Setzer | Weingut

Setzer is located in Hohenwarth, (“high observation point”) a town whose winemaking history dates back to 1360. The Setzer winery was founded in 1705, and remains one of the oldest continuously run estates in this part of the Weinviertel. The hilly vineyards in Hohenwarth were part of an ancient seabed, pushed upward by tectonic movement. These vineyards benefit from a higher than average altitude, 1,300 feet above sea level, significantly higher than vineyards in the neighboring regions of Kamptal and Wagram, only nine miles away. On this raised seabed, vines are planted in light, sandy soils, high in chalky limestone, with a gravel rich subsoil.

The Setzer’s have implemented sustainable, integrated vineyard practices, eschewing the use of chemical fertilizers and herbicides and the pride themselves on the practice of dry farming. Rootstalks at Setzer are imported from France and the vines are massal selections from the estate’s own 30-year-old-vines. Typical vine density for the region is approximately 1,200 vines per acre, however, Setzer plants his vines at a density of 3,200 vines per acre, placing stress on each individual vine, extending the roots and thus the vine life potential to 60 years or more in the area’s sandy soils. All the fruit grown for their wines come from within a mile and a quarter radius of the winery. Fermentation is in stainless steel, and always spontaneous, with ambient yeast. The wines produced are among some of the finest examples in the Weinviertel.

Vineyard area: 37 acres

Top sites: Eichholz, Laa, Kreimelberg

Soil types: loess over alluvial gravel and limestone

Available Wines