A Day in Jois: Mist, Vines and a Remarkable Winemaker
We’ve been promising Martin for a while that we’d visit his winery – the place where the magic happens. The other day, on a pleasantly rainy and misty morning, I had a trip to Sopron, the Hungarian home of Kékfrankos, separated from Burgenland only by an invisible border. In truth, it’s one shared terroir. Since I was already nearby, I called Martin and told him I was passing through and would love to stop by for a coffee. With his usual cheerfulness and warmth, he welcomed the idea, so I headed toward Jois.
As I entered the little town, the GPS guided me around quite a bit – which I didn’t mind at all, as I got to discover a tidy and friendly place. Martin’s winery is accessible from a side street off Obere Hauptstraße. As soon as you leave the shelter of the houses, a stunning view opens up: vineyards and lake as far as the eye can see. Picture attached. You can’t fully see it in this image, but I’ve been here before – the scenery truly is breathtaking.
Martin welcomed me with his usual smile and friendly manner. He asked if I wanted a coffee. I gladly accepted, since he often buys Caffé a Casa Single Origin beans from us. Ironically, while grinding, the very last coffee bean disappeared into the grinder. So in the end, we didn’t drink what we planned.
We then got into the car and he showed me the vineyards. The first one, not far from the winery, consisted of unusually shaped vines. The trunks were trained high, and the top resembled a bush. Martin explained that in the old days people didn’t know or practice pruning on grapevines – and he has reintroduced this technique on some parcels. This non-pruning method results in small clusters and pea-sized berries. It’s one of the unique characteristics of Martin’s wines. Part of the Chardonnay and Zweigelt vines are cultivated this way.
We continued to the next plot, located between Lake Neusiedl and the Leithaberg. The lake warms up during the day and releases heat slowly in the evening, while the hills retain this microclimate. This creates exceptionally favorable conditions for the vines.
Afterwards, we returned to the cellar and toured the whole facility. One distinctive feature of the cellar is its consistently high humidity. Among the barrels of the well-loved signature wines were a few intriguing ones. Anyone who knows Martin even a little bit knows how much he loves winemaking – with passion and humility. Yet he also gives space to bold, unconventional ideas. That’s how you end up with Merlot aging in former Laphroaig barrels.
The range of wines that borders on the extreme, combined with unwavering quality, is simply enchanting. It’s no surprise that Martin’s wines are loved around the world – and that he himself is held in such high regard.
