Traditionally, Heurige are only open during certain periods. These can be a few months per year, a few weeks per month or even a few weekends here and there. Depending on the region, there are different regulations about opening hours, though I feel that in some most popular wine-producing villages Heurige’s owners simply agree among themselves not to be open at the same time to ensure that their friends also make some money.
Birkenhof is one of the rarest open Heurige – this year there are only 23 days on which you can visit it. This is strange because it does not have a lot of competition in the surrounding area. On the weekend days when it is open, it is impossible to reach with public transportation, and even with a car it is really far away. (Unless you live in Czechia, whose border is within a walking distance.) What is weird is that looking at Birkenhof’s menu and the quality of its Brettljausen (yes, there are more than one), one gets even more confused why this place does not keep its doors open longer. My only explanation is that Birkenhof makes most of the profit hosting big events, such as weddings.
The Brettljause that the Heuriger has on offer for one person – Birkenhof-Jause – is good, very good. The variety of the ingredients is impressive, and they are all very fresh and are served with freshly baked bread. Although I cannot highlight any ingredient that really stood out as especially fantastic, the whole Brettljause was well-balanced, served with enough green stuff to not appear heavy, and was generally “cozy” to eat. I am not sure it is worth a two-hour drive from Vienna, but if for some reason you are in the area on a rare day when Birkenhof is open, pay this Heuriger a visit.
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