The winery

The Karnburg winery is located at the foot of the Ulrichsberg mountain in a sunny location in the northern part of Klagenfurt am Wörthersee (St. Peter am Bichl), the capital of Carinthia. The primary rock soils and the climate typical of this region favor fruit-forward wines that reflect the terroir.

The Klagenfurt-Wörthersee wine region

Carinthia belongs to the "Bergland" wine region. Six different regions are distinguished within Carinthia. Besides the most well-known region, the Lavanttal, other regions have successfully established themselves, including the Klagenfurt-Wörthersee region, also known as Central Carinthia.

The story

In 2005, the first joint vineyard was planted on the land in Stegendorf. The first harvest from this vineyard was processed in 2007. In the same year, the "Sem Kegley & Georg Lexer Weinbau GesnbR" (Sem Kegley & Georg Lexer Winegrowing Partnership) was founded, officially turning the "hobby" into a "profession".

Construction of the wine cellar began in autumn 2008 and was completed in 2012. The cellar was designed with an open layout to allow for sufficient space should capacity increase. Particular emphasis was placed on eliminating the need for pumps during wine transfers – gravity handles the gentle transport within the cellar. State-of-the-art winery equipment guarantees perfect vinification.

Sem P Kegley

Born in 1952 in Austin, Texas (USA), Sem grew up in the countryside and studied music in Georgetown, Texas, Wichita, Kansas, and Vienna. He lives in Keutschach and worked for 32 years for the music publisher Doblinger in Vienna.

A self-taught winemaker, he discovered his passion for viticulture, and has been practicing and gaining experience for 20 years. His first vineyard was established in Karnburg (Amerika site) in 1995, followed by his first wine in 1997 and his first quality wine in 1998.

Georg M Lexer

Born and raised in Klagenfurt am Wörthersee in 1986. He first studied at the Medical University of Graz and then at the Graz University of Technology, and initially started cultivating wine on his grandfather's land alongside Sem, discovering his love for spirits and later, together with Sem, a love for culinary arts.

Varieties

  • conventional

    • Chardonnay
    • Sauvignon Blanc
    • Pinot Grigio - Grauburgunder
    • Zweigelt
    • Pinot Noir - Blauburgunder

  • PIWI (fungus-resistant)

    • Sauvignac
    • Satin noir
    • Souvignier gris
    • Muscaris

Layers

America

approximately 0.4 hectares since 1995

Lead

Since 2005, approx. 0.6 ha; since 2009, an additional approx. 3.8 ha

steep slope

since 2007, approx. 0.8 ha

Steps to Heaven

Since 2008, approximately 1.2 hectares; since 2017 an additional 1.2 hectares

Leonhardwiese

since 2019, approx. 1.5 ha