Funkstille Skin Contact

Now more than ever we need a little ‘Funkstille’ or radio silence in our lives, so it was only natural that as interest and desire for Austrian wines grew, so would our range.
It all started with Gruner, then Zweigelt and now Funkstille is a quartet including Riesling and a Skin Contact wine … capturing Austria’s most famous varieties and archetypal styles under some eye-popping packaging. We’ve worked with a 16th generation producer in Niederosterreich to put together this characterful range. All work in the vineyard is carried out sustainably, with the use of their own fertilisers made from grape skins, manure and straw from their fields, to improve the soil structure and vitality of their vines. The south-east and south-west exposure of the slopes provides conditions for perfect ripening. Grapes are harvested in the early morning to harness acidity and pure fruit expression and taken to their energy neutral winery for vinification.
Vineyards
Sustainably certified by agroVet, they also produce their own fertiliser. They produce their own seeds to sew cover crops in the vineyards and use straw from the fields in the young vineyards to protect the vines from dry stress. The grapes are harvested carefully, early in the morning by hand and machine from 15 year + old trellis grown vines in Weinviertel within the Niederosterreich region which are sited on loess, clay, granite mix soils and where the climate is cool continental. Vineyards are sited at approximately 230 to 300m ASL and are mostly orientated South, South East and South West, on terraces with an incline of between 10 and 40 degrees.
Vinification
45% Riesling 35% Gruner Veltliner 20% Others including Gewurztraminer & Muscat
The winery is energy neutral, producing energy from their Biogas plant and a Photovoltaic system which produces more energy than is required. The grapes are pressed and left in contact with the skins to extract the orange colour and additional flavour compound, then the must is fermented in stainless steel tank with selected yeasts for 15 to 25 days at controlled temperatures which get warmer the nearer they get to the end of fermentation. There is no malolactic fermentation but the wine benefits from 8 weeks of lees contact. Gentle fining and cold stabilisation.
Tasting Notes
A delightful blend of Riesling, Gruner Veltliner, Gewurztraminer and Muscat which offers up notes of ginger, white pepper and flowers, with an underlying hint of green tea and mandarin. Fabulous razor like acidity, gentle tannic grip from the skins and generous fruit with every mouthful.
Perfect with roasted vegetables, Alpine cheese such as Comte or Gruyere or even risotto bianco.

Riesling, Gruner Veltliner, Gewurztraminer, Muscat

Sustainably certified by agroVet, they also produce their own fertiliser. They produce their own seeds to sew cover crops in the vineyards and use straw from the fields in the young vineyards to protect the vines from dry stress. The grapes are harvested carefully, early in the morning by hand and machine from 15 year + old trellis grown vines in Weinviertel within the Niederosterreich region which are sited on loess, clay, granite mix soils and where the climate is cool continental. Vineyards are sited at approximately 230 to 300m ASL and are mostly orientated South, South East and South West, on terraces with an incline of between 10 and 40 degrees.

75% Gruner Veltliner, 15% Gewurztraminer, 10% Riesling.

The winery is energy neutral, producing energy from their Biogas plant and a Photovoltaic system which produces more energy than is required. The grapes are pressed and left in contact with the skins to extract the orange colour and additional flavour compound, then the must is fermented in stainless steel tank with selected yeasts for 15 to 25 days at controlled temperatures which get warmer the nearer they get to the end of fermentation. There is no malolactic fermentation but the wine benefits from 8 weeks of lees contact. Gentle fining and cold stabilisation.

A delightful blend of Riesling, Gruner Veltliner, Gewurztraminer and Muscat which offers up notes of ginger, white pepper and flowers, with an underlying hint of green tea and mandarin. Fabulous razor like acidity, gentle tannic grip from the skins and generous fruit with every mouthful.

Perfect with roasted vegetables, Alpine cheese such as Comte or Gruyere or even risotto bianco.

I fondly refer to this wine as "Funkenstein's Monster". Its a beast of a wine and a freak of nature but once you get to know it its wonderfully gentle and elegant.

Expect all the floral and fruity flavours of the four usual suspects in Austrian wine making, Riesling, Gruner, Gewertz and Muscat. It's literally like they've lobbed all their favourites in a vat and let them play together. You also get a great tannic grip and glorious mouthfeel owing to the maceration with the grape skins.

IT'S ALIVE!

~Max