Heidi Schröck describes herself as a wine farmer, but under that modesty is a well-read world traveler and talented vintner of international rank.

Falstaff, Austria's leading wine magazine for consumers has awarded Heidi Schröck (website: http://www.heidi-schroeck.com ) with the prestigious title Winemaker of the Year 2003. Ms. Schröck is the second woman in many years to win this award, gaining not only recognition for the quality of the wines from her small boutique winery in Rust on Lake Neusiedl, but also for her achievements as a role model for women in the Austrian wine branch.

Schröck gained international education and experience in viticulture and enology in Germany and South Africa before taking over the family winery and 4 ha of vineyards in 1983. The dynamic vintner has since expanded the winery to 8 ha. As is typical for the Neusiedlersee-Hügelland wine area, the trinity of dry whites, hearty reds, and noble sweet wines are produced. It is the traditional botrytized Ruster Ausbruch from the shores of Lake Neusiedl which has brought Heidi Schröck the most praise.

The small city of Rust in Burgenland has been famed for its botrytis-affected Ausbruch since 1681, when the city bought its rights for self-government for 60,000 gulden in gold and 30,000 liters of this noble sweet wine. Dedicated to this historic wine culture, Schröck says, "Continuing tradition doesn't mean protecting the ashes, but stoking the fire and keeping it burning". The effort towards perfection of this baroque wine has been recognized by Robert Parker, who awarded Schöck's 1998 Elysium III with 98 points.

Inspired by her meeting with "Le Donne del Vino" at a congress in Rome, Heidi Schröck founded a similar platform of vintners in Austria in 2000, called "11 Women and their Wines". Through this network, these women strive to inspire one another to make yet better wines and work together as a marketing association representing Austrian wine culture at home and abroad. International recognition came soon as the German wine magazine "Alles über Wein" honored the group with the "Grandissimo Award 2003"

4-fun Questions
Heidi Schröck answers:

What is the most exciting thing about the Austrian wine branch?
Modern wines in the old world! It's exciting to be a part of a new avant-garde generation in the wine world. Here in Austria, we are proud of our very individual autochthon grape varieties and we are using the most modern techniques both in the vineyard and in the winery.

What do you love most about your wine region?
Burgenland is the essence of central Europe: it is multicultural today and always has been in history. It is the border between Occident and Orient. Of course, I love all the sun and living by Lake Neusiedl!

What do you enjoy most in your work?
It is the people I enjoy most in every aspect of my work. I enjoy the people I work with in the vineyards and the cellar, the people I get to meet all over the world through marketing efforts, and of course, I really enjoy the people I drink wine with.

If you had to take one wine style to each of the following what would it be and why?
1. Rendezvous: I need deep conversation to get close to someone. I'd bring a medium-bodied, easy-to-drink wine like an unoaked Blaufränkisch, something with just enough alcohol to chase away inhibitions, but not enough to hamper conversation.

2. Dinner with old close friends: I'd take my "best friend" the Weissburgunder from a vineyard that has never disappointed me!

3. An isolated desert island: I would take a golden sweet Ausbruch from Rust. I'd keep the bottle cool in the water as I drank it. And since the bottle is clear, it is perfect for a romantic rescue message in a bottle.