Neumeister Gemischter Satz

Gelber Muskateller / Welschriesling / Müller-Thurgau / Scheurebe

Vulkanland Steiermark, Austria

In the southeast corner of Vulkanland Steiermark, close to where Slovenia’s northwest corner meets Hungary’s southwest corner, third-generation winegrower Christoph Neumeister farms 30 hectares of vines spread over numerous steep hillsides around his hometown of Straden, planted at altitudes of 340 to 380 meters above sea level. Soils here are diverse, with volcanic basalt, sandy loam, chalky limestone, and sandstone all influencing the characteristics of the grapes grown on these slopes, most of which exceed 65% in gradient. Vulkanland Steiermark’s climate is mercurial and difficult: cool winds from the Alps clash with warm breezes from the Adriatic Sea to the south and Hungary’s Pannonian plains to the east, bringing lots of rainfall and frequent hailstorms; and the zone’s extremely cold nights—diurnal shifts regularly exceed 20 degrees Celsius during summer—make for a lengthy growing season.

Gemischter Satz originated as a co-fermented field  blend produced from vineyards within and immediately around Vienna, but the much-beloved style has spread throughout Austria over the years.