Weingut Pittnauer, Rosé König, Burgenland

Two things: this is delicious and this is cool!

A stunningly attractive colour and a label that is all trendy and off-the-beaten-track, this is from one of the cutting edge wineries in one of the coolest regions in Europe today. Made from Blaufrankisch, Zweigelt and St Laurent, this very Austrian mix is executed in a truly international style. It is lightly floral with notes of red cherry and redcurrants, with fresh, supporting acidity, making it wonderful as a year-round rosé for food and aperitif alike.

The grapes for this organic rosé are grown in the region around the massive lake that dominates much of Austria's wine making, the Neusiedlersee.

Its temperature-holding waters affect much of the surrounding vineyards, allowing for later picking of grapes, noble rot (if you want it) and riper than usual red varieties for a region so far north. In the case of Pittnauer, who are in the sub-zone of Burgenland, the grapes are grown in separate vineyard plots according to appropriateness of soils for each of the three varieties, mostly in sand, loam and chalk-based vineyards.

They're harvested separately, too, such is the difference in microclimates, and then fermented with little or no intervention at all. It's a risky business, but they take the risks in order to capture the energy and effort that they put into the vineyards. This is what makes the wines quite so magical.

The fermentation is a long one - six weeks usually - and though some temperature controlling takes place, it is only to maintain freshness and aromatic character. Then the wine rests on its fine lees (the good grape skin matter from fermentation) to add texture and complexity and is the fined and gently filtered to produce this clear and tingly rosé. It's a careful process that gives a really very tasty example of organic viticulture and nearly-natural winemaking.

It translates as Rosé King, which is cool because it's a girl on the label. Austrian humour.