Field Blend - a unique approach to winemaking

I've been learning about Field Blends, a style of wine that's rare and unusual, and can make wonderful products.

In a Field Blend, grapes of different varietals are grown together in a single vineyard, then harvested and pressed in the same vat. This approach is distinct from most blends, where the varietals are vinified separately and blended according to the whim and expertise of the winemaker.

While field blends can be occasionally found in California and elsewhere, they are a specialty of one wine region - the vineyards within the city limits of Vienna, Austria. Vienna itself is unusual because it has over 600 hectares planted to the vine, the most within any urban centre in the world. The Nussberg hill is famous for the quality of its wines.

The Viennese (and their Roman and Celtic predecessors) have been making wine for over two and a half centuries. Wine is an important part of the culture and economy of the city, which is abundant with wine bars and "Heurigers", the buffet/banquets offered by city wineries (though limited by a peculiar law that permits each Heuriger to open only two weeks each month).In Vienna, field blends are called Gemischter Satz, and may be made from as few as two to as many as twenty varietals. They are often based on Grüner Veltliner, Riesling and Chardonnay, the most common grapes in the area.

My interest in Gemischter Satz comes from my meeting with Austrian winemaker Alexander Skoff from Zehal Wine in Vienna. His 2008 Gemischter Satz Nussberg is a perfect summer sipper - light and fruity, with a crisp finish that won't quit. It's made from Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris, harvested from 25 year old vines that grow on the Nussberg hillside next to the Danube River. Doesn't that sound lovely?

And it is. I've ordered two cases for ZenKitchen, along with some gorgeous Grüner Veltliner, and hope to have it on the list by the time the patio opens.

I can hardly wait.