June 2026 Wine Club

Franz Weninger ‘Weinland’ 2023

The vibe: This is a very exciting month! We are delighted to share the incredible wines of Franz Weninger, a multi-generational natural winemaker and vigneron with parcels in both Austria and Hungary. Franz paid us a visit a few weeks back during his visit to the U.S. and we nearly hopped in his suitcase! We could’ve listened to him talk about geology, ripening cycles and the deep history of the region for hours, but we’ll just need to go visit him I guess! Who’s in? Club field trip anyone?? Franz’s wines are true terroir wines in the sense that he uses native varietals and historic winemaking methods to achieve raw, unfiltered wines that represent their place and the terroir. In fact, in Austrian wine law, ‘Weinland’ is the legal designation of origin for unfiltered wines from Burgenland and Lower Austria. Hence, this white wine is called simply ‘Weinland’ - a humble name for a wine that punches above its weight. It’s made mostly from Souvignier Gris, a hybrid grape Franz told us is a cross between Germany and Switzerland varietals. This little pink grape is just one of the hybrids Franz is expanding into as a response to climate change. We love it for its faint floral lift and gentle herbal edge that comes from the long lees aging. It’s similar to Furmint, with precise acidity and quiet fruit, but we find it even more accessible and easy to crush. And just in time for summer, too!

The winemaker: The story of Franz Weninger's wines is above all, the story of Austria and Hungary's shared history (and border). Working between both countries, Franz's family history stretches back to when the Austro-Hungarian empire was a single nation. His grandmother Rózsa Petsovits (the namesake for his delicious rosé) was born in Horitschon, Hungary a year before the town became part of Austria instead. Meanwhile, the nearby town of Sopron remained under Hungarian rule, and just like that a core part of the region became divided. Today Franz makes wines on both sides of the border, offering a uniquely delicious take on the terroir here. These are wines that celebrate their shared winemaking history, bringing together varieties and vineyards that were once part of the same nation. 

The geeky details: 100% Souvignier Gris, hand harvested then into large wooden barrels to age on the lees for 7 months. Bottled unfiltered.

 

Serve: With a chill.

Food pairing: This is such a zippy, fresh white and pretty much the perfect food wine! Pair this with seafood, spicy dishes or anything with an herby component - this wine has lots of herbal and stone fruit notes that will complement mountain cheeses too!

Album pairing: SiR - Chasing Summer

Franz Weninger ‘Rózsa Petsovits’ 2024

The vibe: Rózsa's return!! This is Franz’s biodynamic bi-national rosé named for his grandmother, a woman of formidable energy. Franz farms on both sides of the Austria–Hungary border, with parcels around Sopron (Hungary) and Mittelburgenland (Austria), all certified organic and biodynamic. The XXIV bottling is the 2024 release, and for the first time it's vinified exclusively from Blaufränkisch — old vines (15–20 years) on gneiss, loam and limestone soils. The result is a rosé with conviction: fruity, playful and serious all at once, leaving behind more than mere refreshment. This is truly one of the most thoughtful rosés coming out of Central Europe.

From Franz: “My grandmother would have been so happy to drink this vintage! For the first time vinified exclusively from Blaufränkisch grapes, Rózsa shows itself fruity and playful throughout the year. Blaufränkisch / Kékfrankos brings less spice to the glass, less dried hay than in previous vintages. Instead, there is more fruit – strawberry, perhaps even a hint of candied fruit. Joy in the glass – that could be this wine’s subtitle. And just as much: joy at the table, shared with friends.”

The winemaker: The story of Franz Weninger's wines is above all, the story of Austria and Hungary's shared history (and border). Working between both countries, Franz's family history stretches back to when the Austro-Hungarian empire was a single nation. His grandmother Rózsa Petsovits (the namesake for his delicious rosé) was born in Horitschon, Hungary a year before the town became part of Austria instead. Meanwhile, the nearby town of Sopron remained under Hungarian rule, and just like that a core part of the region became divided. Today Franz makes wines on both sides of the border, offering a uniquely delicious take on the terroir here. These are wines that celebrate their shared winemaking history, bringing together varieties and vineyards that were once part of the same nation. 

The geeky details: 100% Blaufränkisch, hand harvested followed by 10 day spontaneous fermentation then into large wooden barrels to age on the lees for 6 months. Bottled unfiltered.

 

Serve: With a light chill.

Food pairing: This is kind of a wild one! Our recommendation would be to throw a chill on it and pair with grilled fare like BBQ ribs, sausage, veggies and burgers! The combination of light body and refreshing acidity will keep you hydrated while you sweat it out at the cookout!

Album pairing: Sweatson Klank - Super Stuff

Franz Weninger Kékfrankos Balf 2021

The vibe: The Weninger family has been making wine since 1828 and because of their history in the region, they were one of the few allowed to purchase parcels in Hungary’s Sopron region, known as being the birthplace of the varietal internationally known as Blaufränkisch but locally known as Kékfrankos. Franz makes several single varietal Blaufränkisch wines and we tasted 5 of them with him, exploring the (honestly, incredibly vast) range between each wine’s profile. These Hungarian vines are in a unique site at a lower elevation versus his Austrian vines, meaning a warmer growing season and a slightly meatier, grippier mouthfeel. This is the perfect evening wind-down wine for when the crisp air starts rolling back in and you want to take the chill off. Save it for a quiet night or share it with your friends who “only drink cabs” and put them on to Hungarian Kékfrankos!

From Franz: “Kékfrankos is the wine variety of Sopron. Here it has its origin. Over the past years this variety got a lot of international reputation, whereas in Hungary it is still an underdog. For a long time, this grape was misunderstood and treated the wrong way. Nobody took care of it until my father made the first quality Kékfrankos of Hungary in 1997. Balf is a small village on the lake Neusiedl. Many thermal springs are situated here. Some are used as therapeutic baths, whilst the water from others is bottled as mineral water. Our Kékfrankos is a wine made with a deep understanding of the region and the place.”

The winemaker: The story of Franz Weninger's wines is above all, the story of Austria and Hungary's shared history (and border). Working between both countries, Franz's family history stretches back to when the Austro-Hungarian empire was a single nation. His grandmother Rózsa Petsovits (the namesake for his delicious rosé) was born in Horitschon, Hungary a year before the town became part of Austria instead. Meanwhile, the nearby town of Sopron remained under Hungarian rule, and just like that a core part of the region became divided. Today Franz makes wines on both sides of the border, offering a uniquely delicious take on the terroir here. These are wines that celebrate their shared winemaking history, bringing together varieties and vineyards that were once part of the same nation. 

The geeky details: 100% Kékfrankos (Blaufränkisch), hand harvested followed by 14 day spontaneous fermentation then into large wooden barrels to age for 15 months. Bottled unfiltered.

 

Serve: Cellar temp.

Food pairing: This is an earthy, medium-bodied red with a good hit of acidity and fruit leather notes. It has a lot going on, making it a great companion to complex, hearty dishes. Schwammalgulasch, a chanterelle mushroom goulash dish would be crazy next to this. Or how about Pörkölt, a Hungarian slow-cooked meat stew?? Yes please.

Album pairing: Sam Gellaitry - Anywhere Here Is Perfect

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WHAT THE FUNK?!

Hajszan Neumann Wiener Gemischter Satz Nussberg 2023

The vibe: Not to be confused with Franz Weninger, here we have a Viennese wine from winemaker Fritz Wieninger! This is the perfect contrast, and compliment to Franz’s wines. This wine too follows traditional winemaking methods but in this case is a field blend that evolves vintage to vintage, rather than a single varietal. And now, a quick history lesson:

Vienna, or Wien as the locals call it, is the only city in the world where vineyards flourish inside city limits. The Nussberg vineyard sites are situated above the city center and are the homes to some of the oldest vines in Austria, if not the most storied. From the times of Marie Theresa, these vineyards have produced a unique style of wine called Gemischter Satz. Most often described as a field blend of different varieties cultivated and vinified together, has been a traditional wine of Viennese provenance as winemakers sought a way to bring forth their seasonal bounty in an approachable, easy way; it was the original farm to table concept. Winemakers in former times made this style of wine as an easy cure all, in that different types of varieties planted together would be impervious to the unpredictability of mother nature. Where one variety may ripen early and others later, cultivating and vinifying this cornucopia of grapes together helped to insure the resulting wine was balanced and drinkable, no matter the growing or harvest conditions. This style fell out of favor in the intervening years as monoculture of single varieties expressing terrior gained popularity, and many of these vineyards were dug up and replaced. Stefan Hajszan, who after acquiring some 20 hectares of vineyards on the Nussberg was the first winemaker to cultivate his Wiener Gemischter Satz vineyards biodynamically and today Fritz Wieninger continues this tradition!

The winemaker:

Having been mentored in the ways of biodynamics by Stefan Hajszan, Fritz Wieninger continues traditional winemaking methods in the Hajszan Neumann vineyards in Wien: Nussberg and Weissleiten. A founding member and chairman of the Wien Wein growers association, a group dedicated to Wiener Gemischter Satz and a member of Respekt, a biodynamic growers association, Fritz has been instrumental in bringing Wiener Gemischter Satz back to the international stage. He has tended his vineyards in Wien since the late 90s and employed biodynamic farming methods since 2006. Taking over the 20 hectares of Hajszan-Neumann, Fritz aims to continue his friend and mentor’s dedication to producing top quality, terroir driven, Wiener Gemischter Satz.

The geeky details: 30% Grüner Veltliner, 26% Pinot Blanc, 22% Riesling, 15% Welschriesling, 5% Sauvignon Blanc, 2% Traminer. Hand harvested and individually macerated for several hours followed by native fermentation and maturation in stainless steel tanks on the fine lees before blending and bottling. Unfined and unfiltered.

 

Serve: With a chill.

Food pairing: For a funky wine with a fun background, this bottle is actually very versatile when it comes to pairings. Whip up a chicken paprikash and dine like the Viennese. We have a feeling this would also go well with the notoriously difficult-to-pair asparagus dish - try it out!

Album pairing: Kruder & Dorfmeister - G-Stoned EP

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EASYYYY

Franz Weninger Blaufränkisch 2021

The vibe: This is a really cool contrast to the Hungarian  Kékfrankos, with a bit more body but leaning slightly away from the meatiness of that cuvée and dipping further into its minerality and purple fruit notes. This expression reflects the diversity of the soils in the Mittelburgenland in Austria, bringing loam and limestone into the glass. The grapes are picked from about 30 plots, with vines between 5 and 35 years old. Sour cherry, black olives and dark berries combine for a fresh and fruity palate with great acidity and spicy tannins.

The winemaker: The story of Franz Weninger's wines is above all, the story of Austria and Hungary's shared history (and border). Working between both countries, Franz's family history stretches back to when the Austro-Hungarian empire was a single nation. His grandmother Rózsa Petsovits (the namesake for his delicious rosé) was born in Horitschon, Hungary a year before the town became part of Austria instead. Meanwhile, the nearby town of Sopron remained under Hungarian rule, and just like that a core part of the region became divided. Today Franz makes wines on both sides of the border, offering a uniquely delicious take on the terroir here. These are wines that celebrate their shared winemaking history, bringing together varieties and vineyards that were once part of the same nation. 

The geeky details: 100% Blaufränkisch, hand harvested followed by 10 day spontaneous fermentation then into large wooden barrels to age for 18 months. Bottled unfiltered.

 

Serve: Cellar temp.

Food pairing: Slightly less meaty versus the Kékfrankos, this Blaüfrankisch leans into its juicy fruitiness, making it a refreshing pairing for seared or roasted meat dishes, and pretty much any savory Central European dish like wiener schnitzel or goulash.

Album pairing: Thomas Asselman - Paradis EP