how éverything bégan

How did this come to be? The same way it so often does, when a chance encounter brings two worlds together and turns everything upside down: Suddenly. With hardly any questions. Bang! As a teenager, Pia Strehn was already captivated by La Vie en Rosé – sitting on the picturesque cliffs of Nice, gazing out over the sea, with rosé and cheese as her accomplices. At that moment, she knew: This was the way, and no other.

However, before securing her success as a winemaker, she still had a great deal of convincing to do – outside France, rosé was neither fish nor fowl in many people’s minds. It was considered a simple wine, mostly only enjoyed by dusty old ladies and tasteless bureaucrats. This may also have been because the truly good rosés, of which there were and are plenty, were rarely uncorked outside of France. In Austria, rosés were often carelessly vinified in stainless-steel tanks and sold at discount prices – wines that were more of an offense than a pleasure to the palate.

Pia discovered that rosé and barrique make a perfect pairing, producing finesse and character instead of boredom. The first few vintages became a time of learning, unsurprisingly requiring strong nerves and unwavering determination. Bringing rosé to everyone’s lips in Austria was a near-masochistic mission. People passionately debated the perfect temperature of the potato salad served with veal schnitzel, but when it came to wine, the equally intense discussions were limited to white or red.

Finally, 2017 became the year of truth, when everything she had learned and experienced was boldly bottled. With outstanding success. A widely read review by a Swiss wine journalist was followed by Elephant in a China Shop being surprisingly awarded the title of Austria’s best rosé by the renowned gourmet magazine FALSTAFF. The steadily growing recognition motivated Pia and her brothers Patrick and Andy to push forward with their pioneering work – because demand was also increasing. More and more wine lovers tasted the rosés cautiously, with pursed lips at first, but they were rewarded for their curiosity.

By 2021, 90 percent of the harvest was used to produce rosés. Today, the range of rosés comprises six wines: from sparkling wine to the LOVE STORY Rosé, which is fermented in the barrel. The basis is always the red wines from Deutschkreutz. Blaufränkisch is the main grape variety, but Zweigelt, St. Laurent, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah are also used in blends. The family organically cultivates a total of 53 hectares in Deutschkreutz and Neckenmarkt on a wide variety of soils.

timé travél

FROM THEN TO NOW

Tradition and innovation are frequently cited terms. We believe that tradition is born from innovation. You have a meaningful idea and you begin to live it. Because it is successful, it transcends time. Just as style is timeless and fashion is fleeting… What sounds simple requires unwavering belief in the cause. When Pia began exploring the wonderful world of wine more than two decades ago, it marked the beginning of many passionate liaisons, each full of exciting chapters.

Each chapter lasts one year. From the first shoot to the flowering, all the way to the harvest. No two wines are alike, just as no two years are alike. Perhaps this is the truest sign of our love: wines that are not made but mature from within.