PRESS INFORMATION FACTS ABOUT SONNENMULDE ORGANIC WINERY Sonnenmulde Organic Winery - Tradinnovative and in touch with nature. The Schreiner family cultivates about 17 hectares of best vineyard plots at the Sonnenmulde Organic Wine Estate in Gols, one of the most famous and successful winegrowing villages in Austria, situated on the north-eastern shore of Lake Neusiedl. Red and white wines are cultivated in approximately equal proportions and also great sweet wines can be found in the assortment. The winery has been run as a pure family business for many generations and has always been owned by the Schreiner family. No wonder, then, that they're all about the wine. The name Sonnenmulde originated from a vineyard that lies in a hollow, and the logo, the vine-crowned sun, has always been featured on the label of the winery. Since 2007, the Schreiner family has managed the winery completely according to the guidelines of organic farming. The family has always been very close to nature and aware of the responsibility for their environment. After many years of careful and thoughtful work in the vinyards they decided to officially convert the winery into a truly organic farm and have had great success with it since then. Furthermore the wines are also vegan. The wines are distributed in Austria as well as internationally. Important markets besides the domestic one are Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Great Britain and Scandinavia. Future plans include further expansion into the swiftly emerging markets of the newly industrialized countries around the world. The Sonnenmulde Organic Winery is slowly but steadily growing by means of buying or leasing selected new vinyards. If an opportunity arises and a good growing area becomes available an acquisition is considered, but in any case quality considerations always take precedence. In the Sonnenmulde Estate Winery personal work is much valued. If in the vinyards, the wine cellar or when talking to customers, someone of the Schreiner family is always involved and cares about it. Only that way the very best wine quality, the best customer service and of course their maximum satisfaction can be ensured. At the Sonnenmulde organic wine estate, special emphasis is placed on personal work. Whether in the vineyard, in the cellar or in customer service, the family is always part of it and takes care of everything that's necessary. Only then the best Wine quality, the best customer service and their full satisfaction can be guaranteed. THE WINERY Wine-growers know their vines. Since generations the Schreiner family has lived in harmony with them and through the grapes they bear. Being entirely a family busines the family members constantly work in the vinyards and with the vines themselves. That allows a comprehensive knowledge about the growing areas, the condition of all vines and about the grapes in every single year. This intimate knowledge then enables them to yield the best grapes possible. Individualised and experienced work in all stages of wine creation does pay of. And this is exactly what can be done best in a family business where everyone is involved wholeheartedly. There wines can develop that bring joy to more and more people all over the world, all the time. Awareness of tradition and affinity to nature play an important role in the creation of the wines. On the other hand, the winemaker Andreas Schreiner is also open to fresh ideas. Not every tradition is good simply because things have always been done this way, just as not every new trend is a smart thing to follow. Because of this, it is very important to him to combine modern winemaking techniques which add to wine quality with old traditional methods wherever reasonable and possible. The Schreiner's simply call this Tradinnovation. THE SCHREINER FAMILY The Schreiner family has been cultivating vines as long as one can remember and has always been at the forefront when it came to top wine quality. Even back in the 1920's the winery was well known for sophisticated wine culture and high quality standards, an attitude that still exists today and is decisive for the families philosophy. Naturally a lot has changed since then, but still all family members are as much and as wholeheartedly involved as back then. Year after year they strive to create great wines. Nowadays the siblings Andreas and Kathrin have taken over the winery and are managing it with their families. But of course the older generation is still involved and shares the work as well as the enjoyments of living a winemaker's life. Andreas Schreiner - Involved in the winery from his earliest days on his career choice has always been clear to him. He graduated from enologist school in Klosterneburg and from the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences in Vienna. He applies his expertise out in the vineyards as well as in the wine cellar and ejoys to present his wines at Austrian and international events alike. Kathrin Schreiner - She is mainly active in the business domain of the winery. Following her business studies at the University of Vienna she worked in an international environment to gain experience. Now she isresponsible for most of the organisational work in the winery as well as for wine presentations. Hans Schreiner - Took over the winery from his parents in 1983 and managed it with his wife until the childreen took over. In this time he modernised vineyards and wines and increasingly focused on natural production methods. With this he laid the foundation for today's successful path of the winery and is still available every day with advice a helping hand. Renate Schreiner - Also comes from a family of winegrowers and really knows her craft. She still takes care of a large part the handicrafts in the vineyards and is also indispensable in many organisational matters. ORGANIC WINEGROWING After twenty years of near-natural production, it was decided in the Sonnenmulde Winery to take the big step and switch to fully certified organic wine-growig in 2007. For the family today, this was without question one of best decisions ever made and is in every respect a full success. To produce according to the guidelines for organic farming means intensive work with the soil, the plants and with all other living beings that populate a vineyard, as opposed to a simplistic, sole concentration on the vines alone. Everything revolves around the formation of a diverse ecosystem, in place of a barren monoculture. Soil revitalisation through green manure and compost provides all of the nutrients that the vines need, entirely without chemicals or artificial fertilizers. Many useful insects find their ideal habitat in an organic vineyard, keeping pests in check and attracting larger animals like birds and mammals. A vital environment leads to healthy and strong vines that grow the very best grapes, full of sweetness, aroma and perfectly natural of course. Only such grapes are the right choice for making great wines. All of them are fermented gently and are given plenty of time to settle, age and to get ready for drinking. The family is proud of their old traditional wine cellar with big oakwood barrels that are supported by modern winemaking equipment where needed and beneficial. A lively, healthy environment is very important to us. To illustrate that we have chosen selected native animals and plants that live in our vinyards to represent our wines on the labels. Each one shares a little attribute or a small fact with the wines they stand for. And and every bottle of our wines helps to get the word out that there is much more than just vines in an organic vinyard. SUCCESS STORIES A simple philosophy that is reflected in all works of the Sonnenmulde Winery is that organic wines don't just have to compare to each other but to all wines available on the market. Thus they have to be at least as good if not better. It takes effort and a strong focus on quality but there is no question that it can be done. Sonnenmulde wines compete in various wine competitions every year and always receive excellent ratings. A complete list of all awards would go beyond the scope of this document, so the full list is available from the website of the winery. Despite all awards and recommendations, a true impression can only be gained by personal tasting. Enjoy the wines and see for yourself why the Schreiner's have chosen this path and why they are so confident to be right. Just taste - you'll see! MORE INFORMATION Press info texts: https://www.sonnenmulde.at/press/ Photos and logos: https://www.sonnenmulde.at/press/ Awarded Sonnenmulde Wines: https://www.sonnenmulde.at/wines/awards/ All informational material: https://www.sonnenmulde.at/press/ CONTACT Andreas Schreiner and Kahtrin Schreiner e-Mail: press@sonnenmulde.at web: https://www.sonnenmulde.at