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AUSTRIA
Rudi Pichler
WINERY OVERVIEW
Rudi Pichler is among the elite growers of the Wachau producing wines of precision,
power, and longevity. The cellar is based in the village of Wösendorf where generations
of Pichlers have tended vines since 1731. Rudolph Pichler, III took over the winery in 1997
and has since expanded the vineyards and constructed a modern cellar in 2004. Grüner
Veltliner and Riesling make up 95% of the production with the remaining 5% shared between
Weißburgunder and Roter Veltliner. Rudi Pichler belongs to the prestigious Vinea Wachau and
vinifies under the strict parameters of their codex. He was awarded Falstaff’s Vintner of the
Year in 2010.
LOCATION OF VINEYARD
Weingut Rudi Pichler consists of 37 acres (15 hectares) spread between Wösendorf, Joching,
Weißenkirchen, and Mautern. Wösendorf and Joching lie in the heart of the Wachau Valley
where south-facing terraces look down at the Danube River. Here, rieden such as Kirchweg,
Hochrain, and Kollmütz are marked by occasional deposits of loess over base rock. Rudi
produces crystal-clear expressions of Grüner Veltliner, Riesling, and Weißburgunder from
these sites. Directly east of Joching is Weißenkirchen, home to the famous rieden of
Steinriegl and Achleithen, two distinctive Riesling sites with calcareous and weathered gneiss,
respectively. Rudi also maintains a small vineyard of Roter Veltliner across the river in Mautern.