Why it matters
The producer
An oar, grappling hook and anchor appear in the original coat of arms on Winzerhof Hoch's labels. The Hochs were Danube shipping masters and controlled river traffic for more than 300 years. The family tree reaches back to 1640. In 1990, Harald Hoch and his wife Andrea assumed responsibility for the estate as its twelfth generation.
Their children Christoph and Daniela now support the family winery. Christoph also makes his own wines through a separate winery, Christoph Hoch, which has existed since 2012. Winzerhof Hoch farms 14 hectares of vineyard.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
The vineyards sit in Hollenburg, one of Kremstal's villages south of the Danube. They lie 200 to 350 metres above sea level, 50 to 200 metres above the river. Atlantic air mixes with warm Pannonian climate, while the Danube and Traisen influence the local mesoclimate.
Hollenburg's ground is conglomerate rock, consolidated river sediment from the Limestone Alps deposited by the ancient Traisen. Wines from this setting have crisp freshness and spice, concentrated aromas and creaminess.
Wines to know
The range in view
The Peter & Paul Grüner Veltliner is made entirely from Grüner Veltliner. The Peter & Paul Riesling is made entirely from Riesling. Both are pure varietal wines under the same producer name, with the grape providing the first difference between the bottles.
Grüner Veltliner is generally associated with peppery spice and a rounded palate, while Riesling is generally associated with citrus and a sharper line of acidity. The range places those two grape profiles side by side without a second variety changing either composition.