In this Jause, we are visiting Mayer am Pfarrplatz, a Heuriger (wine tavern) in Heligenstadt located in the outskirts of Vienna. We’re talking with vintner Paul Kiefer about Beethoven’s time in the area and Beethoven’s taste in Viennese wine.

TRANSCRIPT

Beethoven wrote his Heiligenstadt Testament just a few steps down that way. I'm standing in front of Mayer am Pfarrplatz, a Heuriger in Heiligenstadt where Beethoven lived in 1817.

What is a Heuriger?

A Heuriger is a very typical wine tavern where local wine is served. That's the interesting story: it has to be wine from the own-produced vineyards, from the own-produced wine. So we have to grow the wine in our own vineyards. Normally, the name means it's the wine which is served the same year. Heuriger – it's coming from the German word of heuer which means at the same year.

So would this have been something that the likes of Beethoven and Mozart would have known or visited?

Definitely and especially in our place. Beethoven lived here in 1817. We know Beethoven moved many times to different places. But, compared to Mozart who was a gambler, Beethoven was quite a difficult character. He was mostly kicked out after one or two years from the landlord. In our case, he lived here for only one year.

But, during his time, he wrote partly the Ninth Symphony.

And, there was a spring very close to our place here. Because of his ear problem, he came to visit this area and he thought the spring would help him.

Finally, he wrote also in this part of the city, the Heiligenstädter Testament, because the Pfarrplatz — so our winery — is part of Heiligenstadt. It's part of the 19th District [in Vienna].

In his time, this was very much rural countryside, but stepping into this house, you can see something quite similar to what we think he might have seen stepping out of his (apartment).

Yeah, the good stuff is it's almost unchanged. You can see even behind me the steps where he lived.

I think this is a very charming part of Vienna where wine culture, and music, and the tradition, and Viennese classicism are almost melting together.

I mean, we're only fifteen minutes away from the city center, but it looks really like countryside here – like in a small village outside of the city limits. That's why it's also a very charming area to visit and to have a good glass of wine and maybe listen to a little bit of Beethoven's music.

Was this a Heuriger when he lived here or did this come later?

No, it was already a Heuriger. We've actually been here since 1683. Most of the Heurigen have a very, very old tradition. Actually wine has been here since the Roman times.

Beethoven allegedly wrote that he particularly enjoyed a crisp Austrian white wine. What variety do you think you might be referring to?

We definitely know at this time was the field blend (German: Gemischter Satz) planted in Vienna. It's a very, very old recipe of how to produce wine. There are different grapes planted in one field and they are harvested together and co-fermented. It's one of the oldest types of wine you will find in Europe because it was a kind of insurance to plant different grapes and harvest them at the same time. And, I guess, Beethoven enjoyed a lot of the field blend.

We also have another restaurant opposite the square here – the Pfarrplatz – which is called Pfarrwirt. We know Beethoven enjoyed there a lot of tea and coffee in the afternoon. So, he actually enjoyed not only the wine here in this part of Vienna.