Weingut Peter Schandl is a family run business since 1741. It is currently run by Paul Schandl and his wife Elle Schandl.

Our visit with Paul Schandl began with a quick stop at the tasting room. Unfortunately his wife, Elle Schandl, wasn’t feeling too well that day so we didn’t get to meet her as planned.

As it was lunch time, we quickly moved over to Mooslechners Bürgerhaus, an excellent restaurant also in the charming and historic center of Rust. Along the way, Paul pointed out the nesting storks on some of the chimneys. Most of these storks are migratory birds, but a few have taken up year ’round residence.

At the Bürgerhaus (not burger house!) we enjoyed a wonderful lunch in the elegant small dining room. This is a first class restaurant and Paul is a bit of an honored guest there. The service and food was wonderful, and we were able to drink the Schandl wines with our meal. I absolutely believe that wine and food bring out the best in each other. And great company is a must!

http://www.hotelbuergerhaus-rust.at/buergerhaus/restaurant

Prices where shown are for wine from winery (ab Hof), not the restaurant price. Prices include the required 12% sales tax. Of course the cost of these wines is significantly higher in the U.S., due to transportation costs and our importer/distributor/retailer channels, but they are listed here for reference.)

Aperitif
2009 (Feiler-Artinger, another fine Rust winery) Blaufränkisch Sekt (rosé)

1st Course (Vorspeisen)
Gänselebervariation „TiMiMoo“
Foie Gras Variation

Jiddische Gänseleber mit Karamellzwetschke, Grapparosinen & hausgemachtem Brioche
Yiddish Goose Liver with Caramel Plums, Grappa Raisins & House Made Brioche

Wines for 1st Course:
2010 Schandl BA Cuvée (Welschriesling/Riesling/Traminer†) (375 ml)

2005 Schandl “TNT” Auslese (Traminer†/Neuburgunder/Traminer) (375 ml)
†aka Gewürtztraminer

2nd  Course (Suppen)
Hokkaidoschaumsuppe mit Kernöl & Croutons
Japanese Pumpkin Foam Soup with Pumpkin Seed Oil and Croutons

Topinamburschaumsuppe mit Tibettrüffel
Jerusalem Artichoke Soup with Tibetian Truffle

Wine:  *2011 Schandl Furmint (trocken)

Dessert (Süßes)
Topfenknöderl mit Zwetschkenröster
Cottage Cheese Dumplings with Plums

Mohntorte mit Powidl gefüllt in zarter Milchschokolade
Poppy Seed Cake filled with Plum Jam, covered in Smooth Milk Chocolate

Wine: *2006 Schandl Ruster Ausbruch (Furmint/Riesling) (375 ml)

After lunch we returned to the tasting room and proceeded to open bottle after bottle of interesting wine! As you can see from the list below, Paul makes a number of dry wines, as well as sweet wines and the regional specialty (sweet) Ruster Ausbruch.

This area is not traditionally known for either Grüner Veltliner or Riesling wines. The somewhat warmer climate does allow for varieties like Blaufränkisch and Cabernet Sauvignon to be sucessfully grown here.

I was fascinated by the Pinot noir because of it’s elegance and finesse. My home vineyards in Oregon are known for Pinot noir and I’m always intrigued to meet other cool climate expressions of this grape.

The dry Furmint was also very interesting. Furmint is usually used in the production of sweet wines, but Paul Schandl’s “Furmint trocken” is a complex and harmonious white wine with a balancing acidity that makes it especially ideal as a wine paired with food.

2011 Schandl Sauvignon Blanc

2011 Schandl Chardonnay Ried Gertberg (Spätlese trocken)

2010 Schandl Pinot Gris Ried Kreften (Auslese trocken)
                2-3 g/l rs. 100% new oak for 9 mos.

2010 Schandl Pinot Blanc

*2010 Schandl Pinot Noir
                60% new oak. From a 5 acre parcel.

2009 Schandl “Noir” Pinot noir Sekt

2009 Schandl “Gelb“ Gelber Muskateller Sekt

2009 Schandl Cabernet

2011 Schandl Blaufränkisch Ried Kreften
                10% new oak, 10 mos. Light toast.

Dessert Wine | Süßwein
*2010 Schandl “Pinot” Beerenauslese (Pinot gris/Pinot blanc) (375 ml)
                New oak, 120 g/l rs, 9% alc.

2010 Schandl Pinot noir Beerenauslese (375 ml)

2007 Schandl Ruster Ausbruch (Welschriesling, Riesling) (375 ml)
                10% alc.

2001 Schandl Ruster Ausbruch (Pinot blanc, Pinot gris)(250 ml)
                380 g/l rs. 7.5% alc.

1991 Schandl Ruster Ausbruch Rülander (aka Pinot gris)
               From what I could find elsewhere, this wine has the following characteristics:

               Paramètres analytiques :
               23 KMW (23% de sucre en masse volumique).
               Sucres résiduels : 66 g/L
               Alcool : 11 %Vol
               Acidité : 9,8 %

I consider myself extremely fortunate to taste these older vintage Ruster Ausbruch wines. In particular the 1991 was a fantastically vibrant wine and practically worth the trip to Austria in itself!

These 14 wines kept us busy for quite a while. In all, we tasted 16 of the 23 current wines from Weingut Peter Schandl, and two fascinating old rarities of Ruster Ausbruch. Maybe we should have started here a little earlier in the day! Paul was a great host and it was a pleasure to speak with him in both English and German. I look forward to visiting with him again as soon as possible.

We never did get over to see the cellar or the vineyards before dark. The drive back to Vienna was a happy one.

Visit their website here: Peter Schandl Weingut.