof is a 9.5-hectare estate in Südsteiermark, Austria, located along the border with Slovenia. The property has been in the Aubell family since Hartmut's great-grandfather Ludwig Kempl entered the business in 1924, though no one produced bottled wine until Hartmut Aubell took sole responsibility for the estate in 2008. He is the first generation of his family to make wine rather than simply grow grapes.

Aubell farms two main vineyard sites: the Witscheiner Herrenberg, with soils of sand, gravel, and silt, and the Ratscher Nussberg, dominated by Opok (grey calcareous marl). Both are steep sites requiring handwork. He has farmed organically and without additions from the outset, moved to biodynamic methods in 2013, and obtained Demeter certification in 2016. Grape varieties grown include Welschriesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Morillon, Gelber Muskateller, Weissburgunder, and Zweigelt.

Aubell is known for non-interventionist winemaking: no selected yeasts, no enzymes, no fining agents, and no filtration. He works with an array of custom aging vessels including hermetically sealed Austrian milk tins and custom Stockinger fuder barrels with staves of varying thickness, cycling wines through four to six stages of aging before release. Vintages are released when Aubell considers the wines ready rather than on a fixed commercial calendar. He is also one of the few Austrian producers working with carbonic maceration for white wines.

Wine region

Südsteiermark, Austria

Südsteiermark (South Styria) sits at Austria's southern border with Slovenia and is the country's southernmost wine-growing region. The climate is shaped by Pannonian continental influence from the east mixing with warmer, humid southern European air from the Adriatic. Rainfall is significantly higher than in Burgenland or Lower Austria, which moderates summer heat and supports slow, even ripening on the steep hillsides. Vineyards along the South Styrian Wine Road near Ratsch, Gamlitz, Ehrenhausen, and Spielfeld are the region's core.

Südsteiermark became a DAC appellation with the 2018 vintage, organizing wines into Gebietswein (regional), Ortswein (village), and Riedenwein (single-vineyard) tiers. The dominant soil type is Opok — a sandy-clayey calcareous marl sedimentary rock, equivalent to the Ponca soils of Collio in Italy and Goriška Brda in Slovenia — deposited when the Styrian Basin was an ancient sea floor. Sandstone, gravel, and shell limestone are also common. Sauvignon Blanc is the leading DAC variety, but Welschriesling, Gelber Muskateller, Morillon (Chardonnay), Pinot Blanc, and Riesling are all planted. Many of the region's best sites, including Nussberg, Grassnitzberg, Witscheiner Herrenberg, and Zieregg, require hand harvesting due to inclinations that exceed 50 percent.

Frequently asked question

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.

Signature on delivery is mandatory for wine deliveries. Please make sure someone is at the shipping address to sign for the package.

If applicable, please consider delivering the package to a business address to ensure someone is available to sign for the package.

We also have the option of delivering the package to a Carrier's store for pickup. Please reach out to us to coordinate.

Carrier will try to delivery a package up to three times before returning the package to us.

See here our shipping policy.

If you miss a delivery and a package gets returned to us we have two options:

1) Reship the package right away: due to the very high cost of shipping and returns, we must charge a re-shipping fee to be determined based on package size and shipping destination.

2) Consolidate the returned package with your next order: this option is free of charge and it's the most popular option.

See here our shipping policy.

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