It is a wonderful pleasure to lose yourself in the Weinviertel, and to find yourself relishing its uncharted paths. But eventually, it is also nice to have a trusted, and particularly enjoyable, destination in mind to help guide your travels. To this end, there is the Pulkautal, a region that lies just along the Czech border – and here, you will find the small village of Untermarkersdorf, which the Himmelbauer farmstead and family have called home for more than 350 years.

Its current proprietors Edi and Elisabeth are, of course, somewhat younger than that. But, that doesn't stop them from carrying on the family tradition. Like their parents and grandparents before them, they have been raised to know that quality, and not quantity, are a vineyards primary virtues, and like their forefathers, they are always ready to learn. This ensures that the past always will have a future: As wine culture is passed down across generations, it stays alive because it retains its roots, but is constantly renewed. This is made possible through deep appreciation of the local, natural conditions, including both the unique climate of the valley, and the microclimates and soils of the region: Fuchsberg, for example, where the Grüne Veltliner can reach an unparalleled ripeness; Linsbühel and Blauer Portugieser simply belong together, as do Schatzberg und Riesling, or Alte Heide und Roter Veltliner, while Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are best at home on the steep, sunny hills of Riede Steinberg.

For all these reasons, I laude the Kellergasse: It leads straight to an unholy heaven.