This is why the best sparkling wine comes from the vineyard

When it comes to premium sparkling wines, Peter Szigeti likes to slip into his rubber boots often. The owner of the sparkling wine cellar of the same name in Gols is out and about in the vineyards around Lake Neusiedl at all times of the year, because that is where the course is set for the high-quality wines that he refines into the finest sparkling wine.

The vineyards around Lake Neusiedl in Austria's Burgenland are the nursery of the world-award-winning sparkling wines from SZIGETI. The vines are tended and nurtured by winegrowing partners - always aware of the soil conditions and in interaction with wind and weather, the smallest soil organisms and desirable beneficial insects. A wide variety of grape varieties thrive in the sunniest locations in the Alpine Republic, surrounded by the exceptionally favourable Pannonian climate.
favourable Pannonian climate.

The work in the vineyard - a year-round project

With the pruning of the vines in the cold winter, the winegrowers lay the foundation for the next harvest. With expertly guided pruning shears, the yield of the vineyard is already decided - and this directly influences the quality of the grapes. After this initial pruning, the shears are used repeatedly from spring to autumn on the growing and budding vines. On the trunks, the unwanted cane shoots are removed and the double shoots of the vines must also give way. Afterwards, the vines that are to provide the yield in the vineyard in autumn are tied to horizontally running wires. In this way they receive a maximum of air and light and do not break under the weight of the grapes.

Healthy soil - the reason for highest quality

The soil between the vines and rows is regularly worked with the tractor. In the process, the majority of the natural, controlled green cover is allowed to remain. Peter Szigeti is particularly concerned about sustainable wine production: "It is necessary to create greater awareness so that the generations of winegrowers after us will also find fertile soil. We support and promote the work of beneficial insects in the vineyard and seek ways to increase biodiversity." This also includes controlling the supply of nutrients through soil cultivation and adapting it to the seasonal needs of the vines. A lot of effort, expertise and years of experience pay off at harvest time. Then the ripe, healthy grapes are harvested, which are processed into high-quality base wines from which SZIGETI Premium Sparklings are created in the cellar.

Climate, geology and the hand of the winemaker

The multifaceted work in the vineyard is planned and carried out under observation of natural omens such as climate, geology and soil composition - in short, what is called terroir. Many sunny days, the cooling of the vineyards during the summer nights, the mineral content of the soils - the winemakers take all this into account in their daily work in the vineyards of the Neusiedlersee winegrowing region.

Peter Szigeti and his partner vintners in Burgenland

"There is no doubt at all, sparkling wine grows in the vineyard," Peter Szigeti is convinced. What makes his fine sparkling wines, which are appreciated in many countries, are the select, fresh base wines and the fact that the grapes are pressed particularly gently to avoid bitter and tannic substances in the sparkling wine. In the cellar, the wines are transformed into fine sparkling wine. A family secret is also not to be missed. But that's another story, and Peter Szigeti will certainly be
will be happy to tell us.