A few years ago, our search for a quaffable, delicious, well made liter of Gruner Veltliner led us to two brothers, Franz and Karl, the fourth generation to run their family wine estate in the small village of Walkersdorf. Established in 1898, the Franz Etz estate lies just south east of the famous wine-town of Langenlois and includes parcels of some of the most important vineyards of the region such as Gaisberg, Offenberg, Kammerner Hund, Galgenberg, and Wechselberg.

With nearly 40 hectares of vineyard in production, the Etz estate prides itself on synthesizing the modern and the traditional. Their goal is to offer wines that show themselves from vineyard to bottle entirely in harmony with nature and the environment.

The Etz brothers place their emphasis on a peppery and spicy style of gruner veltliner, exclusively fermented in stainless steel tank. Temperature controlled fermentations are conducted with indigenous as well as cultured yeast, depending on the demands of the individual lot. Time resting on the fine-lees adds complexity and polish to the wine.