Region: Burgenland, Austria (Purbach / Leithaberg)
Grapes: 70% Grüner Veltliner, 20% Sauvignon Blanc, 10% Furmint
Body: Light to Medium
Notes: Fresh yellow apple, lemon verbena, grapefruit rind, crushed wet limestone, white flower bouquet, with a vibrant, chalky texture and an ethereal mineral persistence
Pairing: Raw or grilled seafood, spicy Southeast Asian noodles, roasted chicken with fresh herbs, schnitzel with fresh lemon, or independent charcuterie boards
Christian Tschida is a legendary, boundary-pushing pioneer of the Austrian natural wine movement, operating out of Illmitz on the eastern shores of Lake Neusiedl in Burgenland. Long labeled the "enfant terrible" of the region for his rejection of standard winemaking templates, Tschida has earned global cult status and top critical acclaim for his uncompromisingly pure, expressive cuvées. He tends to 14 hectares of pristine vineyards managed like botanical gardens, packed with vibrant cover crops, herbs, and wild insects. His unique viticultural practices include a double-planting system that forces vine roots to dive ultra-deep into schist and limestone soils for nutrients. In the cellar, Tschida functions strictly as a non-interventionist transformer: utilizing an incredibly gentle, custom vertical press that applies only the "pressure of a handshake," relying on native wild yeasts, aging in custom Stockinger oak casks, and bottling completely unfined, unfiltered, and strictly "zero-zero" with no added sulfur since 2013.
The 2024 "Himmel auf Erden" (Heaven on Earth) Weiss is Christian Tschida’s signature white cuvée—an iconic flagship bottle that perfectly illustrates his "best-of" blending principle. The label features an artwork etching by Tschida's late artist friend, Alfred Hrdlicka, capturing a Bacchanalian spirit of uninhibited enjoyment. Sourced from densely planted vineyards on the steep, hard limestone slopes of the Leithaberg mountains, the blend is anchored around 60-year-old vines of Grüner Veltliner, beautifully accented by old-vine Sauvignon Blanc and a focused splash of Furmint. The hand-harvested grapes are gently crushed by foot and undergo a spontaneous native yeast fermentation with no temperature regulation or racking. The wine is aged for roughly 10 months on its raw lees in large, neutral Stockinger oak foudres. Bottled completely unfined, unfiltered, and without a single milligram of added sulfur, this highly scannable natural wine balances an ethereal, unweighted texture with laser-sharp alpine freshness and an intense, mouthwatering mineral core.
Region: Burgenland, Austria (Purbach / Leithaberg)
Grapes: 70% Grüner Veltliner, 20% Sauvignon Blanc, 10% Furmint
Body: Light to Medium
Notes: Fresh yellow apple, lemon verbena, grapefruit rind, crushed wet limestone, white flower bouquet, with a vibrant, chalky texture and an ethereal mineral persistence
Pairing: Raw or grilled seafood, spicy Southeast Asian noodles, roasted chicken with fresh herbs, schnitzel with fresh lemon, or independent charcuterie boards
Christian Tschida is a legendary, boundary-pushing pioneer of the Austrian natural wine movement, operating out of Illmitz on the eastern shores of Lake Neusiedl in Burgenland. Long labeled the "enfant terrible" of the region for his rejection of standard winemaking templates, Tschida has earned global cult status and top critical acclaim for his uncompromisingly pure, expressive cuvées. He tends to 14 hectares of pristine vineyards managed like botanical gardens, packed with vibrant cover crops, herbs, and wild insects. His unique viticultural practices include a double-planting system that forces vine roots to dive ultra-deep into schist and limestone soils for nutrients. In the cellar, Tschida functions strictly as a non-interventionist transformer: utilizing an incredibly gentle, custom vertical press that applies only the "pressure of a handshake," relying on native wild yeasts, aging in custom Stockinger oak casks, and bottling completely unfined, unfiltered, and strictly "zero-zero" with no added sulfur since 2013.
The 2024 "Himmel auf Erden" (Heaven on Earth) Weiss is Christian Tschida’s signature white cuvée—an iconic flagship bottle that perfectly illustrates his "best-of" blending principle. The label features an artwork etching by Tschida's late artist friend, Alfred Hrdlicka, capturing a Bacchanalian spirit of uninhibited enjoyment. Sourced from densely planted vineyards on the steep, hard limestone slopes of the Leithaberg mountains, the blend is anchored around 60-year-old vines of Grüner Veltliner, beautifully accented by old-vine Sauvignon Blanc and a focused splash of Furmint. The hand-harvested grapes are gently crushed by foot and undergo a spontaneous native yeast fermentation with no temperature regulation or racking. The wine is aged for roughly 10 months on its raw lees in large, neutral Stockinger oak foudres. Bottled completely unfined, unfiltered, and without a single milligram of added sulfur, this highly scannable natural wine balances an ethereal, unweighted texture with laser-sharp alpine freshness and an intense, mouthwatering mineral core.
What is natural wine?
Natural wine is wine made with minimal intervention from the winemaker, using organically or biodynamically grown grapes and without the addition of chemicals or additives such as sulfites. The result is a wine that is unique, expressive, and often has a more complex and nuanced flavor profile than conventional wines. Natural wine is also often associated with sustainable and ethical farming practices, making it a popular choice for those interested in environmentally friendly and socially responsible products.