Winemaker Christian Reiterer: The Schilcher visionary
Lightness, joie de vivre and sparkling moments - that's what I want to convey to the people who enjoy our wines
Christian Reiterer was born and raised at Lamberg near Wies; his strong bond with his homeland and his fascination with the Blauer Wildbacher grape inspired him from a young age to pursue his vision of a large, modern winery in Weststeiermark and finally make it a reality. It began with three hectares of farmland, only one hectare of which was vineyard, at Lamberg. Today the winery is among the largest and most modern in Styria.
Making Schilcher socially acceptable
„From the very beginning, I was fascinated by the Blauer Wildbacher grape and its possibilities,“ Christian Reiterer recalls. At that time, this grape variety mostly produced classic, rustic Schilcher, drunk mainly in the regional Buschenschank taverns. Reiterer's goal was to develop these wines further and make them internationally known as a regional specialty. ‘On the one hand, I saw this potential in single-vineyard Schilcher, which perfectly expresses its respective terroir,“ says Reiterer, „on the other hand, I discovered that the grape, with its piquancy, fresh acidity and wonderful fruit, is the perfect base for sparkling wines.“ So, back in the 1980s, he already started with the products that would become the winery's trademark: Schilcher Rosé Frizzante and Schilcher Rosé Sekt.
Wine and horses
Reiterer now farms around 60 hectares of his own vineyards on top sites in Weststeiermark and exports most of his wines to ten countries around the world. Alongside the winery and his many travels, this passionate connoisseur also finds time for his great passion: horses and riding - for him, the most beautiful way to keep rediscovering the wonderful nature around Wies