Hareter is a 4th generation family estate producing certified organic wines from the Neusiedlersee region. The farm dates back to 1725. After graduating from viticulture school in Krems in 1996, Thomas Hareter slowly earned the respect of his parents Gerda and Mathias and in 2011 took over. With his forward thinking vision, the winery began their conversion to organic viticulture, and became fully certified in 2006.  The labels were designed with materials and motifs derived from the vineyards themselves, with the purple of the Naturschönheit label supplied by an ink derived from grape pomace, and the stylized earthworm that serves as their logo made from a collage of vine cuttings.

The farm itself comprises 15 hectares of vineyard on the loamy gravel shores of Lake Neusiedl, near the Hungarian border about 50 km from Vienna.  Hareter makes his natural wines from the indigenous grapes of the region such as Zweigelt, Blaufränkisch, and Skt-Laurent, while also crafting exceptional wines from international varieties like Chardonnay. Some of the vines were planted as far back as the early 1960s.  The soils of his vineyards are rich in gravel and mineral deposits left behind from the sea which once covered the area, to which Thomas attributes the cool, fresh character of his wines. The wines have at most trace amounts of sulfites (below 75 ppm), but in some cases not at all. The “Ohne” series of wines is completely free of additives (“ohne” being German for “without”). In addition to his commitment to organic viticulture, Thomas has begun to use some biodynamic preparations on his vines, and consciously abstains from using animal products in his wines.

-SoilAir