Cabernet Franc – the (not so) new kid on the block!
The Cabernet Franc grape variety has a longer tradition here than one might assume at first glance. Impressive proof of this can be found in the price list of the Sopron Johannes Rebschule from 1894/95—at the time the largest vine nursery in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It shows that as early as the late 19th century, alongside native varieties, vines such as Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Merlot were offered as a matter of course.
Following the phylloxera disaster, the region was presented with a unique opportunity to experiment with new grape varieties largely without restrictions. The focus was primarily on high-yielding and reliable varieties. More demanding varieties such as Furmint—once the main grape variety in Rust—fell by the wayside as a result and virtually disappeared from vineyards in many places.
In the 1990s, our winery began to focus intensively on Cabernet Franc—and it quickly became one of their favorite varieties.
When Günter and Regina took over the winery in 2004, the market was already clearly divided, and winning new trade partners was anything but a given. Nevertheless, they managed to attract interest with a new, classically styled Merlot – a novelty in that style and price range at the time.
This “democratic” Merlot, along with wines such as Muscato, TRIE red, Weite Welt , and the classic Cabernet Sauvignon introduced shortly thereafter, proved to be a decisive game-changer. Together, they made it possible to build a broad distribution network in a short time and rouse the winery from its slumber, which had until then been heavily focused on direct-from-the-vineyard sales.
Against this backdrop, it is only logical to continue down this path: With a single-varietal, classically vinified Cabernet Franc from the 2023 vintage, we are building on this legacy—and at the same time filling a gap in the market that has hardly been addressed so far.
And by the way: Our most important vineyard for Cabernet Franc is the Gillesberg vineyard—our exclusive plot for several years now. This is also the source of the single-vineyard wine “ „Ried Gillesberg Cabernet Franc“,” which we have been bottling since 2013 and which consistently achieves top rankings in its category in wine evaluations.