Top vineyards from Austria & Germany
WEIN AM BERG 2017 – A SUMMIT MEETING AT THE HOTEL DAS CENTRAL IN SÖLDEN
Every fruit has its own signature. Every soil has its own story to tell. And every winegrower has a personal passion. And this is a passion we share.
Renowned Wineries of Burgenland
TOP WINES, CREATED BY STRONG PERSONALITIES
The ‘Renowned Wineries of Burgenland’ association is inspired by and passionate about Austrian winegrowing culture. Its members are committed to quality winegrowing in Burgenland. They are natural talents, pioneers, perfectionists, creative minds and protectors of valuable traditions, all at the same time. We are very pleased that the ‘Renowned Wineries of Burgenland’ association has been providing us with substantial support from the outset.
Further wine estates from Austria
A TASTE OF AUSTRIA
One of the most unique vineyards in the Cultural Landscape of Wachau is situated in the far east around Spitz. The area is home to the vineyard of Franz Hirtzberger – a vineyard which has quite rightly become known as one of the best in the land. Franz Hirtzberger shares his passion for wine with his son, Franz Hirtzberger jun. and this forms the basis for the uncompromising quality of their wines.
The wine estate Velich in the Neusiedlersee winegrowing region produces one of the best Austrian Chardonnays each year. Very ripe grapes, spontaneous fermentation, long exposure to the yeast, ageing in a wooden cask and late bottling are typical of this family business, which is firmly rooted in the local region. Heinz Velich has achieved international recognition for his Chardonnay Tiglat.
Top wine estates from Germany
DAS CENTRAL INVITES GERMANY’S WINEGROWING ELITE TO ‘WEIN AM BERG 2017’
The Association of German Prädikat Wine Estates (abbreviated to VDP) represents the highest quality and best-renowned wineries in Germany. The 200 VDP winemakers have one thing in common: a bunch of grapes to symbolise the highest quality winegrowing culture and unadulterated enjoyment of wine.
Based on the motto of ‘Austria meets Germany’, we have selected some top winegrowers from the Association of German Prädikat Wine Estates to attend our 16th Wein am Berg event and so the crème de la crème of the German winegrowing scene will be gathering in Sölden.
From its dry Riesling to its Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc – the wine estate Künstler is a guarantee of the finest handpicked wines from the best locations. It is not without good reason that the vineyard was awarded 4 grapes and named one of the ‘Best Vineyards in Germany‘ in the renowned 2013 Gault Millau Guide.
Described from the Gault Millau Guide as the ‘Winegrower of the Year 2013‘, Joachim Heger is quite rightly a member of Germany’s wine growing elite. Some top-quality wines from the best locations such as the Ihringer Winklerberg and Achkarrer Schlossberg bear the signature of Joachim Heger. He is also one of the three masters behind our three-country wine PINO 3000.
Günter Wittmann and his son Philipp have transformed their vineyard into one of Germany’s top wineries. Their dry Riesling is an experience in itself and reflects the lively and long-standing winegrowing culture. In 2014, the vineyard was named ‘Winegrower of the Year‘ by the renowned Gault Millau Guide.
This wine estate has been among the crème de la crème of top German winegrowers with its excellent international reputation for over 200 years. With his saying of ‘My vineyards are like my children‘, Helmut Dönnhoff highlights the commitment and values with which he celebrates his work in the vineyards every single day. The wines by Helmut und Cornelius Dönnhoff regularly receive the highest accolades!
Wilhelm Weil has always dreamt of becoming a winegrower. His big passion for wine has made him a true wine pioneer who has done more for German wine than virtually anybody else. His wines are described as world class, masterful and exceptional and never fail to create a stir across the world.
A pioneer of German red wine. A role model for modern winegrowing. Numerous prizes and awards confirm the high quality of the Meyer-Näkel vineyard and its innovative wines. Having switched career, Werner Meyer-Näkel is now the 5th generation manager of the vineyard, together with his daughters Meike & Dörte. He has quite rightly been named ‘Winegrower of the Year‘ by Feinschmecker (2001) and Gault Millau (2004). These awards were followed by the ‘Lifetime Achievement in Winegrowing‘ in the renowned Falstaff Guide in 2011.
The very late harvesting of these grapes is the secret to the success of this vineyard which has been very successfully managed by Tim Fröhlich since 1995. In 2011, he was quite rightly named as ‘Winegrower of the Year‘ in the renowned Gault Millau Guide. The vineyard’s top locations include parts of the Schlossböckelheimer Felsenberg and Kupfergrube, the Bockenauer Felseneck and the Monzinger Frühlingsplätzchen. The wines from the Schäfer-Fröhlich vineyard have nothing to fear in terms of competition either in Germany or at an international level.
Inspiration and pure passion. The Knipser vineyard in the Palatinate region is the go-to address for German red wine. For a number of years they have been working with commitment and discipline with the Riesling grape variety too. Excellent ratings from Eichelmann, Gault Millau and Feinschmecker confirm the incomparable quality of this exceptional winegrower.
What would the Mosel be without the wine estate Fritz Haag which continues to create a stir among even passionate wine connoisseurs with its exciting range of Rieslings. Oliver Haag has been responsible for this historic family business since 2005 and represents refined and exquisite quality wines with a global reputation. The vineyard received the highest number of points, i.e. 5 grapes, from Gault Millau.
This vineyard is nestled within the magnificent Pfalz landscape, cultivated by passionate winegrower Steffen Christmann, the active President of the Association of German Prädikat Wine Estates (abbreviated to VDP). Around 2/3 of the 22h of vineyards are dedicated to the Riesling variety. Its most famous location of Idig produces one of the region’s most monumental wines.
Paul Fürst is a winegrower who works with great deal of soul & passion and, together with his son Sebastian, uses Pinot Noir and Riesling grapes to press wines which have attained genuine cult status. The result of his intensive work in the vineyards are satisfying, perfectly balanced and elegant wines which have a great deal of body.
A winegrower of national and international importance. Situated in the picturesque landscape of the Mosel region. On this 19 hectare vineyard a great deal of attention is lavished upon Riesling and Weißburgunder grapes.
Volker Raumland is famous beyond the borders of Germany for his sparkling wines. These finest sparkling wine creations are more reminiscent of France’s famous champagnes than German sparkling wines. 6 of its sparkling wines were also ranked in the TOP 10 in Germany in the renowned Gault Millau Guide 2017.
Strong spirits at ‘Wine on the Mountain’
THE ART OF DISTILLING
Hubertus Vallendar was already one of the big names in the field before winning gold at the World Spirits Award for ‘Distilleries of the Year 2016’ in the ‘Fruit Liqueurs and Spirits’ category. He opened his first distillery at the age of 24. And he made it to the top with lots of patience, precision and passion. For Hubertus Vallendar, there is no compromising on quality.