Nikolaihof Wachau winery

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nikolaihof, Mautern on the Danube

The Nikolaihof Wachau in Mautern an der Donau is a Demeter- certified winery in the Austrian wine-growing region of Wachau .

history

Early history

Most of the buildings, which date from the 15th century, are partly on Roman-ancient foundations. Even today, many traces of the Romans are visible: In Hofverband of Nikolai courtyard are remains of early Christian Agapitus - Basilica , in the under Bishop piligrim a synod held 985th A wine cellar built into a Roman lower church is still in use today. The chapel in the courtyard, on the other hand, was built later by the Augustinian canons of the Passau Abbey of St. Nikola , which is also reminiscent of the name of the courtyard today.

Wine has been grown in the Wachau since the Celts . The first documentary mention comes from the time of St. Severin and the Romans around 470 AD. In the life story of the saint it is said that he is said to have withdrawn into the vineyards to pray. Along with Klosterneuburg Abbey and the Thallern estate, the Nikolaihof is one of the oldest wineries in Austria.

Management by the Saahs family

The farm has been owned by the Saahs family since 1894. Since the early 1970s, the vineyards have been cultivated according to the guidelines of the Demeter Association, which, among other things, resulted from an economic necessity. When the winemaker Nikolaus Saahs took over in 1960, there was no money for agricultural aids. When winemaker Christine Saahs came to the farm in 1971, she brought Rudolf Steiner's methods with her. Its anthroposophical guidelines were actually intended for agricultural businesses, but later paved the way for “biodynamic” Demeter viticulture. Nikolaus and Christine Saahs are also among the pioneers in Demeter viticulture worldwide.

Largest wooden wine press in the world

A wooden wine press has been in the Nikolaihof for around 350 years. Until 1988 this press was used exclusively. It is considered the world's largest of its kind: the pressed tree is over 12 meters long and was chopped from the trunk of a single elm. The press stone, which weighs around 2,000 kilograms, is cranked up by hand. The basket holds up to ten tons of grapes. After restoration, it was put back into operation in October 2005.

Wachau organic guest house

Since June 2008 the “ad vineas” guest house, an organic hotel built by the Nikolaihof, has been just a few steps away from the farm. The building, built in the Wachau style, has 17 rooms and is run by Elisabeth and Martin Samek.

Cultivation area, grape varieties, production

The vineyard area is 22 hectares (as of 2016), it is 100 percent with white grape varieties - including 55 percent Riesling , 35 percent Grüner Veltliner and 10 percent other varieties such as. B. Chardonnay , yellow muscatel , Gewürztraminer , Pinot Blanc , Malvasia or Neuburger - planted. The wines that are stored in the historic wine cellar are aged for up to 20 years in oak barrels with a capacity of 2,000 to 12,000 liters.

The vines thrive in vineyards around Mautern and in the Kremstal. In some locations the vines are up to 50 years old. Every year around 100,000 bottles of wine are produced, the majority of which is exported: Around 70 percent of the wines are sent to almost 40 countries (as of July 2014). In addition, other products can be bought from the farm, for example apricot roasters, apricot jam from the Wachau apricot, compote, mustard, schnapps, liqueur or vinegar.

Demeter wine production

The Saahs family has been operating according to the rules of the Demeter Association since 1971. These go back to the anthroposophist Rudolf Steiner , but are considered scientifically controversial .

Demeter cosmetics made from grape seeds

Grape seed serum from Nikolaihof

In 2015, Martin Saahs began developing his own bio-dynamic cosmetics line called dieNikolai , which is certified according to the rules of the Demeter Association. The care products are based on grape seed oil, which is known for its valuable antioxidants such as resveratrol and tocopherol .

Individual evidence

  1. ^ History of the winery ( Memento from February 10, 2014 in the Internet Archive ), Nikolaihof website
  2. ↑ Nikolaihof Wachau in Austria Wine ( Memento from February 1, 2017 in the Internet Archive ), Austria Wine Marketing
  3. ↑ 19-year-old Riesling: Over 100 Parker points for the first time , Die Presse, May 6, 2014
  4. ↑ The Bioriesling that made it to the top of the world , the Standard, May 6, 2014
  5. ↑ Portrait Nikolaihof Wachau , APA / OTS, May 6, 2014
  6. ↑ Wines from the Wachau are among the best in the world , Wein-Plus EU
  7. ↑ Biodynamic Wine ( Memento from August 11, 2014 in the Internet Archive ), Nikolaihof website
  8. ↑ Wines from the Wachau are among the best in the world , Wein-Plus EU
  9. ↑ Top grade for wine without edges , ORF Radio Niederösterreich, broadcast on May 8, 2014
  10. ↑ The Demeter Association ( Memento from July 17, 2014 in the Internet Archive ), Nikolaihof website
  11. ^ "List of Austrian Demeter farms" Demeter Austria

Web links

Coordinates: 48 ° 23 ′ 39.8 "  N , 15 ° 34 ′ 40.1"  E