That some love is a rough love, that may be a special Burgenland term, but in many areas it is also a living tradition as a marriage of convenience. Under the motto: “Love passes, hectares exist”, the cousin of Stefan Lang’s uncle probably wanted to motivate him more or less to take the rough love step. At least that’s what it says in a letter found during excavations.
Stefan Lang’s grandfather buried his best wine barrels in the ground during the last world war to protect them from unwanted “visitors”. Later, after peace had returned, he took the barrels out again and found that the contents had developed well and that a red wine was ripening into a real treat. Taking this event into account, there is now an annual celebration of rough love at the Winzerhof. Around the summer solstice, friends and customers of the house meet to be chauffeured to the vineyards in vintage tractors. At the “Raue Liebe” square, surrounded by the oldest vines, the barrels of the previous year are brought back to light and the barrels with the current vintage of the best red wine are buried in the ground. The wine matured in small barrels in one of the most beautiful vaulted cellars in the country for more than 3 years before being allowed to mature in the earth for another year. It is probably one of the “oldest and finest aging methods in the world” original sound Stefan Lang. The result is an exclusive, powerful and unique red wine from the best locations as a Riedencuvée from the oldest and best vines. And more than just a rough love!
Source: Nachrichten
