Visit us to shop and hang in person or order online for quick and easy pick up.
Address
210 EAST VERMILION STREET LAFAYETTE, LA 70501
Hours
Tues-Thurs
1pm-7pm
Friday & Saturday
1pm-8pm
Closed Sunday & Monday
21 and Over Only to Buy Wine.
Choose In-store Pickup To Order Wine Online.
We Do Not Ship Wine or Alcohol.
We do ship Everything Else!
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From a single parcel on the right side of the Danube with Ambrositsch’s oldest vines, planted in the 1950’s. It’s a mix of ancient varities that are not known and twelve that are familiar, some of them rare. Brenna Quigley, a reknowned geologist, explained in a recent AWMB seminar that these marl soils contain soft and smooth clay components, as compared to some other compositions of marl. This smooth clay is offset by very hard limestone. With marl high in calcium carbonate, the soil is basic (not acidic) in composition. As a result, vibrant acids show on the palate, expressing more bright and fresh lemon. Overall, there is spectacular tension and weight for a wine that dials in at a mere 11.5% ABV.
Jutta Ambrositsch was born in Südburgenland, best-known for stunning Blaufränkisch, about two and a half hours south of Vienna. She moved to Vienna to pursue her career as a graphic design artist, but eventually decided that she needed a change. So, in 2004, she left behind her design career (although she does create her stylish labels) swapping an office job for a career in nature and started a special wine project in the city with only 650L of wine. Now, she spends most of her days in the vineyards; with winemaking, she has been able to find a perfect balance of city living and getting her hands in the dirt. She manages the business with her husband, Marco Kalchbrenner, who takes care of the administration, poetic wine descriptions, and logistics, while Jutta manages the vineyards and cellar work.
Today, Ambrositsch farms a total of four hectares —three on the right side of the Danube and one hectare on the left bank— in ten different parcels. Each vineyard is unique, with a distinctive terroir and microclimate. She farms each organically, but does not have certification. Ambrositsch says that the biggest threat to the vineyards is hail and wild boars that live in the surrounding forests and using conventional products will not help against either!
The Ambrositsch wines are all micro-cuvées and they are a delightful way to discover the historic Vienna terroir through the lens of a young and fun artist. While her winemaking style could be called “natural”, with no additions of yeasts, enzymes, or sugar, and only a minimum amount of sulfur, very few of the wines show any of the funky qualities of many wines that share the moniker. Most are made in stainless steel and are classic, with a very special energy to them. Are they renegades? No - rock and roll is a more fitting description. In addition to the traditional wines, including three white Gemischter Satz bottlings, they make some playful cuvées, like the Roter (red) Gemischter Satz called Rakete, with its piquant cherry fruit and cloudy bright ruby color. All of their wines are a bit rebellious in that they are made without additions, which gives a lot of vibrancy and juicy flavors, and an unrestrained expression of Vienna's terroir.
Denny & Katie
Owners
Your friendly neighborhood wine shop and tiny bar, focused on small production wines and conservas. Connect with us on Instagram for suggestions on your next bottle and to follow along in our downtown Lafayette wine journey.
Visit us to shop and hang in person or order online for quick and easy pick up.
Hours
Tues-Thurs
1pm-7pm
Friday & Saturday
1pm-8pm
Closed Sunday & Monday