One of the six specific wine-growing regions in the Austrian province or generic wine-growing region of Burgenland. It was restructured in 2016 with changes to the designations and area boundaries. Leithaberg includes parts of the Neusiedlersee-Hügelland (the name no longer exists) and Neusiedlersee wine-growing regions. These are the free city of Eisenstadt, the political district of Eisenstadt-Umgebung with the municipalities of Breitenbrunn, Donnerskirchen, Großhöflein, Hornstein, Loretto, Mörbisch, Oggau, Oslip, Purbach, Rust (special regulation since 2021; see below under DAC system), St. Margarethen, Schützen am Gebirge, Siegendorf, St. Georgen, St. Margarethen, Wulkaprodersdorf and Zagersdorf, as well as the municipalities of Jois and Winden (both previously Neusiedlersee). In addition, Leithaberg was also assigned some vineyards of the municipality of Neusiedl am See, the rest of the Neusiedler vineyards belong to the Neusiedlersee wine-growing region.
History
Celtic burial mounds from the 7th century BC with grape seed remains were discovered in the municipality of Zagersdorf. This makes the village one of the oldest wine-growing communities in Austria, alongside Stillfried in the Weinviertel. A few centuries later, Roman settlers planted vines and thus initiated viticulture on a larger scale. Burgenland was heavily affected by the Turkish invasions in the 16th and 17th centuries. The well-known legend of the "Purbach Turk", who overslept the departure of his troops due to excessive wine consumption, dates back to the time of the first Turkish siege of Vienna in 1529. When he woke up, he climbed up a chimney and got stuck at the end. He was allowed to live, later married a woman from Purbach and even became a winegrower. One of the oldest documented mentions of a Trockenbeerenauslese, the so-called Luther wine, comes from the municipality of Donnerskirchen and dates back to 1526. And the "Opera Ball Wine" was created in Mörbisch for the world-famous annual ball at the Vienna State Opera.
Climate & Soils
The Pannonian climate is characterised by a mild spring, a rather dry summer and usually a beautiful autumn. The region stretches along Lake Neusiedl on the border with Hungary, which has a positive effect on viticulture by regulating the climate and storing heat. The landscape is therefore also characterised by reeds and water. The Leitha Mountains, the last foothills of the Alps to the north, form a protective barrier against cold winds. The soils lie at around 400 metres above sea level and consist of shell limestone and slate with a higher proportion of clay at the foot of the slopes. Well-known vineyards include Altenberg, Bandkräftn, Gmärk, Goldberg, Greiner, Mariental, Steinmühle and Tatschler.
Grape variety index
In 2022, the vineyards covered a total of 2,875 hectares of vines. Compared to 2017 with 3,097 hectares, this was a reduction of 222 hectares (7.2%). The proportion of white wine varieties is 53%, the proportion of red wine varieties 47%. The red wine variety Blaufränkisch dominates with a fifth of the total area, followed by Grüner Veltliner, Welschriesling and Zweigelt.
