Engel auf Erden, which translates to “Angel on Earth” is another riff on pink maceration, like Birdscape. It’s a bit closer to a red than the Himmel auf Erden Rosé but has the lift and acidity of a macerated wine.

Age of Vines: 40 years

Vinification Method: Grapes are hand-harvested, destemmed, and crushed by foot. The juice ferments in large barrels with indigenous yeast and no racking. It is bottled without sulfur.

Fun facts:

Christian is a huge art lover – both his labels and house are full of works created by his friends, like Eró or Mel Ramos
The Tschidas have been making wine in Illmitz since the 19th century, and Christian still farms some of these old family vineyards
Christian is one of the most fastidious growers we know – he’s obsessed with how every detail in the vineyard or in the cellar can impact the quality of his wines
Some of his vineyards are planted in “doppel-stock”, a double planting system that pushes the roots to compete and seek deeper for nutrition and water
One of the crucial points is pressing – he’s using a top-notch Bucher-Vaslin basket press (“the Rolls Royce of presses”) and a tailor-made pneumatic press, both exerting the “power of a handshake” and yielding only the best juice
When Christian took over the family winery in 2003, most of the customers refused to follow his low-alcohol, elegant red vision; luckily, his wine was selected by a major local bank, who decided to serve it for their classy business lunches just because they didn’t want the executives to get drunk!