Semicolon

Semicolon is a project from Niki Saahs of Nikolaihof and his partner Katharina Salzgeber. Katharina has been responsible for the very good natural wines produced at Jurtschitsch, nearby in the Kamptal. This is an entirely new brand of natural wines, based on biodynamically farmed grapes from Nikolaihof. “The focus is on independent wines that, like a semicolon, are not subject to any grammatical rules”.  The first releases will be a skin fermented Riesling, Gewürtztraminer and a Pet-Nat, aged in neutral wood without fining, stabilization, filtration or addition of sulfur during the winemaking process or at bottling. 

Vinified and bottled at Nikolaihof Wachau

DEMETER biodynamic certified

Within the context of Semicolon, Katharina Salzgeber and Nikolaus Saahs trace the potential of Gewürztraminer and Riesling as grape varieties. How do the characteristics change if a different approach to harvest, grape processing and vinification is taken? In writing, the semicolon is the only punctuation mark not to bow to any set rules in terms of its’ use and interpretation. It appeals to the wit and context of those who apply it as well as those who read it in order to reveal a meaning. The same is the concept in the semicolon wines: they strip off the stays of the commonly known and invite the drinker to allow a new perspective.

A further side glance at the semicolon as a punctuation mark reveals its’ at once separating (the full stop, creating precedents and weighting them accordingly) and connecting (the comma, stringing together and binding) quality. It separates and splits, thereby empowering the respective content. At the same time, it frames all individual parts within a larger context and thus brings them together again. This again relates to the very essence of the project: the absence of sulfur, finings and stabilization procedures of any kind encourages the wines’ development and brings each phase into focus, all of them as parts of the big picture. The wines are in motion; everything is allowed, nothing is required. In this approach to wine, the journey is the reward. Channeling German artist Joseph Beuys, the wines combine movement and chaos so that new form can be created.