Thomas Schwarz’s goal is to make himself as unnecessary as possible—both in the vineyard and in the cellar. His vines and the soil on the Leithaberg where they grow are meant to be so healthy that they require hardly any human intervention; since 2005, the vineyards have been cultivated organically, using minimally invasive methods, and without plowing. The wines ferment spontaneously and without intervention, develop slowly, and age—even the white wines—for many years in large barrels, which preserve the wines’ flavor as gently as possible. He defines himself more by what he doesn’t have and doesn’t do: no new oak, no cultured yeasts, no sulfur during barrel aging, and no racking. For one of his sparkling wines, the Rosé Brut “ZZ,” he also forgoes dosage and sulfur.
In 2018, Thomas Schwarz decided to invest more in “less” and gradually reduced his vineyard area from 12 to 4 hectares. The goal: greater independence and direct, personal contact with every vine, from winter pruning all the way to the barrel. Back to the roots.
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