Merry Christmas

Once more "The Franz Schneider Wine Experience" blog is going to change it's direction ... actually it is a step back to where I've started this blog.

Main focus of the "The Franz Schneider Wine Experience" will be my travels in the wine world (I'am heading South again ... South Africa I'coming again !!) and all the works done during the year at Artisan Wines.

The Artisan Wines section will be labeled with "artisan wines" and will include some video clips too, starting with "Pruning the vines" in January. All clips will also be found at www.artisanwines.at.

My tasting notes will shift to the other blog "wines of the month".

Another new feature will be a recipe blog written by Ulli. Some delicous delights and regional food paired with our Artisan Wines will be published at "The herbs and I" soon.

As today is the 24th of December I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2011. I am looking forward to more wine adventures and challenges. If you are in Burgenland some time do not hesitate to pop in for a glass (or two).

Franz

P.S. You may stay in contact via Facebook and Twitter too ;-)

Harvest and EWBC 2010 Vienna

Took a little while for this post but on the other hand .. harvest is finished.

This year was an unusually cold and wet one here in Austria. Cool Spring temperatures shifted the flowering about 2 weeks backwards with a heat spike just in the flowering week followed by torrential rain. As everybody knows that pretty bad for the fruit set. Sensitive varieties like Saint Laurent, Muskat, Chard and Pinot Blanc responded with close to 30 to 40 percent less yield. This crazy weather continued over the summer and brought us perfumed grapes due to high differences in day-night-temps, low sugar contents, high acidity and loads of canopy work in the vineyards resulting in an elegant but small harvest at Artisan Wines.

Our reds are currently untasteable due to the fact of ongoing Malolactic Fermentation ... everything keeps it's raspberry yoghurt touch on the nose .. but this will vanish as soon as the MLF is finished and the diacetyl is transformed afterwards.

The whites were racked off this week and are now waiting for lower outside temps for stabilization purposes.

Last night some 80 attendees of this years European Wine Blogger Conference (#EWBC) gathered at the Badeschiff for the Kick-off dinner. Important fact: Everyone was allowed to bring the own wines which resulted in a happy radom tasting of Schilcher Sturm, Grand vins de Bourgogne, Riojas and Artisan Wines.

The 3-course-meal started with fingerfood (very nice and spicy !!).

First course was a tartar of salmon trout, Viennese potatoe salad and field salad.

Main course: Braised shoulder of lamb, Swede oriental style.

Desert: Créme caramel, tonka bean and citrus food.

All in all well made but rather small portions. One can find certainly better restaurant nearby!

Anyway interesting people, glasses full of nice wine and exiting converstation made this a gorgeous evening. I can not wait to join the others for todays first conference day!!

Recent tastings ..

I had some stunning wines in our last monthly tastings which I would like to share with you. Some were wines one can find in any better wine shop, others were really rare single bottles.

Wines were tasted blind ...

Saint Laurent tasting - May 25th 2010

1. Schneider Sankt Laurent Reserve 2007 - delicious - €18

deep crimson red with purple reflections, fruitforward, berry flavors, rather young, bit oaky, hints of vanilla and spices, nice acid and tannin structure, lingering, very nice wine in it´s youth, will last, potential.

2. Hillinger Sankt Laurent 2006 - good/very good - €19,99

bit more translucent as 1, quite young color, purple, stinks a little bit, total red berry fruit upfront on the nose, pure sour cherry with more air, foreign may Spain or Italy, nice and round on the palate, bit shorter than 1, but with Trinkfluss.

3. Gernot Heinrich Sankt Laurent 2007 - very good - €17,99

rather young in color, purple reflections, ruby red, slight watery rim, cherry flavors upfront, mild and round tannin structure, nice and easydrinking stuff.

4. Artisan Wines Halbturn Red 2008 - very good/delicous - €19

very good color depth, purple reflections, anisseed, cocolate and mocca flavors, berry flavors, silky texture, rather young, very good balance in tannin and acid, leathery spices adding complexity, lingering.

5. Paul Achs Sankt Laurent 2008 - good - €15,41

quite transparent color, stinks, opens up with more air, purple, fruity, cherry flavors, rather lighter easy drinking style, good Trinkfluss, would be a nice pool side wine, if wine is a bit chilled.

6. Pöckl Sankt Laurent Classique 2007 - very good - €16,50

deep ruby red, good color depth, bit restrained, will need some time, still young, cherry flavors and good acid structure, rather lean but elegant, bit herbaceous, slight hints of rosemary.

7. Zantho Sankt Laurent 2008 - good/very good - €8,99

good ruby red color, purple rim but orange reflections, bit restrained, bit sharp on the nose, sweet cherry nose, good acid structure, lingering, with good fruit flavors on the palate.

8. Grassl Sankt Laurent Reserve 2007 - very good - €23,75

dark red hue, purple reflections, bit overripe flavors upfront, dried fruits, lingering, good balance in acid and tannin structure, roasted oak with more air but very pleasant.

9. Umathum Sankt Laurent vom Stein 2006 - very good/delicious - €44,99

ruby red color, bit dusty, needs more air, seems to be foreign, animalisitc, good acid structure, lingering, elegant.

Ulli´s birthday wines were just French (by chance;-)

Michel Arnould Grand Cru Brut - very good/delicious

golden yellow hue with red reflections, very consistent collier and fine mousseux, brioche and bready notes upfront, some subtle grapefruit undertones, flinty, very good length, (100% Pinot Noir).

Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc 2007 - extraordinary

middle yellow hue with some green reflections, white blossoms, oak still prominent, no exotic flavors at all, super length, so very young, will last, opens up with more O2, complex multilayered white blossom flavors on the palate, extremely lingering.

Our birthday dinner (with 5 different raw milk cheeses):

Champage tasting - Blanc de Blancs

Last year a group o fwine lovers from different fields of the industry started to meet regulary to taste wine. The special thing about this tasting is that no one (expect for the host) knows the theme. Just with this kind of blind tasting experience one is able to train his senses without being influenced by bottles, names, regions, brands and all these other normally important things if one chooses a bottle of wine with most funny results. In the recent month we were not able to pic upthe topic exepct for two time. Pinot Noir all over the world and the last tasting Champagne - Blanc the Blancs.

1. Extra Brut Pierre Peters Grand Cru - good/very good - €34

schäumt stark beim Einschenken, intensiv sprudelnde Perlage, gute Perlenkranz, helles goldgelb, hefig-germ, teigig, intensiv am Gaumen, gute Länge, mit mehr O2 verändert sich der Wein, zunehmend elegant.

2. Veuve Fourny & Fils Premier Cru - good - €32

schöner Perlenkranz, bleibt viel länger bestehen als bei 1, etwas schwächer sprudelnde Perlage, frisch fruchtig, Zitrusaromatik, etwas rustikaler am Gaumen, sehr viel CO2 spürbar, etwas kurz,

3. Blanc de quatre blanc Quattuor Drappier IV - delicious - €69

Perlenkranz nur sehr kurz beständig, intensive Perlage, feinkettig,sehr intensiv brotige Nase, Brioche, Zimt und Gewürze, vielschichtig, super Länge, mit mehr O2 Zitrusnoten, Orangenmarmelade in der Nase,

4. Launois Grand Cru - good - €16,65

Perlenkranz sehr kurz beständig, goldgelb, flüssige Bitterschokolade, Mandel, gereift, zum Teil oxidativ, Alterston am Gaumen dominierend, distinctive, polarisierend.

5. Guy Cadel 2002 Grande Cuvee - very good - €40

fast kein Perlenkranz, Perlage gut fein, helles gelb, rötlicher Schimmer, intensiv, reife Noten, ganz feine Honignote, Bienenwachs, Barriquenoten im Abgang, komplex, verändert sich mit der Luft, kräftig gebaut,

6. Legras & Haas 2002 - ok - €46

nur kurzer Perlenkranz, leicht böcksrig, helles gelb, etwas Zitrus, Aranzini, Länge ok, Perlage gleich weg, relativ dünn, etwas Gerbstoff

New Artisan Wines website launched

Now finally we got our new Artisan Wines website.

Try this link: www.artisanwines.at and please let me know your impression.

cheers

Franz

Exiting things ...

Beside my job at Wein&Co - Shop Luegerring things with Artisan Wines are gathering momentum too.

The white wines (Pure Welschriesling and Aritsan Halbturn White) were bottled last week. The red wines (Pure Zweigelt and Artisan Halbturn Red) are going to be bottled this week. "The Artisan", the flagship wine, is maturing in new French barriques for another 10 months.

But not everything is sunshine and roses. The printing company keeps me waiting for the labels since 4 weeks now. Personally I think they are not interested in such a small production as it is a lot of work and doesn´t bring a lot of bucks. On the other hand ... what is more important than customer service in times like this! One thing is for sure ... this fall I will definitely order my labels somewhere else.

Much easier is the work with the programmer. He is busy with the last steps of the new Artisan wines webpage. Some interesting features: videos of our work during the year, post your own tasting note of any Artisan Wine, Online-Shop, monthly Newsletter, interactive communication via Twitter and Facebook ... and starting with April 2010:

The Artisan Wines "Wine.Talks"!!!

The Wine.Talks will take place in Halbturn. You are going to experience exiting wines in a relaxed but entertaining atmosphere. Stay tuned for the latest news at www.artisanwines.at

Jean-Michel Cazes on artisanal wines

http://www.winespectator.com/video/index/playerid/315932961?bcpid=315932961&bclid=323814015&bctid=1231010998

Some really nice stuff ...

Had some really nice wines recently but got no time to post them. Here are my favourite 3.

1. Gewürztraminer 2008 from Weingut Lentsch - delicous - €7

pungent pure rose petals and lychée flavors, exotic fruit basket on the nose, quite the same overwhelming fruit flavors on the palate, very good acid structure, dry, lingering aftertaste, the perfect companion for Foie Gras!!

2. Primary Rocks 2008 from Weingut Gschweicher - delicious/extraordinary - about €15

full bright straw yellow, upfront minerality, wet slate and firestone flavors, strong white pepper, intense and multilayered on the nose, white blossoms, keeps changing with more O2, fruit explosion on the palate, lingering with very good acid structure, very young, will last!

3. Riesling Smaragd Achleiten 2008 from Weingut Prager - extraordinary - about €25

bright golden hue, in the beginning quite restrained but opens up with more O2 and several minutes in the glass, peach and peach blossoms, pure minerality on the nose, stonefruits, passion fruit, mulitlayered and complex on the palate, extremely lingering, gets a honeyed touch with even more O2, constantly changing, extract sweetness, one just wants more of this stuff!!

Wine & Food pairing: nobody can deny that Gewürztraminer and Foie Gras is a match made in heaven!!

thank god it´s friday ...

New vineyard pics ..

New vineyard pics are available !!! Have a look at Facebook | Artisan Wines Enjoy!

a bud:

Artisan Wines - Labels

Finally we got there. The Artisan Wines labels have left the graphic design studio. Actually I am very proud about this new labels as the designer managed to capture all important things.

The Artisan logo is a combination of traditional (the wine leaves) and modern style (font). Puristic by with style.

Most important is the "Step closer to nature - Zero CO2"-footprint. It states that all Artisan wines are carbon free produced. Our production is and will be constantly evaluated.

The footprint is created by a heart shaped leaf, the toes are represented by abstract grapes and a drop of wine creates the heel. This is the symbol of our cohesive relation to the enviromentally friendly way of producing the Artisan wines.

Artisan Wines - Pruning

Wintertime is pruning time. Pruning is for Artisan Wines a major work during the course of the year. My father (named Franz too ;-)) is our CPO ... the Chief Pruning Officer! He´s got over 50 years experience with our vineyards ... means he´s able to see if something´s wright or wrong with a vine in about a split-second and his decision (which shoots to leave and which to cut back) is a crucial point for the quality for the wine as it´s the first step to decrease bunches and increase grape quality. I´m trying to learn as much as possible every year from my father but one can´t balance 50 years hands-on experience with a Master in viticulture!!

Find more pics @ Facebook | Artisan Wines

Cheers Franz

Artisan Wines interim screen online!

hey there,

Artisan Wines interim screen is available now !! ... @ artisan wines ... and I love it.

Please let me know what you think about the design.

Cheers Franz

Artisan Wines is born !!

Dear reader,

I am proud and excited to announce the visual birth of ARTISAN WINES !!

What does ARTISAN mean??

Artisan derives from the latin word "artire". It means "trained or agile in arts! We strongly believe that every winemaker on this world is a kind of artist just for the fact that he is able to turn grapes into wine.

What does this mean for our wines??

An artisanal production is a sustainable, regional!! (our grapes are not sourced from anywhere else) production of wines with great respect for our nature and the environment. Every vintage we try to produce outstanding wines from gorgeous grapes. As each year is different (at least in our region) each wine will be slightly different too.

We care about nature and that´s the reason why we care about our CO2 balance for every bottle in respect of the world wide climate change. Artisan Wines are CO2 free!!

What does this funny green footprint on the labels mean??

The artisanal production is subject of constant evaluation and adaption!!

As we have to produce wine to earn our daily living there is an economic component too ... for instance we can not abandon the use of a tractor or pumps but we can clear the amount of CO2-equivalents produced with donations in the same amount to nature projects in our region. Therefore we have developed the "Step closer to nature - Zero Carbon footprint" which is visible on all our products. ... more information can be found in about no time ;-) @ artisan wines

Who is the driving force behind "Artisan Wines"??

The driving force is ... surprise, surprise ... me ... Franz Schneider!!

Boku-trained Enologist with a Masters in Quality Viticulture and Marketing. I gathered some experience in Austria (at home and the wineries of my 2 sisters - www.weingut-unger.at and www.weingut-lentsch.com), Italy (at Azienda Agricola Luciano Sandrone - www.sandroneluciano.com), in Germany (at research center Geisenheim) and in South Africa (Klein Constantia Estate - www.kleincontantia.com). The best things of all these experiences are integrated in the production of the Artisan Wines.

Without the help of my family nothing would be possible. They are my pillar for everything!!

How many different wines and what kind of wines will be produced??

You will find all about our range @ www.artisanwines.at ... hopefully soon ;-) but I can reveal that there will be 3 different ranges.

- Pure ... fruit forward, easy drinking, varietal wines

- Halbturn ... elegant companions for food or for the fans of wines with a touch of oak.

- The ARTISAN ... our flagship wine, a bold, full bodied red wine

When will the wines hit the shelves??

The expected release date will be around April ... I will keep you up to date!

How do I keep up to date with "Artisan Wines"??

stay tuned for the latest news at Facebook | Artisan Wines or Franz Schneider (FranzSchneider) on Twitter

Where will they be available??

That´s a good question !! As the brand was created recently, time will show how far we´re gonna reach out in the world ;-) One place is for sure ... the online shop @ www.artisanwines.at

I would like to have you asking all the question coming up with this new wines and especially the ones regarding the carbon footprint at franz@artisanwines.at ... or ring through @ +43 699 108 149 30.

There´s also a a big favor I would ask from you ... please spread the word of this new brand and feel my gratitude in eternity ;-)

Cheers Franz

P.S. ... release party is still to come !!! Invitations will be sent via all channels!

Tierhoek

Nice vid of Roger Burton at Tierhoek/South Africa !!!

Sylvester deligths

This New Years eve was quite filled with all sorts of very distinctive, regional and pure delights. My sister and brothers in law were our guests and we enjoyed an Irish evening with Whiskey Sours, raw milk cheese, Irish stew, wild smoked salmon and (of course) some Austrian wines.

Check at Facebook/Sylvester delights for some more pics.