Weingut Pfaffl

“Big Players – The family winery has been one of Austria’s showpieces for many years.” Vinum, 2019

Weingut Pfaffl – The story of a young family business

The success story of one of the best-known Austrian wineries begins with the farm of the grandparents and parents of Roman Pfaffl, which was dedicated mainly to agriculture. In 1978 he took over 23 hectares of agricultural land and 0.7 hectares of vineyards from his parents and from then on concentrated on viticulture. Step by step, Roman expanded the business. He sold his wine in a small “Buschenschank”, a local wine tavern, in his home town of Stetten. In Korneuburg the Heuriger “Laterndl Pfaffl” was also opened. In 1983, Roman Pfaffl bottled quality wine in bottles, so-called “Bouteillen”, for the first time. From 1984 he expanded his vineyard area across various sites. He was also one of those responsible for the Weinviertel becoming Austria’s first DAC region. In the 1980s, Weingut Pfaffl became particularly well known for its peppery, spicy Grüner Veltliner. Because of the particularly aromatic style of the Pfaffl Veltliners, people soon spoke of a “Pfafferl-Pfefferl”; in wine circles, Roman Pfaffl was soon given the title “Mr. Veltliner”. Since then, the wines have regularly been honored with awards.

From the original 0.7 hectares of vineyards, Roman and Adelheid Pfaffl had already created 5.2 hectares by 1989, expanded by an additional 7 hectares of vineyards in Münichsthal. After purchasing them, they were completely cleared and replanted with new vines.

From 1991 onwards, Roman Pfaffl also sold his wines abroad; in 1992 a new press house and a new storage cellar were built. New technology was also purchased, including temperature-controlled tanks, pneumatic presses, destemmers and a free-fall wine press.

In 1996, 18 years after Roman Pfaffl took over his parents’ farm and converted it into a winery, he was named Winemaker of the Year by the renowned Austrian wine magazine Falstaff. It was by no means to be the last award.

After the estate had already grown to a proud 30 hectares in 2000, the Heuriger was closed and Roman Pfaffl focused entirely on viticulture. For example, Pfaffl took over the Schlossweingut Bockfließ with its 10 hectares of vineyards; the cellar was expanded in 2002, and in 2003 the old building complex was fundamentally renovated, so that the winery was largely fully modernized. Later, a barrique cellar and a machinery hall were also built, and the press house was enlarged.

In 2004, Roman and Adelheid Pfaffl were already cultivating 53 hectares of vineyards, and additionally took over 5 hectares in Vienna-Stammersdorf. Then, in 2008, the new press with inert gas system was put into operation, enabling pressing in the absence of oxygen.

Generational change at Weingut Pfaffl

In 2011, the children of Roman and Adelheid Pfaffl, Roman Josef and Heidemarie Pfaffl, finally took over Weingut Pfaffl from their parents, with whom they still run it together to this day. In 2012 they also commissioned another white wine cellar. Exports of the wines were continually expanded, and in 2016 even the renowned US wine magazine Wine Enthusiast awarded Weingut Pfaffl the title “European Winery of the Year”.

Weingut Pfaffl and its wines

The vineyards

The vineyard area of Weingut Pfaffl currently amounts to a full 110 hectares, spread across various sites and 10 different villages around its home base of Stetten. Around 70 percent of the area is planted with white varieties. Because the vineyard holdings are so widely distributed, Pfaffl works with very different soils and microclimates, which in turn makes it possible to vinify a wide variety of grape varieties and wine styles.

The soils

Because the sites and vineyards are scattered, Pfaffl wines grow on very different soils. Chardonnay, for example, thrives particularly well on sandy soil with a thin layer of loess. Riesling and Cabernet Sauvignon enjoy stony, meagre, mineral soils. Grüner Veltliner, Pinot Blanc, Zweigelt and Pinot Noir grow on the Herrenholz and Praschen sites in Vienna.

Vineyard management

The vineyards at Pfaffl are cultivated entirely in the spirit of sustainability, which is now officially certified as “Nachhaltig Austria”. Various wild flowers grow between the vines, providing pasture for beneficial insects and enlivening the soil. Only every second row of vines is mown, alternately, so that there is always a sufficient supply of flowering food.

In June, the shoots are tucked into the trellis system and weaker shoots are removed so that an airy wall of foliage can develop.

Some of the grapes are not harvested until mid-November. As a result, the wines are particularly concentrated and of a truly distinctive character.

The grape varieties

At Weingut Pfaffl a diverse range of grape varieties is grown. Among the white varieties are:

• Grüner Veltliner
• Chardonnay
• Riesling
• Pinot Blanc
• Muskateller

And red varieties are grown on about 30 percent of the vineyard area:

• Merlot
• Cabernet Sauvignon
• Pinot Noir
• Zweigelt
• St. Laurent

The wines

If you want to list the top wines of Weingut Pfaffl, you barely know where to start and where to stop. To name just a few, you cannot overlook the flagship Veltliner Hundsleiten. The vines here are over 35 years old and heavily yield-reduced; the wine is correspondingly aromatic and intense in flavour, with the nose beguiled by fruity and peppery-spicy aromas. The Grüner Veltliner Goldjoch and Hommage should also be mentioned here.

Among the red wines, it is almost impossible to ignore the St. Laurent Reserve Altenberg, matured in oak barrels, which enjoys an excellent reputation beyond Austria’s borders. The Excellent Reserve and the top cuvée Heidrom have also received numerous awards, as have many other Pfaffl wines.

Pfaffl – An award-winning winery

If one were to list all the awards that Weingut Pfaffl and the Pfaffl wines have received over the years, one would soon have to publish a separate magazine. A few selected awards from recent years are listed below:

• 2023 – SELECTION Austria’s Winery of the Year
• 2022 – Sustainable Austria certified
• 2022 – Savoir Vivre Winery of the Year
• 2022 – MUNDUS VINI Best Producer Austria
• 2022 – IFS Food 7 certificate
• 2022 – FRANKFURT INTERNATIONAL TROPHY
• 2021/22 – falstaff 4-star winery
• 2021 – SELECTION International Winery of the Year
• 2021 – Nachhaltig Austria certified
• 2021 – MUNDUS VINI Best Producer Austria
• 2021 – FRANKFURT INTERNATIONAL TROPHY Best Producer Austria
• 2020 – SELECTION Austrian Winery of the Year
• 2020 – PRAGUE WINE TROPHY Best Winery
• 2020 – MUNDUS VINI Best Producer Austria
• 2019 – SELECTION Austrian Winery of the Year
• and many more

Photos courtesy of © “Weingut R&A Pfaffl”