Arena

The Vintage

A challenging year with a mild Winter and limited rainfall. The cool Spring delayed the beginning of the growing season, but warm temperatures later on resulted in early flowering. However, the Summer months brought hot days and extreme dryness with an intensity rarely seen before. Fortunately, there were several days of rain prior to the harvest – which triggered a surge in ripening. A sunny Autumn provided a happy end to the vintage. Despite the difficult conditions, 2022 produced outstanding wines with impressively ripe aromas, piquant spiciness, fine body and a wonderful touch of freshness.

Vineyard and Soils

Ried Sand stretches across a south-facing slope above the area’s old Kellergasse, or cellar lane. From here, there is a wonderful view over Straning. Named after its soil structure, the vineyard is predominantly comprised of primary rock under a thin layer of sand.

Harvest and Vinification

The grapes for this natural wine do not undergo a chilled maceration. After being crushed and destemmed, they fermented on the skins for around 5 to 6 days. Then the mash was pressed and the remaining fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks at a temperature of 22°C. The wine was aged for approximately 10 months on the fine lees in large acacia barrels. There was no fining in order to preserve the natural characteristics of the wine.