Located in the Krems Valley, right in the town of Krems, our winery looks back on a long tradition and cultivates around 16 hectares of vineyards today. Our children Birgit and Christian continue the legacy of carefully tending the land, making them the ninth generation of wine growers. If you enjoy what you do, you’ll be successful too. We love what we do. The view over Krems and the Danube from our blooming vineyards in spring is just breathtaking and each moment of savoring a noble drop is truly a celebration.
As a family estate, we are fortunate to have all members of the family sharing a great passion for winemaking and being fully integrated in our daily operations. Hence, the business not only benefits from the new, fresh breeze brought in by the younger generation, but also from years of experience and expertise. The ultimate aim is to produce wines of exceptional quality, expression and maturity which reflect the region’s full potential. This can only work in a close-knit family team.
Together we are strong
Wolfgang takes care of the family vineyards with much attention to detail, keeping an eye on the grapes’ quality and health while making sure the best drops are bottled. He is assisted by his son Christian, an avid outdoorsman: “My prime objective has always been to find the best way to work in harmony with nature.”
Daughter Birgit, too, is passionate about wines, vineyards and everything connected with them. Together with her father Wolfgang and brother Christian, Birgit successfully implements her ideas and goals in the wine cellar, while also keeping on top of what the men are up to. With Elfi at her side, she also organizes the winery and guesthouse and is responsible for sales and marketing. Elfi is the “soul” of the house, always having an open ear to customer needs and the appropriate response to any kind of issues that arise.
From the Krems wine-growing region.
Philosophy
Our philosophy is not only based on the values of maturity, tradition and expression but also on our love for nature. We strive to fully tap the region’s potential and to win over discerning customers with our wine’s top quality.
High priority is given to the wines’ ability to age well. Even after 15 or 20 years, the best wines still present themselves fresh and vibrant. Our wines are geared especially toward connoisseurs. It’s like classical music: “The complex aromas reveal themselves to those familiar with world of symphonies.”
OUR SINGLE VINEYARDS ARE OUR MAIN TREASURE
Grapes grown on fertile loess soil play a major role, both in viticulture and in our winery, among these the top Rieden Obere Sandgrube and Frechau. The soil literally comes through in the taste of the wines produced here. However, also our grapevines in the Weinzierlberg offer ideal conditions. The loess and primary rock weathered soil in deeper layer guarantees a distinctive wine profile.
our history
A tradition that started in 1773. Our family-run winery is already in its ninth generation. Into the 1950’s, grandfather Franz Aigner senior still operated a classic mixed agricultural operation, with wine being only one of many crops. Nearly three hectares were stocked with vines, and the wines were sold mainly at the farm gate. But grandfather Franz Aigner already had a penchant for strong wines that should not necessarily be tasted when they were young, and he knew exactly what a special terroir the Sandgrube sand pit offered.
The cornerstone of modern winemaking was laid by our father Franz Aigner, Jr, when he decided to give up mixed farming in order to concentrate fully on wine.
Large areas were then replanted. The vines that he planted at the time are still among the ‘fillets’ within the ‘Kremser Sandgrube’ and the ‘Weinzierlberg’.
During the era of father Franz Aigner, Jr, pioneering work was carried out in all areas. He soon focused on improving quality by reducing quantity. He delivered only about half of the grapes to the cooperative that dominated production at the time and used the rest to make wines himself. He was one of the first people in the region to fill his own bottles. Connoisseurs could tell the difference. He built up a large following of returning customers – individual wine lovers, hotels, restaurants. He could also see that good wines needed to be sold well and thus started attending wine fairs and tastings. The result was numerous awards, especially for the Green Veltliner. The love of powerful wines with ageing potential had been passed on to him from his grandfather, and he would then pass it on to his son. The fruits of his labour are still resting in the cellar – all sorts of interesting Green Veltliners from the 60s and 70s.
In 1985, Franz Aigner, Jr, passed away and left it up to the 21 year old Wolfgang Aigner to manage the business. Since he revered his heritage and had respect for the experience of his father and grandfather, Wolfgang decided not to engage in experimentation, even though during the 1990s it was common to try out new approaches: new varieties of Chardonnay including Merlot and Syrah, trying out different woods and new ways to concentrate the must. Wolfgang Aigner would haven none of this: ‘I knew what our vineyards were capable of, and that our Rieslings and Grüner Veltliners grown in this soil could not be surpassed’.“
You can read even more about our company and the history behind it in our press kit.