Claus Preisinger

Claus Preisinger became a winemaker at a younger age than most. He was born in 1980 and made his first wine when he was just twenty years old. Taught to farm by his father, this young and confident vigneron adheres to more traditional techniques such as using hand tractors and hard harvesting in his work.

Also a biodynamic farmer, working according to the principles of Rudolf Steiner, he describes himself as a low-tech, instinctive, natural kind of winemaker, “taking whatever the grape brings and putting it right into the bottle.”

After completing his training at Klosterneuburg Weinbauinstitut, he returned to his hometown of Gols, located in the eastern region of Burgenland and took over his parents vineyard. The 19 hectares of vineyards are divided into 64 plots and scattered throughout the Pannonian Plains making the work harder but yielding a greater variety of grape palette and terroir.  

Fortunately, they are in close proximity to Lake Neusiedlersee, a large shallow, salt lake contributing humidity and temperature regulating effects to the area’s wine growing conditions. That and the hot, continental Pannonian climate with it’s rich, loamy soils combine to provide warm, dry summers and cool winters – ideal conditions for the production of rich and full bodied, red wines.

Preisinger favors the indigenous grape varieties of Austria – Blaufrankish, Zweigelt, St. Laurent and Blauburgunder (Pinot Noir) – and ‘old fashioned’ winemaking methods (cover crops, humus production from manure, homeopathic support with various tea-preparations) to produce ‘terroir-driven’ wines.

Winemaking employs natural yeasts, no temperature control, no additions and storage in a combination of vessels to avoid excessive barrel character. 

With this simple and natural approach, the results are sophisticated. All Preisinger’s wines are clean and characterized by intensity and fine mineral tones with an every present acidity providing both nerve and drinkability. They show a clear sense of place, intensity of fruit, and authenticity that only evolves from the practice of great farming.