Meinklang - 'Foam White' - Pinot Grigio - Neusiedlersee, AT - 2021

A macerated. petnat with limitless energy, folds, expression. So. Good. It's exotic, captivating, sexy, and friendly. Make of it what you WANT!
From the winery...
Character: adventures, special, pure (god I love this accurate description!)
Picked end of September. Started fermentation on the mash for 5 days, pressed and bottled with 20 gramms residual sugar. Finished fermentation naturally in the bottle. 7 months on the yeasts and than degorged by hand.

Meinklang is an original, family-run mixed farm, set in the middle of the World Heritage Site of the National Park Neusiedlersee, on the Eastern side of the Neusiedlersee Lake, bordering directly on the Hungarian lowlands, where life’s diversity and complexity are celebrated.
This farm functions much like an organism, relying not only on the people but also on the local herd of cows which contributes in an essential way with their natural and invaluable fertiliser.
The farm’s diversity is enriched by ancient grains such as spelt, farro and Einkorn wheat, as well as the fruit orchards and vegetable gardens, meadows of wild herbs and flowers and the elegant charm of the grapevines.
The vineyard as a biotope. In the vineyards, among protected natural ponds, precious cover crops and wild herbs grow around our vines: sweet-clover, vetches, red clover and wild grasses provide a habitat for soil organisms and beneficial organisms. The deep roots loosen the ground, forming the basis for healthy vines. At the same time, cover crops act as a natural competitor for the vines – gentle and deliberate competition is good for the development of aromas and phenols in the grapes.
We fertilise our vineyards with the compost we produce ourselves on the farm, using sheep, cow and horse manure, pomace, green waste and occasionally also rock dust.
Robust and healthy vines can only grow in soil which is alive, producing completely individual wines full of character.
Our aim is to focus on the original meaning of the term “Wein-Garten” (the German word for vineyard which contains the words “wine” and “garden”) by creating a true garden with fruit, vegetables, vines and herbs. Even stinging nettles and thistles are now welcome to grow rampant among the vines – they are important sources of food for many insects. Some species of caterpillar and butterfly cannot survive without them. Numerous beetles, flies and gnats use thistles to lay their larvae. These plants are often demonised as “weeds” by many farmers, but they create precious habitats where butterflies and songbirds find their home in the summer. They make humus formation possible and restore harmony in the vines’ habitat. However, not only the vines benefit from this new Garden of Eden. We are also delighted to be able to bring home fruit and vegetables from our vineyards after a long day’s work. Working among blossoming trees and flowers makes us happy.