This traditional winery is located in the municipality of Mailberg, north-east of Hollabrunn, in the Lower Austrian wine-growing region of Weinviertel, close to the Czech border. The first documented mention dates back to 1055. Land with vines was donated to the Order of St. John (later the Sovereign Order of Malta) in "Mourberg" in 1140. In 1969, Laurenz Moser III. (1905-1978) from Rohrendorf leased the vineyards belonging to the Kommende Mailberg of the Order of the Knights of Malta. Since then, it has belonged to the Lenz Moser AG company with its headquarters in the municipality of Rohrendorf (Lower Austria). Laurenz Moser III had the vineyards completely replanted and expanded them to their current size.
His son Laurenz Moser IV propagated environmentally conscious cultivation on a large scale as early as 1978 and had ecological comparative trials carried out at the Schlossweingut in Mailberg. Two dissertations at the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences formed the basis for the continuous conversion of the Mailberg facilities to KIP (Controlled Integrated Production) or Integrated Pest Management. This includes organic fertilisation and natural pest control. Under the leadership of Lenz Moser IV, the first experiments with barrique ageing in Austria were also carried out from 1978 onwards with red wines from Mailberg. In 1982, as a result of his efforts, the Cabernet Sauvignon variety was planted here for the first time in Austria.
Norbert Gutmayer is the administrator in Mailberg. The vineyards cover 50 hectares, including the Hundschupfen vineyard. They are planted with the main varieties Grüner Veltliner and Blauer Zweigelt, as well as Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Blauer Burgunder (Pinot Noir). The guiding principle of the Order of Knights has always been "Optimus quisque" (Simply the best) and this goal has also been set for the wines. All red wines are subjected to malolactic fermentation and then mature partly in large wooden barrels and partly in barriques. Grüner Veltliner and Chardonnay are always fermented at a controlled temperature and matured in stainless steel. The premium wines include "Malteser Weinviertel DAC" (Grüner Veltliner), "Grüner Veltliner Hundschupfen", "Malteser Merlot" and the red wine cuvée "Malteser Kommende Mailberg" (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot). Around 200,000 bottles of wine are produced annually. The winery is a member of the Mailberg Valley and Premium Wine Estates Weinviertel wine growers' associations.
