Wachau’s organic benchmark

Granted, the Danube’s left bank is also home to organic vineyards. But it’s unmistakable: you’ll find many more on the right-hand side. Two among them are the estates run by Martin Bergkirchner and by the Gallhofer brothers. Despite different focuses, the two families share an approach: “At the end of the day, it’s all about your vineyards, the soil that you cultivate,” as Martin Bergkirchner sums it up. “You may be the world’s number one winemaker, but without healthy vineyards you’ll never get great wines.”

Martin Bergkirchner works roughly six of these vineyard hectares, together with his father Josef, who back years ago began pushing organic methods. With one portion of their wines exported to hotels and restaurants, a part of their grape harvest goes to Domäne Wachau. That’s also where the Gallhofers deliver one share of their grapes. Most of their wines they sell directly, be it through their own Heuriger tavern or the in-house shop, or to B&B guests. “A broad footing is important for our operations,” the three of them agree. That’s why they also cultivate organic orchards. A niche product, Wachau organic apricots are fast sellers. “Fact is, not too may farms grow apricots,” Martin Bergkirchner explains.

Why does the right bank happen to be the one with so many organic vineyards? “We’ve got an advantage here because we can use machines to work many of the vineyards. That makes pest control easier,” Stefan Gallhofer points out. “What challenges us more at times is pressure from fungus: it’s cooler at many sites,” Markus, his brother, adds. So the question is anything but easy to answer. One key is certainly the lighthouse example set by several of the operations, including the Sigl estate and the Frischengruber vineyards. And there is Nikolaihof—Austria’s oldest estate—just around the corner in Mautern. Adhering to biodynamic principles, Nikolaihof demonstrates how even large operations can be successful by applying such techniques. “The most important thing to change is your thinking. Our father famously stated that you have to be prepared for controlled passivity,” as the Gallhofers recollect.

An operation can apply for certification after cultivating their vineyards organically for at least 36 months. “There’s no such thing as a sprinkle of organics,” says Martin Bergkirchner, “And that’s how it should be.” “The organics label means clear guidance for consumers. More and more people are concerned about how wines are produced. The same goes for us as an estate interested in exporting. It’s not uncommon for Scandinavians to require organic certification.”