Mailberg Valley

[The village-part "Neustift" with the "Seefeldgasse", the church of the Saint Kunigunde, in the background up to the "Buchberg" the cellar lane "Marktweg"]

A VALLEY, AN ISLAND OF EXCELLENCE	"MAILBERG VALLEY"	ORIGIN AND QUALITY GUARANTEED
Surrounded by picturesque mountains, the village of Mailberg is situated in a natural basin. The slopes around the village are planted with vineyards, while forests, both deciduous and coniferous, keep vigil above. The grapes benefit from sunshine until late in the autumn in this sheltered location. It is this micro-climate which gives the wines of the area their distinctive character and made their name already centuries ago.	The controlled destignation of origin "Mailberg Valley" guarantees that the wine bearing this seal originates from the Mailberg vineyards and exhibits the specific characteristics of Mailberg wines: intensive spice, body and maturity.	The Mailberg vineries have joined forces to emphasize the special characterisrics of the wines from Mailberg appelation. The destignation "Mailberg Valley" is only given, if a wine originates from 100% Mailberg vineyards the vineyards are cultivated according the guidelines of "controlled, integrated plant protection" it complies with the requirements of the official certification number it passes strict tests carried out by an internal commission

A VALLEY, AN ISLAND OF EXCELLENCE

"MAILBERG VALLEY"

ORIGIN AND QUALITY GUARANTEED

Surrounded by picturesque mountains, the village of Mailberg is situated in a natural basin.
The slopes around the village are planted with vineyards, while forests, both deciduous and coniferous, keep vigil above.
The grapes benefit from sunshine until late in the autumn in this sheltered location.
It is this micro-climate which gives the wines of the area their distinctive character and made their name already centuries ago.

The controlled destignation of origin "Mailberg Valley" guarantees that the wine bearing this seal originates from the Mailberg vineyards and exhibits the specific characteristics of Mailberg wines: intensive spice, body and maturity.

Mailberg-Valley Logo

The Mailberg vineries have joined forces to emphasize the special characterisrics of the wines from Mailberg appelation.
The destignation "Mailberg Valley" is only given, if

a wine originates from 100% Mailberg vineyards
the vineyards are cultivated according the guidelines of "controlled, integrated plant protection"
it complies with the requirements of the official certification number
it passes strict tests carried out by an internal commission

[again the church of the Saint Kunigunde, and in background the cellar lane "Rosenpoint"

>ORIGIN COUNTS	GREEN	AND BLUE
More than other plants, the vine communicates the characteristics of soil and climate to its fruit. The Mailberg "terroir" is formed on the one hand by the interaction between the fresh climate of the Northern Weinviertel and the protected location of vineyards in the valley. The soil, on the other hand, a chalky undersoil with a top layer of loamy sands and loess, also influences the characteristics of the wine. Both elements together help to develop a wine with a delicate, finely balanced acidity.	The most important grape sort in the Mailberg is the Grüner Veltliner. This Austrian classic reaches a special degree of aroma and concentration on the sunny slopes which give the wine great charm even in its youth. They also give great potential, making full-bodied wines perfect for ageing which show their true colours and subtlety after several years in the bottle. Thanks to the chalky soil, Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc, too, can mature impressively in the Mailberg valley.	The protect bollow of the Mailberg valley is also perfect for the cultivation of red wines. The Blauer Zweigelt is the most important red grape variety in the Mailberg. The long vegetation period gives the wines a velvety structure, dark colouring, and pronounced fruit. The aromatic Blauer Portugieser and Merlot are also cultivated, and the Mailberg boasts the oldest cultivation of Cabernet Sauvignon in Lower Austria.

>ORIGIN COUNTS

GREEN

AND BLUE

More than other plants, the vine communicates the characteristics of soil and climate to its fruit. The Mailberg "terroir" is formed on the one hand by the interaction between the fresh climate of the Northern Weinviertel and the protected location of vineyards in the valley. The soil, on the other hand, a chalky undersoil with a top layer of loamy sands and loess, also influences the characteristics of the wine. Both elements together help to develop a wine with a delicate, finely balanced acidity.

The most important grape sort in the Mailberg is the Grüner Veltliner. This Austrian classic reaches a special degree of aroma and concentration on the sunny slopes which give the wine great charm even in its youth. They also give great potential, making full-bodied wines perfect for ageing which show their true colours and subtlety after several years in the bottle.
Thanks to the chalky soil, Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc, too, can mature impressively in the Mailberg valley.

The protect bollow of the Mailberg valley is also perfect for the cultivation of red wines.
The Blauer Zweigelt is the most important red grape variety in the Mailberg. The long vegetation period gives the wines a velvety structure, dark colouring, and pronounced fruit.
The aromatic Blauer Portugieser and Merlot are also cultivated, and the Mailberg boasts the oldest cultivation of Cabernet Sauvignon in Lower Austria.

ANCIENT KNWOLEDGE	CELLAR LANES	MARINE ANIMALS IN THE WINE CELLARS
Already the Quades knew that the Mailberg area is predestined for wine cultivation and the first indication of wine planting and harvesting probably dates back to the first millenium. Firm evidence puts winemaking here in the year 1140, when the Order of the Knights of Malta in "Mourberg" received a gift of vineyards. This makes the Mailberg the oldest property of the Knights of the Order of Malta, and their impressive castle above the village communicates centuries of tradition even today.	Today, Mailberg is planted with 300 hectares of vines, cultivated by around 140 vintners, many of them work their vineyards as a second occupation. Still, wine cultivation is a defining element of life in the area, a fact which finds expression in an architectural peculiarity of the village, the cellar lanes, where neat, white plastered houses with green and brown doors and steep red tiled roofs standing in rows seem to form a village within the village. This village is quiet. It is only filled with life when lovers assemble to taste the wines maturing in their barrels.	While the entrances of the cellar houses is at ground level, there is a tunnel dug deep into the flank of the mountain. This cellar was dug out of the loess ground to a depth of ten meters under the ground and found a constant temperature and humidity, ideal conditions for maturing wines. Often the walls of the shafts leading in theses cellars, display marine fossils from the prehistoric ocean once covering the area and thus remind the visitor of the millions of years of history of the soil which moulds the Mailberg wines today.

ANCIENT KNWOLEDGE

CELLAR LANES

MARINE ANIMALS IN THE WINE CELLARS

Already the Quades knew that the Mailberg area is predestined for wine cultivation and the first indication of wine planting and harvesting probably dates back to the first millenium. Firm evidence puts winemaking here in the year 1140, when the Order of the Knights of Malta in "Mourberg" received a gift of vineyards.
This makes the Mailberg the oldest property of the Knights of the Order of Malta, and their impressive castle above the village communicates centuries of tradition even today.

Today, Mailberg is planted with 300 hectares of vines, cultivated by around 140 vintners, many of them work their vineyards as a second occupation. Still, wine cultivation is a defining element of life in the area, a fact which finds expression in an architectural peculiarity of the village, the cellar lanes, where neat, white plastered houses with green and brown doors and steep red tiled roofs standing in rows seem to form a village within the village.
This village is quiet. It is only filled with life when lovers assemble to taste the wines maturing in their barrels.

While the entrances of the cellar houses is at ground level, there is a tunnel dug deep into the flank of the mountain. This cellar was dug out of the loess ground to a depth of ten meters under the ground and found a constant temperature and humidity, ideal conditions for maturing wines.
Often the walls of the shafts leading in theses cellars, display marine fossils from the prehistoric ocean once covering the area and thus remind the visitor of the millions of years of history of the soil which moulds the Mailberg wines today.

[Two cards show the location of Mailberg, a picture of a cellar lane "Obere Trifft"]

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