Zahel Wiener Gemischter Satz 2024

Wiener Gemischter Satz is the name given to to the white field blend wines grown in the small vineyards in and around the Austrian capital. Once seen as merely 'jug wines' to be drunk at the table of the city's heurige, or wine taverns, when made by quality producers such as Zahel they're certainly something to be taken a bit more seriously. This is a blend of Grüner Veltliner, Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Traminer fermented together using natural yeasts in stainless steel. It's then aged for around 8 months before bottling. It's full of fresh, tangy and ripe stone fruit aromas and flavours; there's also a touch of tropical pineapple in there as well. The fruit is well balanced by a crisp acidity and good minerality making for a really bright, zippy and enjoyable wine.

A superb summery quaffing wine it also goes very well with such Austrian specialities as Wiener Schnitzel.

Weingut Zahel has a total of 33 hectares of vines spread through Vienna's main wine zones which are looked after by owner Richard Zahel. Richard’s nephew, Alex, together with his American wife Hilary, run the winery. They've long been one of the pioneers in bringing the local wine, Wiener Gemischter Satz, to the international stage. It's a field blend of wines, traditionally made from the vineyards in and around Vienna and was (and still is) drunk as a jug wine in the city's heurige. Since the mid-2000s Zahel along with other like-minded winemakers have transformed its image to where it's now seen a quality product and is seen on a larger stage.