General

The steep site "Brandstatt" in Elsarn/Viessling is located at about 400m above sea level and has always been considered one of the best vineyards in the so-called "Spitzer Graben". It is oriented exactly to the south, the soil is pure mica slate. In 2005, the then owner, Margarethe Siebenhandl, had the vineyard cleared. Until the end, she cultivated the vineyard by hand. With the clearing, the old stone terraces were left to decay. Bushes, trees and wild vines contributed their share.In January 2009 I was able to buy the half-acre, neglected wasteland. My (life) task now is to save and recultivate this piece of authentic Wachau. First, the fallow land was cleared of brushwood; walls are now being repaired successively. In spring 2010, the first four terraces were planted with Riesling. With the 2013 BRANDSTATT, the first wine was released in May 2015.

Curriculum:

• Lithography training in Munich (1984 to 1986)
• Business College at the Institute for Economic Development in Vienna (1986 to 1988)
• Account Director at Advertising Agency Haupt-Stummer/J.W.Thompson, Vienna (1988 to 1991)

Theory:

• Napa Valley College of Viticulture (1991)
• Engineering School Wädenswill, Switzerland (1992)

Practice: 

• Pine Ridge Winery, Napa, USA (1991)
• Viticulture Fattoria di Montemaggio, Tuscany (1992)
• Viticulture experimental vineyards of the Engineering School Wädenswil, Switzerland (1992)
• Winery Winery Franz Keller/Schwarzer Adler, Baden, Germany (1992)
• Villa Maria and Esk Valley Winery, New Zealand (1993)
• Gunn Estate Winery, New Zealand (1996)
• Schlossweingut Graf Hardegg, Seefeld-Kadolz, Weinviertel (1993 to 2007): 14 years of management (viticulture, oenology, marketing and sales) with conversion to biodynamics from 2006
• Independent viticulture and wine marketing consultant since 2008

Weingut Veyder-Malberg: Foundation of the own winery based in Spitz an der Donau in March 2008