A friend in Südtirol tipped me off to Karl Renner’s quiet presence in the heart of Südsteiermark in May of 2022. A few months later, I made it to Austria to learn more. On 6 hectares, cultivated organically, Karl has been slowly working to create as sustainable a winemaking practice as possible working with both traditional (vinifera) and hybrid varieties.
At the heart of Karl Renner's winemaking philosophy is a respect for the land and territory. Südsteiermark's exceptional opok soil, a calcareous sedimentary rock formed by marine and river deposits (clay and silt), plays a pivotal role in shaping the distinctive flavor profile of the wines. With its high clay content, the opok soil excels at absorbing warmth, providing optimal ripening conditions for the grapes, and contributing to the wines' complexity.
To further his sustainable approach, Karl champions the use of PIWI varieties— hybrids of vitis vinifera vines with non-vinifera vines from the Americas and Asia. These varieties require significantly fewer vineyard treatments than their traditional vinifera counterparts, sometimes none at all.
This approach allows for a harmonious connection—by way of parentage—to the traditional grape varieties of the region, while allowing for more sustainable vineyard management practices. The resulting wines showcase a vibrant profile that compliments the terroir in a way I’ve seldom seen in their traditional vinifera counterparts.
I won’t make a claim to causality, but when a plant flourishes naturally in a given setting, it seems unsurprising to find the characteristics of that setting so deeply imbued in the fruit. These are wines with focus and energy—new wines that allow for a new way of understanding this perpetually significant piece of wine geography.
