When Roman Pfaffl was awarded the title of "Falstaff Winemaker of the Year" in 1996, a dream came true for him that he had never even dared to dream of. In just under 20 years, with the help of his wife Adelheid, he had turned a farm with 0.75 hectares of vineyards into a 20-hectare winery with great ambitions. Another 20 years followed, during which the next generation was also heavily involved - an interplay that obviously works: The US magazine "Wine Enthusiast" named the winery "European Winery of the Year 2016". This is the first time that this coveted title has gone to Austria.
The Pfaffls have been synonymous with high-quality Grüner Veltliner, Riesling, Chardonnay, Zweigelt and St. Laurent for around 45 years. The estate's 160 hectares of vineyards are now spread across thirteen different municipalities in the southern Weinviertel and even extend as far as Vienna. This distribution brings with it a variety of soils and microclimates, which Roman Josef Pfaffl knows how to use skilfully. He knows how to bring out the characteristics of the individual sites and vivid his wines in a wide variety of styles, from light and playful to dense and powerful. Of course, this applies in particular to the flagship variety Grüner Veltliner, which is vinified in a number of different versions. But the winery is also very strong when it comes to red wines. "Some of our vineyards benefit from the mild Pannonian influences that reach us via the Marchfeld region," says Roman Josef Pfaffl, not without ambition, as he is particularly fond of the reds.
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