Südburgenland, stretches along austria’s south-east border with Hungary as far south as slovenia but the region’s 500 ha/1,200 acres of vines represent just 1% of the country’s total. While fascinating white wines of Grüner Veltliner, Welschriesling, and Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc) are emerging, the region is best known for its profoundly complex and ageworthy Blaufränkisch, particularly that grown in Deutsch-Schützen and neighbouring eisenberg. Pioneers in the 1990s were the Krutzler family of Weingut Perwolf and Uwe Schiefer, who did much to define Südburgenland’s official appellation of origin, Eisenberg dac. (A curious regional relic of phylloxera’s aftermath is uhudler.)
