Walter Buchegger

The first time I met Walter Buchegger I was returning from a sommelier examination in Gumpoldskirchen, Austria. He had a cold, and I had been up late celebrating the night before. What I didn’t anticipate, was that the next four hours would be an afternoon that I would never forget. I expected the wine to be good, even great. But the Buchegger wines are something else, something special.

The wine spoke to me, and this is what it said, “Oh, you think you know Grüner Veltliner? Girl, you are about to be re-educated!”  Well, maybe not exactly like that. But you understand my point. If further proof is needed, there is a laundry list of awards that he has received over the years for his outstanding wines.

We tasted through fourteen wines that day the most memorable was a 2006 Pfarrweingarten. This Grüner had some age but still had a mouthwatering acidity layered with beautiful fruit jumping out from its maturity. It made my eyes open a bit wider. Incidentally, 2006 was also the year that Buchegger moved his operations from Gedersdorf to Dross.

Walter Buchegger is a sixth generation winemaker. The original vineyards are in Gedersdorf, not far from Vienna, and the original un-cloned vines date back to1893. He took over the vineyards in 1994 from his father, Leopold.

Most of the vineyards are located in Gedersdorf, eleven hectares in all. The vineyards are planted with Grüner Veltliner, Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Zweigelt. Buchegger also restricts the amount of yield each year and employs the organic Austrian farming method, Integrated Production.

This process promotes a sustainable agricultural system by using natural resources and regulating any machinery or method that pollutes the environment.

Grapes are harvested manually and are carefully handled throughout the production process. The grapes are fermented in wooden barrels and stainless steel, depending on the varietal or the nature of the grape. Walter Buchegger’s goal is to produce wine with elegance and age ability. And the 2006 Pfarrweingarten is proof.

“Being a winemaker is happiness, but it also has a responsibility in relation to nature, the soil and to those people that allowed me to have this joy… My parents and the generations before, their journey has also been driven by winemaking " —Walter Buchegger