Winzer Familie Gregor Schup Eichkogel, 2015, Thermenregion, Austria

Good things come to those who wait. 36 months to be precise! That’s how long the Schup family age their sublime Eichkogel wine in a small oak barrel. Exuding dark undertones and taking on a smooth purple hue, the mouth dances with flavours of dark berries and sharper liquorice hints with considerable aftertaste. It’s a prime example of the fine craftsmanship of simply wonderful wine-makers. Delicacy and depth working in perfect harmony.

Deep in the heart of the Austrian Wienerwald, in the little town of Guntramsdorf, lies Winzer Familie Gregor Schup. For over 300 years they’ve lived here, where Eastern-European climate meets warm and damp Atlantic air, learning to cultivate quality fruits from vines grown close to The Eichkogel mountain (just 367m above sea level). The Eichkogel is a UNESCO recognised biosphere, so the conservation and sustainability of its land and ecosystem are lawfully protected. It’s fair to say, optimising berries for exquisite wine has become almost a sixth sense to them today. They truly are perfectionists of nature. What their land yields is respected, and what‘s respected reaps big rewards. It is undoubtedly the Schup family’s respect and expertise, that makes their wines so palpably unique.