Stadlmann Zierfandler “Anning” 2021

The Stadlmann family has been producing wine for seven generations since 1780. Hardly anyone has been as involved in the unique climatic conditions of the Thermenregion and the original local grape varieties as the founder of the winery, Bernhard Stadlmann. The vineyard area is 13 hectares and the farm is certified as biological. Today the winery is run by father and son Mikael and Johann Stadlmann.

Zierfandler is a light-skinned variety with high sugar content and its late-ripening grapes can produce intensive, spicy wines with exotic bouquet, and elevated acidity levels mean that the wines can be vinified both as powerful, dry white wines or as juicy sweet wines.

Thermenregion is a wine-producing area in eastern Austria, just south of Vienna. The relatively warm, dry conditions in the region are perfect for the production of light red wines made from Portugieser and honeyed white wines made from local varieties Zierfandler and Rotgipfler.   The Thermenregion viticultural zone covers some 2,200 hectares of vineyard and falls within the wider Niederosterreich region - itself home to some of Austria's most famous areas. Thermenregion is in the south of the zone and is warmer than more famous areas nearer the Danube like Wachau and Kamptal.   The region's already warm location is amplified by the Wienerwald hills to the west, which shields the vineyards from cold Alpine influences, and the presence of Hungary's Pannonian Plains, which bring warm breezes to the vineyards. Soils range from sandy loam to more pebbly, stony types that hold heat and provide good drainage.   High sunshine hours and long, dry autumns complete Thermenregion's mesoclimate, and the region is particularly suited to later-ripening grape varieties.   The signature style here is a blend of Zierfandler and Rotgipfler, two indigenous varieties that are not found in quantity anywhere else in Austria. This white wine is produced from vineyards surrounding the ancient village of Gumpoldskirchen and can be rich and honeyed, with excellent aging potential. Portugieser and Pinot Noir are the most important red wines, along with Saint-Laurent and Zweigelt.   Vineyards were planted in the region more than 2000 years ago by Romans stationed in Carnuntum and Vienna. The Romans also built thermal baths around Aquae (today's spa town of Baden) and the name Thermenregion is a reference to these. The region is not the only wine district in the world to be named after Roman thermal baths – Acqui Terme in Piedmont shares this distinction.