Meet Julie Hoch
It was a hot Summer’s day in Kremstal, and Julie and her partner Christoph were spraying their vines with their Demeter preparations. Julie jokingly thought to herself, if these teas are refreshing and nutritious for our vines, they could be refreshing and nutritious for human beings too. And so a seed was planted in Julie’s mind, and the experimenting began.
Because of the nature of their farming, the soil is ideal for growing wild herbs, grasses and botanicals, and these are encouraged to naturally grow and thrive. These wild herbs are ultimately harvested, dried and brewed to create these incredible bottlings.
There are two important parts to the process. Firstly, a slow, gentle drying process of the herbs is a key part of preserving the aromatic oils and flavours. Secondly, once the ‘teas’ have been brewed, a co-fermentation of the base wine and tea is crucial. It’s in this moment that the two elements are brought together.
Initially, there was some hesitancy as to whether the technical process of fermenting a beverage like this dry was possible because of the diluted state of it. However, the final products speak for themselves. Clean, vibrant, and bone dry.
The idea here is to create something light, refreshing and low in alcohol, so they are ideal as an aperitif, or alternatively, an interesting take on a digestif or dessert course pairing. Ultimately, these are simply energising and nutritious fermented beverages that have changed our way of looking at terroir and the idea of drinkability.
With her first release we have two sparkling bottlings, made from elderflower and rose, and then two still versions, made from mint and lavender.
