A joint project of Wolfgang Peck and Josef
Umathum in the Burgenland municipality of Andau, close to the Hungarian border, in the wine-growing region of
Neusiedlersee (Austria). The municipality of Andau was first mentioned in a document in 1488 under the name Zantho (the old Magyar word means "farmland"). With this brand name, a complete range of Burgenland red, white and sweet wines is produced at the Andau winegrowers' cooperative. The managing director and oenologist of the company is Wolfang Peck. So far, 7 million euros have been invested in the cooperative's facilities to improve quality, so that today it is one of the most modern wine businesses in Austria. The significant logo emblazoned on the bottle label is the Pannonian forest lizard (Zoodoca vivipara pannonica). The animal, which is found here, loves the warm, stony soils in the Andau vineyards and stands as a symbol for the connection to the
origins and for the
natural cultivation of the vineyards according to the principles of
organic viticulture.
The grapes are supplied by almost 50 selected winegrowers who cultivate a total of 70 hectares of vineyards exclusively for the Zantho wines. The well-known winemaker Josef Umathum is responsible for enology and quality assurance. He trains and advises the winegrowers. Requirements are, for example, at least 3,750 vines per hectare, maximum yields of 6,000 to 8,000 kg/ha and manual harvesting. The white wine varieties Grüner Veltliner, Muskat Ottonel, Sauvignon Blanc and Scheurebe as well as the red wine varieties Zweigelt, Blaufränkisch, St. Laurent and Pinot Noir are processed. The aim is to produce wines with typical character for the international market in sufficient quantities. The specially founded company ZANTHO GmbH is responsible for marketing. The first vintage was vinified in 2001 and bottled in August 2002. In the meantime, 11 wines have been produced. In suitable years, Beerenauslesen, Trockenbeerenauslesen and ice wines are also pressed. Every single wine is precisely recorded in accordance with
IFS guidelines from the vine to
bottling, thus guaranteeing 100% traceability.
