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Roland Velich first started producing wine with his brother and father on the family property, Weingut Velich, in Apetlon, which was all about white and sweet wines. His brother Heinz continues to run this excellent estate.
But Roland’s fascination for Blaufränkisch, not suited to the vineyards on the east side of the lake, took him elsewhere and in 2001 he released the first wines from the Moric project.
Roland is outspoken and was very critical of Blaufränkisch produced at the time - late harvested styles, often artificially concentrated, and shoved into new oak. In the process he lost a few friends but for him, Blaufränkisch is essentially a cool-climate grape variety.
He talks of it as a grape with some similar characteristics to Pinot Noir, or Nebbiolo, or Northern Rhone Syrah. Others are reminded of Gamay. But all these varieties have freshness and perfume and delicacy at their best, and this is what Roland is striving to achieve.
Now 20 years on, he has numerous disciples, and his wines are, for many, the best examples of Blaufränkisch in the whole of Austria.