While the term “terroir” has long been on everyone’s lips, the power of the so-called “seeroir” has been a well-kept secret to date. In the Neusiedlersee DAC wine region of origin, its special features are now being revealed.
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Just a few years ago, the term terroir and its meaning was only known to a handful of wine enthusiasts. Today, the true meaning of this word has long been debated, and not just among wine philosophers. But this much is certain: The term terroir comes from France and actually refers to the sum of all influences on the vines, but is usually referred to the soil of the vineyard, its location, the climate of the region and especially the microclimate in the vineyard.
Bodies of water make a difference
And precisely when it comes to microclimate, a new aspect now comes into play that has been recognized in viticulture to date but not further conceptually defined: large bodies of water in the immediate vicinity of vineyards have a different effect on grape ripeness than land masses such as mountains and rocks or rock layers. On the one hand, this is because water stores and releases the sun’s heat differently than soil does. And on the other hand, it is because there are always different additives dissolved in the water and therefore individual for each body of water, which are deposited in the surrounding vineyards through evaporation and wind. You don’t need a lot of imagination to be able to imagine the direct effects on the later taste and the typicality of the respective wines.
And so it is hardly surprising that wine-growing regions all over the world are often located near rivers or lakes, or at least large bodies of water. Of course, this also has an infrastructural background – heavy barrels have always been easier to transport over waterways than over land. However, overall, this fact outweighs the sum of the advantages that come from being close to water for winemakers. Aside from the fact that water, thanks to its physical properties, can store a lot of heat and thus have a positive influence on the local microclimate, there are other aspects: As long as rivers or lakes are warmer than the surrounding air, there is a lower risk of frost. The higher humidity also helps winegrowers to ideally produce high-quality, noble wines – such as in the Neusiedlersee DAC area – because the Botrytis fungus, the so-called noble mold, feels particularly comfortable in this climate. Just a reminder: The sweet wines made in the Neusiedlersee DAC area are considered exceptional worldwide!
Quite logical, but at the same time very important, is the advantage of always available moisture. In drier phases of the year, bodies of water serve as essential water reservoirs that make artificial irrigation possible. Another positive factor is the ability of water surfaces to reflect light. A grape vine, like any other plant, requires light to photosynthesize in order to thrive. To be precise, around 20,000 lux ideally supports this process. However, as soon as the sky over vineyards becomes more cloudy, this value quickly falls well below this level of light and the plants cannot exploit their potential. However, if there is a large body of water nearby, its mirror-smooth surface concentrates the light and actively supports the vines in the vineyard, even on gray days. You can imagine this a bit like the effect of a magnifying glass, only less flammable.
Seeroir: Studies with surprising results?
How relevant such a complex mixture, which results solely from the presence of water, is for viticulture in Burgenland, and what effects the unique microclimate here has on the vines on the banks can now even be scientifically proven. A study by BOKU Vienna recently came to the conclusion that the lake has existed for at least 25,000 years – and has shaped the surrounding agriculture ever since. Also because it was once much larger than it is today. And in this particular case, this even means that its sediments still serve as a particularly rich source of food for the grape vines that are now growing here. And not just in the immediate vicinity of the shore.
Not unlike the Médoc in the Bordeaux region melioration, a soil drainage method, was used in the middle of the 19th century to turn moor-like areas into arable land. Until then, some of today’s vineyard areas around Andau, Tadten, Wallern and Pamhagen – also known regionally as Waasen or Hanság (Hungarian) – did not seem “tailor-made” for viticulture. They have now long been part of the large Heideboden vineyard, whose terroir is therefore very special – the vines actually thrive on the sediments of the once much larger Neusiedlersee (Lake Neusiedl).
“This interaction of the many factors, which are based exclusively on the nearby lake, is now aptly called ‘seeroir’ – based on the term terroir,” says Torsten Aumüller, someone who should know. After all, as managing director of the Neusiedlersee DAC region of origin, he is confronted with the impact of Lake Neusiedl on a daily basis. “The winegrowers in the region have always been aware that the lake is partly responsible for the prosperity of this unique origin
And compared to other wine regions close to water, the lake in this country doesn’t just act as a heat store until autumn, ensuring a noticeable temperature difference between day and night. Rather, the unique salt and soda basins surrounding the Neusiedlersee dry out due to the sun and persistent heat. This means that the salt crystallized and deposited is distributed throughout the vineyards by the northwest winds typical of the region – giving the grapes growing here an additional flavor that truly is unique in the world.
But in the end, when it comes to the wine, it’s always up to the people involved – and in this case the Neusiedlersee winemakers, who combine these natural characteristics with care, knowledge and passion to create unique DAC wines of origin with the power of the “Seeroir”.
Neusiedlersee DAC.
Unique Zweigelt. Unique sweet wins. With the power of Seeroir.
From the bright side of Austria. Fort he enjoyment of all.
