Wineries like Werlitsch in Austria's Styria region perpetuate those dreamy biodynamic farm vibes we've seen springing up in Eastern Europe. Sure, the scenes are breathtaking and make for a good selling point, but what winemaker Ewald Tscheppe produces from his opok-rich soils restores our faith in the far reaches of natural wine.

Our team once blind-tasted the Ex Vero I together. It had a matchstick quality on the nose, followed by white florals, fresh citrus, coconut milk-like texture, and electric acidity on the palate. Still, the wine's focal point was its lively energy and slightly waxy texture. I guessed it was from the Jura, thinking it had a Burgundy gone rogue feeling, but it turned out to be a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Morillon (aka Chardonnay). Ex Vero is a three-part series showcasing the varied levels of altitude and soil composition on Werlitsch's steep hillside. These vines grow on limestone and clay soil rich in minerals and marine fossils, which locals refer to as opok. Frankly, the wines are unlike anything you'll taste from Austria or elsewhere.

Ewald and his friends discovered biodynamics while studying wine in the early 1980s. As a true devotee of the naturalist movement, he believes that nature always does it better—for him, that means gravity-flow winemaking, natural yeast, no temperature control, and no sulfur. In 2004, Ewald began to apply biodynamics to his family's estate, which also inhabits fruit trees, wild herbs, vegetables, and forests.

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Gut Oggau is a project in Burgenland, Austria, started by Eduard and Stephanie Tscheppe in 2007. The couple painstakingly restored the abandoned 17th-century winery and vineyard. A 20-year period of neglect washed away all pesticide and chemical treatments, allowing them to work biodynamically immediately. Each wine seemed so alive in the cellar that they decided to craft labels centered around the personality inside each bottle.

Timotheus Weiss: This bottling blends Gruner Veltliner and Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc) from the estate's oldest vines. The soil is an interesting mix of limestone, slate, and sand. A third of the grapes are fermented on their skins for three weeks, giving texture and complexity. The remaining grapes are directly pressed, and all wine is blended for fermentation and aging in neutral 500-liter barrels. The wine ages for a year without stirring lees and is bottled without fining, filtration, or sulfur additions. Lime, tangerine, white peach, and melon lead up front with a salty and persistent mineral finish. As distinct and different a wine as these labels would have you expect!

The Label: The son of Mechthild and Bertholdi, and the brother of Joshuari and Emmeram. He impresses people with his firm, powerful, and balanced character. He stands with both feet firmly planted on the ground but is nonetheless open-minded and always looking for new challenges. He is regarded as self-confident, a man of substance and even refined, he is someone, who due to his winning ways, quickly makes friends anywhere.

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