Organic Fertilizer
It’s all about buffalo shit!
Only natural fertilizers are employed in the vineyard, which are sourced from his old friend and companion, Robert Paget, who is an artisan cheese maker. The goats and buffalos that produce the superb raw milk used for Paget’s cheeses are also the source for the rich natural fertilizers applied in the Hirsch estate’s vineyards.
1999
Our final red wine harvest
a radical step….
Johannes Hirsch made a radical departure from the norm with his very last red wine harvest. Immune to the then-current trend, he cleared out all of the red wine vineyards, since then planting and producing Grüner Veltliner and Riesling exclusively.
2000
Roman wine
for the Gasthaus zum lustigen Bauern
An experiment for the Gasthaus zum lustigen Bauern (at the sign of the Merry Farmer) in Zeiselmauer: an ‘ancient Roman’ wine made with fruits and honey.
2002
The screw cap
and goodbye to the cork…
This year we said auf Wiederschau’n to cork and made the decision to bottle and ship our entire portfolio – without exception – under screw cap. And of course this set off a tempest of animated discussion! Today, the screw cap has long since established itself as the best of all non-cork closures, even for particularly fine wines destined for long-term aging.
2006
The transition to biodynamic viticulture
for us it has always been clear…
that this was the logical development of father Josef Hirsch’s practices… He was already using organic compost exclusively as fertiliser by the end of the 1970s.
2008
Nomination for ‘Austrian of the Year’
harvesting the laurels
We were nominated this year by the Austrian daily newspaper Die Presse for the title Austrian of The Year in the category ’Business Innovations‘ for our pioneering work with the screw cap closure.
2010
Organic certification
viticulture in harmony with the rhythms of Nature
This transition was a logical step for us. We have committed ourselves to the preservation of biodiversity in the vineyard, to integrated composting, to working the vineyards by hand and employing the gentlest possible cellar-practices.
2011
Falstaff magazine Winegrower of the Year
a prestigious distinction…
Austrian wine magazine Falstaff selected us this year as Winzer des Jahres. This counts as a substantial confirmation of the path we’ve chosen to follow. [PDF Download Falstaff article]
2013
A gentler method of pruning
to strengthen our vines
We adopted the methods of gentle pruning that the Marco Simonit and Pierpalo Sirch developed in Friuli. This style of pruning contributes greatly to vigorous growth and strengthening of the vines, helping them to draw nourishment more effectively from our healthy soil. www.simonitesirch.com