When people think Austrian wines, they invariably think “white wine.” But Burgenland, located at the far eastern edge of Austria on the banks of Lake Neusiedler, is primarily red wine country.

The limestone hills surrounding the lake are the ideal conditions for indigenous red grape varieties like zweigelt, saint-laurent, and blaufränkisch.

Gernot and Heike Heinrich are a dynamic winemaking couple. In Gols, they use modern facilities to produce a range of reds and whites of the highest quality. Their reds, which form the bulk of their output, are among the finest in Austria.

The vineyards have always been organic, based on their belief that natural farming yields the finest grapes. Across the board, Heinrich’s reds are distinguished by the brightness of their fruit and their sumptuous, velvety textures. The blaufränkisch, often compared to gamay, combines the fragrance of syrah spices with the drinkability of a great pinot. Zweigelt has a similar feel, yet offers more structure. Saint Laurent, always the most complex of the three, can be seen as the “spicy” cousin of a pretty Côte de Beaune rouge.

The blaufränkisch and the Saint Laurent are available as specialty wines at the SAQ.