WILLKOMMEN – WELCOME

 

Dear friends, customers and partners

We are delighted that you exist and that you enjoy spending time with our wines - and therefore always a little bit with us.

THANK YOU for your loyalty in the last few exceptional years and in general. 

Petra & Walter + Emmi & Willi Frauwallner 

 

HOFLADEN / ESTATE SHOP 
March to October: Mon to Sat: 9am-12pm and 1pm-6pm
Nov. to February: Mon to Sat: 9-12 and 13-17 o'clock
Closed on Sundays and public holidays

 

 

Value & Basis

This axiom may be overused, however the statement it makes is the most important component of our philosophy: “Quality grows in the vineyard.” Our preferred partners: brainwork and sensitive-yet-stalwart physical skill and effort. 

Our wines come from the Buch, Stradener Rosenberg, Steintal and Altes Steinkreuz vineyards. Painstaking work by hand, an unerring focus on quality during vine maintenance and grape selection at harvest time: all a matter of course for us. Determining the ideal moment as we work in the vineyards requires a combination of gut instinct, knowledge and experience. 

Quality grows in the vineyard – though only if you give it the best support possible.

More space for time

Through manual labor, unabashed craftsmanship and finely tuned cellaring techniques, quality is brought from the vineyard to the bottle. Skill, experience, trust and time, such as prolonged exposure to the yeast, are indispensable for more demanding wines. Thanks to the cellar we built in 2008, in the middle of the Buch vineyard we have gained more space for steel tanks and oak casks and thus “more space for time”.

This also means that we can now perform our basic work with an even greater focus on quality. Short distances from vine to cellar enable us to process our harvest quickly. Until final pressing, the natural power of gravity negates the need for pumps, which substantially improves the quality of our wines.

 

Wine Categories

REGIONAL WINES – GEBIETSWEINE
STEIERMARK UND VULKANLAND STEIERMARK DAC
Wines from different vineyards across Vulkanland Steiermark, allowed to develop classically in steel tanks. Fruity, elegant and multifaceted.

LOCAL WINES – ORTSWEINE
Wines grown on younger vines in vineyards within the municipal limits of Straden. Fruity, elegant, yet an expressive »middle ground« between wines classically matured in steel tanks and “Riedenweine”. Available from 1 May in the year following harvest.

SINGLE-VINEYARD WINES - RIEDENWEINE
Vineyards Stradener Rosenberg, Buch, Steintal, Altes Steinkreuz provide the basis for minerally, profound, great wines – authentic ambassadors of their home terroir. 

Große STK-Ried / Grand Cru STK:
Ried Buch
1. STK-Ried / Premier Cru STK:
Ried Stradener Rosenberg
STK Ried / STK vineyard:
Ried Steintal + Ried Altes Steinkreuz.

ALTERNATIVELY PRODUCED WINES 
"Straden Privat": A white wine fermented on the mash.

Hand in Hand

The foundation stone for today’s winery was laid on the farm of Walter’s grandparents Hilda and Josef Ruckenstuhl, where they maintained a small vineyard solely to meet their own needs. Today, the second generation of vintners lends a helping hand whenever the third generation, which is now in charge, needs a little extra support.

WALTER FRAUWALLNER
Since Walter took over responsibility for his parent’s wine cellar in 2002 (at age 21), this segment of their mixed farming business has developed into one of the best wineries in Styria. 
GOALS & VALUES: Every year and without compromise, produce wines of distinctive origin that bring great joy to customers.

PETRA FRAUWALLNER
After switching careers (a registered nurse in addition to mother of their two sons, Felix and Fabian), Petra supports her husband Walter in various areas of the business, including wine tastings and clerical duties. Through their partnership and her involvement with the business, her love for wine has grown over the years; also reflected in her training as a sommelière. 
GOALS & VALUES: Joy in everything she does, family through and through, independence and autonomy.

EMMI FRAUWALLNER
Emmi is the initial point of contact for winery-direct sales and has eagerly served customers for many years. Her cheerful attitude and experience are much appreciated. 
GOALS & VALUES: Health & cheerfulness, good family climate, assist the family with their work at the winery.

WILLI FRAUWALLNER Sr.
Willi is an oasis of calm within the family, lending a hand where he’s needed and always open to implementing new ideas in the vineyards, cellars and sales rooms. 
GOALS & VALUES: Quality of life, »composure in all situations«.

WILLI FRAUWALLNER Jr.
Walter’s older brother runs Restaurant Willis in Bad Waltersdorf and occasionally assists the winery with presentations. As a trained sommelier and wine aficionado, he is often on the road on an »oenological mission«.

Milestones

2002
Walter Frauwallner takes over the reins of the wine cellar of his parents’ mixed farming operation, his goal being to transform this sideline business into a full-fledged winery. Initiated by Emmi Frauwallner, 12 winegrowers from the Steirisches Vulkanland joined forces to create the “Eruption” label for quality wines.

2003 
First major press coverage: As the first journalist with nationwide readership, gourmet critic and gastrosopher Christoph Wagner reports about the winery. 

2006 
The whole family is thrilled about their first provincial champion wine (Morillon). Many more, not mentioned here, would follow (…)

2008
In the middle of our Buch vineyard, we build our new, functional cellar. The Austrian Guide Gault Millau names Walter their Wine Talent of the Year (Morillon Ried Buch, »Eruption weiß«, 2006)

2011 
awc international wine challenge vienna: Ernennung zum 3-Sterne Weingut. Diese Höchstnote erhielten nur 27 von 1784 internationalen Winzern. 

2014
Winery of the Year in Styria. 

2016 
Walter and Petra take over the winery.

2017 
Winery of the Year in Styria. 

2018
Winery of the Year in Styria. 
Joined the group Steirische Terroir- & Klassikwinzer (STK).

2021
Winery of the Year in Styria for the 4th time.

Our Trockenbeerenauslese Gelber Muskateller Essenz 2017 (sweet wine specialty) earns 100 Falstaff points. !For the first time, a wine from Styria receives the maximum number of points. Thank you very much!

2022
Our son Felix begins his training at the Silberberg viticulture school.

2023
For the first time, one of our (dry) white wines is honored by the Guide A LA CARTE with a rare 99 points: 2021 Sauvignon Blanc, Ried Buch G STK.