The Erwin Sabathi family has had a tradition of wine growing since 1650. However, the great upswing began in 1992 when Erwin Sabathi joined his parents' business. Today, the family winery is in the hands of Erwin and his wife Patrizia. The winery is certified organic. Patrizia and Erwin Sabathi's philosophy is based on the provenance of the wine and the workings of nature: all grapes are hand-picked - only traditional hand-picking is possible due to the nature of the vineyards (extremely steep slopes). However, another and much more important argument for the wine growing couple is quality. They deliberately rely on manual harvesting.
The most important grape varieties at Erwin Sabathi are Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. These also enjoy the highest international status. His Sauvignon Blancs and Chardonnays from the Pössnitzberg vineyard (Große STK site) are on a par with the world's greatest white wines - and therefore right at the top. The Sauvignon Blanc Ried Pössnitzberg Alte Reben and the Chardonnay Ried Pössnitzberg Alte Reben are regarded as absolute rarities. The meticulously selected grapes come from the oldest vines. The Chardonnay Ried Pössnitzberger Kapelle and the Sauvignon Blanc Ried Pössnitzberger Kapelle are considered to be extremely precise world-class wines.
In 2016, Falstaff voted Erwin Sabathi "Winemaker of the Year". One of the reasons for this was his knack for the Chardonnay grape variety. The Chardonnay Ried Pössnitzberg Alte Reben GSTK is awarded high points year after year. Anyone looking for a potential upgrade to this wine should keep an eye out for the magnificent Chardonnay Ried Pössnitzberger Kapelle, the rarest wine in Erwin Sabathi's range. The search is worthwhile - the Alpine republic can hardly offer any "more" Chardonnay at the moment.
In 2025, the Erwin Sabathi winery will be celebrating its 375th anniversary - meaning that this "wine growing dynasty" has been around for over ten generations.
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