Reinhard Muster’s (42) family winery, Gamlitz, is located south of Graz, close to the Slovenian border. It is the white wines that set the tone in the Styrian wine region. In an interview with Blick, Muster says that what Styria does best is Sauvignon Blanc. He pressed his first vintage at the family winery at the age of 19.
“Previously, apples and plums were the main crops on our farm. “My grandmother was able to keep the business financially afloat with home distilled liquor,” says Muster, whose 92-year-old grandmother still lives on the farm today. The passion for wine and the changing climatic conditions in recent years offered ideal conditions for living as a wine producer.
international prize collector
Muster quickly made a name for himself as a hardworking, young wine producer obsessed with quality. In addition to Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Welschriesling grape varieties, it focuses on the region’s most important variety, Sauvignon Blanc. But it’s not always so easy, as he himself points out: “I’m always very nervous when working with Sauvignon Blanc. Too much new wood or a baton at the wrong time can spoil the wine.»
However, in 2016, he won the Oaked Sauvignon category with Muster wine at the Concours Mondial du Sauvignon in Brussels. Three years later, the next success at the Hong Kong International Wine and Spirits Exhibition, where Musters Sauvignon Blanc Ried Grubthal was named the world’s best Sauvignon Blanc 2017. A year later, Muster also won the New York Wine Competition and was named Austrian Sauvignon Blanc Winery of the Year.
How did the wine high flyer actually start flying? “The passion for flying caught me in my early 20s. I got my private pilot license when I was 32 and now I fly about ten times a year,” Muster says. «I will never forget my first flight: alone on the plane, no teacher, pure freedom. But flying is also work: radio communications, navigation, you just aren’t that comfortable. When I fly alone, it’s just the air and me.” By the way, Muster doesn’t own any planes, but he rents them conveniently at Graz Airport.
air in the neck
This close relationship with the weather is part of Muster’s success as a winemaker. The Styrian region, the center of the Illyrian climate belt, is famous for its harsh weather, spontaneous hail, hot summers, dense fog and above-average rain of about 1000 millimeters per year. But Muster has found a way to work in harmony with the sometimes unpredictable weather conditions. “Air is a diva. I can’t say anything, I can only take. I can’t do anything about it, it’s driving me crazy!”
When asked if he had many hail nets in the cellar to protect the grapes, Muster gave a clear answer: “I don’t have a hail net! First of all, things look bad and I don’t think it’s right to put the vines under a black net. And have you ever smelled the hail net? It smells purely chemical.” Such a thing does not happen to my grapes.” Muster’s acceptance of harvest losses from hail-damaged grapes is less important to him than the quality of the finished wine.
“The people of Styria are known for their clear demeanor, so I’m not the only one who dislikes their full nets.” Styrian people like to be a little tough and mean, but they are also known for their courage and innovative ideas. “Steirerblut is not raspberry juice,” Muster says and laughs. Muster says people worry and fear unpredictable weather, but Styrian people have certainly become friendlier with the rise in temperatures over the past 20 years.
A Sauvignon Blanc straight out of a picture book
Muster wines from the Illyr series take their name from the Illyrian climate zone and were formerly called Reverence. Self-fermenting Chardonnay 2020 requires no new wood and looks extremely delicate, far from the greasy, buttery alternatives of the new world. The impressive Pinot Gris of the same year shows a fresh character with lively acidity and a beautiful body. Musters Weissburgunder 2020 is a stunning yet still wine that gives you the feeling of being in a boat in the middle of a deep glacial lake.
We will now try Sample’s flagship wine with freshly bottled Sauvignon Blanc 2021. The intense fragrance radiates delicate aromas of elderberry, yellow apple and peach paired with herbaceous elements that give the wine a wonderful freshness. The low 20 percent of new wood results in a sharp acidity and an elegant appearance on the palate. Costing around 20 francs, the wine is simply amazing and a must-have for every Sauvignon Blanc fan in the fridge.
In conclusion, Muster describes a very personal experience connecting the flying vineyard with Switzerland: “I learned that I was going to be a father for the first time on a boat trip on Lake Lucerne. I can’t wait to fly both of my girls with me.” Meanwhile, he and his crew tend to their vineyards and gaze intently at the sky, ground and air.
Source : Blick
I am Dawid Malan, a news reporter for 24 Instant News. I specialize in celebrity and entertainment news, writing stories that capture the attention of readers from all walks of life. My work has been featured in some of the world’s leading publications and I am passionate about delivering quality content to my readers.
