Looking for a wine that's both playful and full of depth? This sappy, cherry-flavored gem is perfect for any gathering. As Markus himself says, it's the perfect "everyday wine that never gets boring." It's the ultimate crowd-pleaser, whether you're sipping it in the afternoon or making it your go-to house wine.

Farming : Certified Organic | Biodynamic

Winemaking : Native Yeast | Harvest by Hand | Unfined | Unfiltered | Vegan

Region : Jois, Leithaberg DAC, Burgenland, Austria

Grape : Blaufrankisch

Alcohol by Volume : 12%

From the importer: Markus started to make wine naturally thanks to his childhood memory of snacking on Neuburger grapes – when he couldn’t find this taste in wines as an adult, he realized it was due to all the modern winemaking additives that make the wine taste standardized. His decision to eschew them step by step allowed him to find the pure grape taste again.

A significant part of Altenburger’s 17 hectares are older vines with very low yields – two-thirds are more than thirty years old, and the oldest ones were planted in 1969 by Markus’s grandfather. This particular red is a blend of 7 different plots in the Leithaberg DAC, young vines as well as vines up to 40 year old. Some on limestone, some on chalky loam (richer soil with better water supply in the lower parts of the slopes). Dry-farmed, grapes are destemmed, and macerated as whole berries for 7 days. Spontaneously fermented in stainless steel and wooden fermenters. Aged 9 months in old wood barrels.

The Altenburger family originates from the mountainous western part of Austria (Tyrol); in the 16th century, they moved to Burgenland and have been farming there ever since, cultivating a traditional mixed farm with vines and other crops.

The labels are based on the imprints of Markus’s own hands, using the lees of their wines as “paint” – Blaufrankisch for the reds and a skin-contact white blend for the white wines.