Kamptal Kollektiv is a joint project in collaboration with Newcomer Wines and Alwin and Stefanie Jurtschitsch, looking to initiate positive change in a region characterised by the ever increasing difficulties faced by middle-income farmers. In the past, these people were able to farm historical, family-owned land and make enough money to support a family and lifestyle that was both prosperous and fulfilling. But, with cooperatives increasingly squeezing these small producers for prices, many of the old vineyards in the region are being ripped up for more profitable crops, or sold off to big, conventionally farmed producers. The Kamptal Kollektiv’s aim is to support these small farmers, by paying them a better price for their fruit, whilst agreeing to support them through a full organic conversion within three years of signing on. This way, you see a two-pronged approach to the project: social change, as well as genuine change to agriculture and farming practices. Sometimes we forget that wine is an agricultural product, and when it is quite obviously cheap, one needs to consider that there is almost always someone (or something) missing out somewhere in the supply. Often, it is because corners are being cut with farming practices, and that impacts not only soil and crop health in the long run, but the people farming that land too. There are now nine different farmers committing their fruit to the Kamptal Kollektiv across the two cuvées, and year-on-year, this is expected to grow. Both Cuvee are blends that are a culmination of the collective fruit and efforts of the participating farmers. Above all, these wines need to be delicious and tasty, but the cherry on top is that there is real integrity behind the ethos of this project.
