Wabi Sabi

Wabi-Sabi" is a wine project by Franz Hofstätter, an Austrian sommelier and wine professional, in collaboration with other local winemakers. The name comes from the Japanese aesthetic philosophy that finds beauty in imperfection. This concept directly informs the winemaking, which seeks to create authentic wines that are a pure expression of nature.

Region

The Wabi-Sabi project is based in Lower Austria (Niederösterreich), specifically in the Danube river region. The wines are a collaboration with various winemakers from areas like the Wachau and the Weinviertel. The vineyards' soils vary depending on the partner vineyard, but often include a mix of limestone, gravel, loess, and conglomerate.

Grapes Used

Wabi-Sabi works with a diverse range of grapes, both white and red.

  • White Grapes: 🥂 Grüner Veltliner and Riesling are key to the project. They also use Chardonnay, Welschriesling, Scheurebe, and Muskateller.

  • Red Grapes: 🍇 Zweigelt, St. Laurent, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Representative Wines and Philosophy

The Wabi-Sabi philosophy is centered on low-intervention and biodynamic viticulture. They work with vineyards that are Demeter-certified and prioritize biodiversity. In the cellar, they are minimalists, using spontaneous fermentation and avoiding the use of additives. Their wines are bottled with minimal sulfur, often unfiltered and unfined.

The portfolio is often organized by a specific style or color:

  • Ancestral Wines: These are sparkling wines made using the ancestral method (Pet-Nat), with no added sulfur.

  • "Orange Moon": A skin-fermented orange wine made from a blend of Grüner Veltliner and Riesling.

  • "a.qu.a.l.e.i.t.e.n.": A range of wines, often single-varietal (like Riesling or Grüner Veltliner), that showcase a more pure, mineral-driven style with low sulfur additions.

The Wabi-Sabi project stands out for its collaboration-based model and its deep philosophical commitment to crafting beautiful, imperfect, and authentic wines.

The provided video is an interview with Fred Loimer, a pioneer of biodynamic viticulture and a contemporary of some of the winemakers in the Wabi-Sabi network.

 

For more information about their wines and philosophy, you can visit their official website:
www.wabisabiwine.com