Meinklang - 'Rosa' - Rosé of Zweigelt, Blaufränkisch - Burgenland, AT - NV

Notes from the Winery/Importer

Made by the brilliant Angela Michlitz, this all-natural bubbly rosé is the definition of chuggable, lovable, huggable, recyclable joy. It’s like strawberry fields forever — with a blood orange banger twist and a lemony zip-zap to keep things bouncing.

Easy peasy pleasy, but with real energy: mineral tension, textured fizz, and just the right touch of tart. Think raspberry fairy in a bottle. Pour it for a picnic, a beach day, or a midweek mood-lift.

No pretense. Just sparkle and soul.

Notes on the Producer

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.

Weingarten:
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.

Vine after vine, all lined up on the bare ground like soldiers at roll-call: one-dimensional pictures like these have characterised vineyard landscapes for centuries, and have become the norm. We, however, want to go in a new direction. On the largest continuous vineyard area of 10 ha, we created 27 eco-islands with around 800m2. These islands form giant water droplet shapes and are spread out over several rows of vines, breaking up the monotony of the vineyard’s architecture.

The centre of each island is formed by one fruit tree including almond, plum and quince trees. Tall apple trees also made the list as they provide habitats for birds, small mammals and insects. Field mice, shrews, hedgehogs, stone martens and rare garden dormice live around the fruit trees.
At Meinklang, we also plant black elderberry bushes as their fruit feeds more than 62 bird species. With a total of more than 300 species, the bushy thicket, shrubs, herbs, vegetables and flowers complete these plant oases.

Insect hotels are closing
In organic wine farming, the common practice of sowing cover crops, building nesting boxes and so-called insect hotels are steps in the right direction, but we would like to take things a bit further. Our aim is to create natural and stable habitats for our vines’ co-habitants. This is how wine plantations become vineyards.