204 varieties in one go? Fortunately 200 of them were in the same bottle.
This has to be a record for a field blend. The estimable Weingut Leth of Fels in the Wagram area of Austria is one we have had occasion to admire before. We particularly like their Roter Veltliner.
Fels is just under 50 Km from Klosterneuburg, itself practically a suburb of Vienna which is only 16.5 Km away.
Klosterneuburg hosts the Federal Institute for Viticulture and Pomology where Fritz Zweigelt bred Zweigelt and Blauburger so is a significant address in grape breeding. It is also a major wine school.
The Leths have entered into the spirit of Klosterneuburg in the most remarkable way. Their website explains it best:
"Franz Leth senior realised his dream to plant a mixed vineyard of rare and ancient grape varieties some 20 years ago. No one would have expected that it would become home to more than 250 varieties in one single vineyard. In cooperation with the Klosterneuburg wine school, researchers and nursery schools, he has made 15 seedlings of each individual species, identified them with a sign and cultivated them. The goal of the collection has always been to preserve virtually extinct, traditional and regional grape varieties. Today, the collection includes regional varieties from Lower Austria, but also rare varieties once native to the Steiermark, Burgenland, Italy, Hungary, Germany, the Czech Republic and the USA. Meanwhile the variety of vines is the largest of its kind in Austria and forms a fascinating and popular field of activity for research."
Here they are:
Abendröte
Acolon
Affenthaler, blauer
Agni
Agostenga, rosa
Alden
Alibernet
Aligoté
Ambros, weißer
Ananastraube
André
Arbst, blauer
Arnsburger
Augsta, blauer
Augsta, weißer
Auxerrois
Babeasca
Bacchus
Baco noir
Baco blanc
Barbaroux
Barthainer
Beerheller
Belu
Bettlertraube
Blanc de Morgex
Bogdany
Boskoop, blauer
Carmina
Cascade
Chasan
Comtessa
Damascener, blauer
Delaware
Deckrot
Dornfelder
Dunkelfelder
Early Campbell
Elbling, blauer
Elbling, weißer
Elvira
Ezerjo
Faberrebe
Farbclevner
Florentina
Fontanara
Frankenthaler, weißer
Frankenthalter, blauer
Franzose, früher weißer
Franzose, später weißer
Frühblau, mährische
Frühfein
Frühgipfler
Frühmuskat - Oberlin
Furmint
Gänsfüßer
Gamay
Geisdutten, schwarze
Geisdutten, weiße
Gelbhölzer
Gelbling
Greaza
Grobe
Grobriesling, roter
Grobriesling, weißer
Grünling
Gutedel, Königs-
Gutedel, Petersilien-
Gutedel, roter
Gutedel, schwarzer
Gutedel, weißer
Hainer, grüner
Helfensteiner
Heroldrebe
Heunisch, weißer
Heunisch, roter
Honigler
Huxelrebe
Isabella
Jakobitraube
Jubiläumsrebe
Kadarka, schwarzer
Kadarka, weißer
Kanzler
Karin
Knapp E & A
Knipperle
Kölner, blauer
Königin der Weingärten
Königsast
Königstraube
Krim - Rebe
Krimm – Trollinger
Kurzstingler
L1
Labruska Liné
Lamberttraube
Lämmerschwanz
Lena
Leon Millot
Liliorila
Linsfelder
Mädchentraube
Magleasina
Malaga, roter
Malaga, weißer
Malanstraube
Malinger, früher gelber
Maria
Mariensteiner
Martinsriesling
Melonentraube
Merlot x Csaba
Milleniumstraube
Monrepos
Morio Muskat
Müllerrebe
Muskateller, Gold-
Muskateller, Rosen-
Muskateller, roter
Neronet
Noah
Ochsenaugen
Oleganda
Oliver Irsay
Optima
Orangetraube
Ortega
Ortlieber
Österreichisch weiß
Othello
Palava
Passatuti
Perle von Alzey
Perle von Csaba
Piros
Portugieser, grauer
Portugieser, grüner
Prachttraube
Pressburger, weißer
Primus
Rathay
Räuschling, roter
Räuschling, weißer
Regent
Regner
Rekord
Riesliner
Riesling, 150 Jahre alt
Riesling, Arom-
Riesling, August-
Riesling, Beutel-
Riesling, Bukett-
Riesling, Emerald-
Riesling, Firn-
Riesling, gelber
Riesling, Gold- (D)
Riesling, Gold- (Nö)
Riesling, Gold- (Stmk)
Riesling, Muskat-
Riesling, Okamagan-
Riesling, Reichs-
Riesling, roter
Riesling, schwarzer
Ripertella
Roesler
Rondo
Rotberger
Rotgipfler
Rotgipfler, weißer
Rückle
Sangiovese
Sauvignon, gris
Schaibkern
Schantl - Rebe
Schönburger
Schwarzgrobe
Schwarzriesling
Seidentraube
Seifert
Seperavi
Servant
Sibera
Siegerrebe
Siegfriedrebe
Silberweisse
Silvaner, blauer
Silvaner, roter
Slankamenka, roter
Slankamenka, weißer
Steinschiller, roter
Steinschiller, weißer
Tauberschwarz
Thurling
Tintet
Traminer, gelber
Traminer, grüner
Triumph
Trollinger (Steiermark)
Trollinger, blauer
Trollinger, Muskat-
Urban, blauer
Urrebe, steirische
Veltliner, blauer
Veltliner, brauner
Veltliner, rotweißer
Venosta
Venus
Wagner - Rebe
Wanner - Rebe
Welschliner
Wildbacher, blauer
Würzer
Zähringer
Zierfandler
Zimmettraube
Approx.20 more, unknown or just .
unidentified varieties
In case you might be wondering how Leth makes their appropriatedly named "Simply Wow 200 United" that is also explained on the excellent website:
Winemaking: All white varieties, (approx. 200) are harvested together as a field blend, pressed, fermented and matured in one wine. Only the finest and ripest bunches of each variety are used for this project to guarantee top quality. To provide the extraordinary array of fruit flavours, the wine making process is done completely in stainless steel. After maturing six month on lees, bottling is done usually in May.
And the other 4 varieties? Appropriately enough one was the Fritz Zweigelt Klosterneuburg Neuburger from another estimable Austrian producer, Heinrich
and a Zierfandler/Rotgipfler blend by another good Winzer, Alphart.
Finally, a true rarity, this Roter Traminer by Neumeister
Where were we able to find all these rarities? Not in one of the larger cities but at the ski resort, Lech am Arlberg. Most of these bottles came from Pfefferkorns Supermarket.
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