Stift Klosterneuburg Blaufränkisch 2019

When you're out finding your first Austrian winery, you might as well make it a good one. Stift Klosterneuburg, on the grounds of Klosterneuburg Cathedral just outside Vienna, is the oldest wine estate in Austria and one of the oldest in the world, with a history dating back as far as the Augustine monks who've resided there since St. Leopold established a monastery and church in 1114. Klosterneuburg redefines sustainability — there are vineyards here that have been in continuous production for 900 years (albeit with occasional replantings!).

Still owned by the Augustine Order, the winery is Europe's first certified carbon neutral wine producer, an ongoing process that incorporates everything from the carbon neutral power plant that powers the entire monastery campus, to how employees get to and from work.

Vineyards are split between the immediate locales of Klosterneuburg and Vienna for the white wines, with vineyards for the reds located further south in the Thermenregion, one of the most renowned regions for Austrian red wines. Grüner Veltiner, Riesling and Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc) dominate the whites, with St. Laurent, Zweigelt and Pinot Noir the most celebrated of the reds.