Surface area 8 ha.
Natural since 2004

About the winemaker
Weingut Werlitsch was established in 2004 by Ewald and Brigitte Werlitsch, following the passing of Ewald’s father, who was both the founder and first-generation winegrower of the estate. The winery takes its name from their historic farmstead, a property that has been part of the Tscheppe family heritage since the 17th century. Ewald’s sister Maria, together with her husband Sepp, runs Weingut Muster, while his brother Andreas produces wine under his own name; all three sibling estates are located in the same village as Weingut Werlitsch. These three winemaking families, along with Franz & Christine Strohmeier and Alice & Roland Tauss, form the biodynamic winemakers’ collective Schmecke das Leben. This alliance exists to support one another in the pursuit of authentic, nature-aligned winegrowing.

About the vineyard
Since 2005, Weingut Werlitsch has been producing distinctive natural white wines from around eight hectares of biodynamically farmed vineyards in southern Steiermark. This part of Austria is famous for its ‘opok’ soils a complex mix of red clay, marl, and limestone that gives the area its defining character. All the Werlitsch vineyards are perched on steep slopes, making the use of tractors or heavy machinery impossible and demanding a truly hands-on, artisan approach in the vines.

About the wines
Ewald and Brigitte craft honest, authentic wines that capture the true spirit of their place. Most of the Werlitsch vineyards were planted by Ewald’s father in the 1980s and 1990s, so the vines are now approaching 30 years old, lending an important maturity to the wines. Their ‘Ex Vero’ series comes from three separate plots, each with subtly different soil profiles. The trio of Ex Vero cuvées are also divided by altitude ‘Ex Vero I’ is the lowest, and ‘Ex Vero III’ the highest which means the distinctive ‘opok’ content increases from one wine to the next.

Their wines are typically blends of Sauvignon and Morillon (the local name for Chardonnay), aged for a minimum of 22 months in large, old wooden barrels. This extended maturation brings depth, complexity, and a strong sense of terroir to the wines. The Tscheppe family’s approach results in wines with serious gastronomic breadth and layered character, but always with a lively, unmistakable edge that keeps them engaging and playful. Their bottles are unmistakably ‘Werlitsch’: structured and age-worthy, yet brimming with youthful energy.

Although the estate works exclusively with white grapes, Ewald and Brigitte also produce orange wines. ‘Glück’ is a cuvée given a brief, two-week maceration, while ‘Freude’ is their long-maceration orange wine whole bunches, and a full year spent on the skins.

Website Weingut Werlitsch
ZRS profile Weingut Werlitsch
Vins Vivants profile Weingut Werlitsch (DE)