Sulfur (SO₂) is added to grapes during harvest and throughout the winemaking process. It can be found in the form of powder, liquid, gas, or tablets. Sulfur is added to prevent wine from oxidizing and to help disinfect the environment where the wine is produced. In Austria, the limit is 150 mg/L for red wine and 200 mg/L for white wine in the form of bound sulfur. We use roughly half of this amount.
In our latitudes, the main grape varieties are:
White varieties: Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Grüner Veltliner, Müller-Thurgau
Red and gray varieties for producing white wines: Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Frühroter Veltliner
Blue varieties for producing red, rosé, and white wines: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Blaufränkisch, Blauer Portugieser
Cibéba is a dried grape with a high sugar concentration, used to produce sweet dessert wines. The formation of cibéba is caused by the fungus Botrytis cinerea, which settles on the grapes and draws the necessary moisture directly from the berry. During this process, up to two-thirds of the water in the grape is consumed, creating the raisin.
This fungus is essential for producing sweet wines, such as our Jubiläumsrebe (a botrytized wine) or sweet Tokaji from Hungary.
A cuvée is a wine made from a blend of different grape varieties.
In our portfolio, we have four cuvées:
R2: 80% Welschriesling, 20% Rheinriesling
Ingenuus: 60% Blaufränkisch, 30% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc
Magnus Two: 95% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc
Rosea Delicata: 50% Blaufränkisch, 50% Merlot
The sweetness of a wine is determined by the residual sugar in g/L, which forms during fermentation. It is the sugar that has not been converted into alcohol by the yeast.
A grape variety is a subgroup of Vitis vinifera (European vine). It is a set of characteristic traits that maintain consistent properties over time (aroma, taste, color, and more). It is the grape’s character that influences these factors. Some varieties are more acidic (Riesling), others are spicier (Gewürztraminer), or have deep color (Cabernet Sauvignon).
It is a natural process in which sugars are converted into alcohol with the help of microorganisms called yeast. Through heat and spontaneous processes, yeast transforms the sugar from grapes into an equivalent amount of alcohol and carbon dioxide. When all the sugars have been converted into alcohol, fermentation ends. If the fermentation process is accelerated, cultivated yeast is added. At Kral Steffanus wines, we do not add cultivated yeast, and we keep the entire production process as natural as possible, without any external interference.
After transporting the wine from the shop or winery, it should be allowed to rest for at least two weeks so it can recover and harmonize. When serving wine, it is always better to have it slightly cooler.
| Type of wine | Serving | Consumption |
| Sparkling wine | 4 – 6 °C | 7 – 9 °C |
| White wine – dry | 5 – 7 °C | 9 – 11 °C |
| White wine – full-bodied | 7 – 9 °C | 11 – 13 °C |
| Rosé wine | 7 – 9 °C | 11 – 13 °C |
| Red wine – young | 10 – 12 °C | 14 – 16 °C |
| Red wine – mature | 14 – 16 °C | 16 – 18 °C |
| Red wine aged in oak barrels | 15 – 17 °C | 18 – 20 °C |
Decanting is the preparation of wine for serving in a carafe. Wine is decanted solely to aerate it, which releases additional aromas; on the other hand, some of the wine’s aroma may dissipate in the carafe.
From ♡ by HOBERTO © 2025 Kral Steffanus.