Franz Weninger has been working with Blaufränkisch (Kékfrankos) for more than 25 years. His estate has gone through a remarkable evolution with the variety, which they still cultivate in all their vineyards, and about which they now know almost everything that can be known.

Maria Gross and Michael Gross are every bit as experimental – just on different hillsides. They cultivate their vineyards on the cool, green terraces of Südsteiermark (Southern Styria), and their project, Flein, has developed a distinctive style in recent years: high-intensity grape juice made with ice-cold pressing, minimal juice yield and vibrant fruit. Without alcohol, they approach it with the same purity and layered complexity that we love in their wines.

“I’ve known Michi [Michael Gross] and his Slovenian estate for ages. I like the way he works with Furmint, so when he started focusing on grape juices, it triggered my interest. I knew that the next time I made something like this, I’d want to do it together with them,” says Franz Weninger, who selected biodynamically-cultivated Kékfrankos, which was processed in Südsteiermark by the Gross family after hand harvesting.

The result is vibrantly fruity: fresh sour cherry, crunchy blue grape skins, blueberry, blue flowers and a sweet-and-sour interplay. It shows its best form served ice-cold in a wine glass, either on its own or with a splash of soda.