Nikolaihof

Shame on me!  Here we are almost seven months into our adventures on The Grapes of Rand, and to date I haven't highlighted a single producer from my native land.  How could I have committed such an egregious offense towards a country brimming with viticultural history and renown, and one which produces wines that have of late become one of the darlings of trendy sommeliers the world over?  The omission becomes even more glaring considering the abundance of naturally, and particularly high quality Biodynamic wine produced there.  If you haven't guessed yet I am talking about Austria, a country blessed with, if nothing else, the most sublimely stunning vineyard landscapes anywhere in Winedom.

Well, my failings are about to be redressed as we profile not just Austria's foremost Biodynamic winemaker, but one of the first ever Demeter certified Biodynamic vineyards anywhere in the world, and producer of wines that Wine & Spirits Buying Guide has classed among the world's top 100.  Wine & Spirits described Nikolaihof's Im Weingebirge Grüner Veltliner Federspiel this way:  "Discreet, complex, the essence of a place built on stones, smoky flint and gorgeous dry white fruit.  The length of flavor is joyous, captivating as a sweet lied sung in an Alpine meadow."  Indeed, the great Austrian lieder smith Franz Schubert might well have been inspired by the wines of the Nikolaihof estate, as might Mozart's Viennese contemporaries, and many generations of Austrians before them.  In fact, the history of viticulture in the area of Nikolaihof goes way back, and I mean WAY back to the time when the Celts inhabited the shores of the Danube.  The earliest recorded wine growing reference is during the Roman era around 470 A.D.  Nikolaihof, referred to in a document back in 1075 as the central administrative seat of the St Nikola monastery of Passau, may well be Austria's oldest wine estate.  Built atop and old Roman fortress (the cellar is actually constructed in a Roman crypt), today's Nikolaihof includes elements that date back to the fifteenth century, including the restored, deconsecrated monastery chapel under whose Gothic vaulting proprietors Christine and Nikoloaus Saahs receive their guests at wine tastings and receptions.

Nikolaihof's vines are planted on 20 hectares of mineral-rich, steep-sloped, sunny terraces of granite, gneiss, and mica in the breathtakingly beautiful Wachau valley bordering the Danube river.  Very small yields ensure absolute top quality.  Harvesting is carried out only by hand, ensuring that grapes are always at the optimal peak of ripeness.

In the cellar no additives or other treatments are allowed to interfere with the grapes' natural processes.  Only naturally occurring yeasts do their magic to transform the must into wine in a huge wooden vat without the aid of temperature control or computer-calculated fermentation techniques.  I love when winemakers exercise this kind of faith in the processes of nature.  It shows me that they know without a doubt that they have grown healthy, vibrant fruit that will allow its robust genetic material to dictate the kind of wine it becomes. The Saahs' ultimate aim is "to get as much power and energy as possible into the wines whilst interfering with nature as little as possible."  Judging by the accolades their wines receive time and again I think they may be on to something.  The folks at Wine & Spirits aren't the only ones impressed by the power and finesse of Nikolaihof's wines.  The 1990 Riesling Vinothek was judged the best Austrian dry white wine on the American market by the Beverage Tasting Institute, which also scored the 2002 Im Weingebirge Grüner Veltliner Smaragd 90/100 points.  The Grapes of Rand will very shortly put in its two cents worth (something I look forward to just a litte), so stay tuned.

One interesting marketing angle Nikolaihof employs, and to my knowledge the only winery in the world to do so quite so openly, is to proclaim their wines the 'healthiest wine in the world.'  The Saahs believe firmly that by using only natural nutrients, maintaining the health of the soil, and strictly following all other Biodynamic practices, their wines retain natural substances which strengthen the body's defenses against ageing, allergies, heart and circulatory diseases, cancer, and many other diseases.  They back these assertions by touting tests by The German Society for Environmental and Human Toxology (DGUHT) that demonstrate the relative stress level of a wine within the parameter of pH value, redox potential, and conductivity.  In DGUHT's tests Nikolaihof Vom Stein Riesling Federspiel comes out as the world's healthiest wine according to these criteria.  Wine, according to the Nikolaihof philosophy is considered both a nourishing foodstuff and a medicine and it is therefore incumbent upon the winemaker to keep it free of unnecessary toxic and chemical residues.  Another interesting side note for you wine headache sufferers is that according to the Austrian Federal Office for Wine and Fruit Producers, Nikolaihof wines do not contain the headache-inducing histamines found in most other wines.  Well Louis Pasteur, maybe you were right after all, maybe wine is indeed the most healthful of all beverages.

Nikolaihof produces a range of dry Grüner Veltliners and Rieslings, an off-dry Frühroter Veltliner, a Chardonnay, an interesting blend of Riesling, GV, Pinot Blanc, and Neuburger (dry), and a range of ageworthy sweet GV's and Rieslings.

Traveling to Austria, and jonesin' for a little wine tasting adventure?  Well, you'll be glad to know that Nikolaihof's tavern will welcome you April 21st through the middle of November.  The tavern serves primarily organic food sourced from local farmers, and bread is baked fresh on premise.  And if you want to spend a few days relaxing in the tranquility of the Wachau, Nikolaihof's 19 room Ad Vineas guesthouse is ready to accommodate the road-weary wine lover with its soothing 4-star atmosphere, including the beautifully landscaped gardens and swimming pond.  For a more rustic wine tasting experience, don't forget to visit the area's traditional 'Heurigen' wine gardens.

Interested in sampling the tremendous wines from Nikolaihof, but can't find them?  Never fear, have I got the link for you!
Chambers Street Wines