Just about anything is possible in the Neusiedlersee winegrowing region. In 7,649 hectares of vineyards, a selection of white, red and sweet wines matures on the shores of the shallow steppe lake: from dry, fresh wines to full-bodied and aromatic wines to the world-famous sweet wines, with the diversity of the Zweigelt coming more and more to the fore in recent years. The Neusiedlersee DAC designation of origin, introduced in 2012, is also dedicated to this, and now completes the Burgenland DAC family. With 1,812 hectares, Zweigelt is the main variety here; for the classic Neusiedlersee DAC, it is bottled as a single variety; in the reserve category, the Zweigelt share must be at least 60%, and only autochthonous grape varieties may be used in a blend; ageing takes place in wood. The vines can store pure sunshine in the extensive enclosed vineyards. The fully effective Pannonian climate with its hot, dry summers and cold winters, together with Lake Neusiedl as a temperature regulator, ensures a long growing season. High humidity and autumnal fog favour the noble rot (Botrytis cinerea) that regularly occurs here as the basis for the highest Prädikat wines such as Beerenauslesen and Trockenbeerenauslesen. These specialities have contributed significantly to making Seewinkel, which is still relatively young compared to more traditional Austrian wine growing regions, known throughout the world. The very sophisticated soil structure - from loess and black earth to gravel and sand - allows an equally diverse range of grape varieties to flourish. In the white wine segment, it is mainly Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay as well as aromatic varieties, in addition to the leading variety Welschriesling, while in the red segment the Blaue Zweigelt is at the top, accompanied by Blaufränkisch, St. Laurent and Pinot Noir as well as international "immigrants". Whether they have been developed with fruit charm, matured in wooden barrels or barriques, whether single-varietal or as a blend - the red wines from Lake Neusiedl are clearly on the road to success. The regional gastronomy has also started a real campaign of enjoyment, scoring points with an exciting combination of creative modern cuisine and down-to-earth produce. Vegetable specialities, fish or old breeds of cattle enrich the menus, accompanied by suitable wines for every taste. As a balance to the wine-culinary pampering programme, cycling tours, horse riding or water sports are offered, and the selection of guest rooms in every category leaves nothing to be desired - from Neusiedl am See and Gols on the north shore to Podersdorf, Illmitz, Apetlon and Pamhagen in the south and Andau, Frauenkirchen or Mönchhof in the east of the area. Halbturn Castle provides cultural highlights with exhibitions and concerts all year round.
