The Strehn Estate stands for pure, straightforward and distinctive Blaufränkisch wines. It is a family enterprise in the best sense. Pia, Patrick, Andy and Monika – who all bring significant competence in matters of the vine to the process, along with great pleasure in working together – cultivate some fifty hectares of vines up to sixty years of age in Mittelburgenland, Austria’s “Blaufrankisch Country”.
Pia, born 1983 in Oberpullendorf. Upon completion of her studies she began gathering experience as an office worker, where she soon came to feel herself out of place – but then recognised where she would find true fulfilment: in the world of wine. While working for the retailer Wein & Co. she completed her second course of studies on a part-time basis, earning a Masters in ‘International Wine Marketing’ and attending the Wine Academy in Rust. Pia is master of tastings at the Strehn Estate, and has a great affinity for the finer things (and fine art as well). It works out handily that she is so happy on the road, because her driving passion is for exporting wine.
Patrick, born in 1985 – not the happiest chapter in the history of Austrian wine… though as a middle child he hit the absolute jackpot. After viticultural school he got to stretch his wings and travel far and wide – but at some point he left Australia & California in his rear-view mirror and came back to Blaufränkisch Country, Mittelburgenland. He completed his programme of study as a cellarmaster, and carries out his mission with great consistency and focus: producing puristic and straightforward wines that faithfully reflect their region. With respect to hobbies, he has recently discovered the pugilistic arts…
Andy, born in Eisenstadt in 1989. As the youngest of three children he grew up uncomplicated and free, practically raised at Grandma Strehn’s place. As an oenology graduate of the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna he not only loves to make wine, but likes to drink it as well. And since he always has the answer – and truly knows ‘better’ – among the family he is known as ‘the Encyclopedia’. In addition, he is an outstanding cook, and provided the impetus for Strehn launching their SCHENK’HAUS on the Mittelgasse in Deutschkreuz.
As different as the career paths and specialties of these individuals might be, they are of a single mind where things that truly matter in working with wine are concerned: sustainable cultivation of the vineyards, individually specific treatment of the different types of vine and vineyard sites, moderation and restraint in their cellar practices and a commitment to continued learning and permanent further development.
Grapes: Blaufränkisch, Zweigelt, St. Laurent, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Chardonnay und Welschriesling
40% Export
BLAUFRÄNKISCH
‘Home is where the Blaufränkisch is’… For us in Mittelburgenland, Blaufränkisch means more than a vine and a type of grape, a wine with its scents and flavours – more than a colour – it is rather an affirmation and a philosophy of life. Blaufränkisch stars in both the comedies and the dramas: an easy rosé, a cool and juicy red wine to go with barbecue, a dark-berried, tobacco-scented powerhouse rooted in clay or a delicate and a sensual seductress with the elegance of limestone. We really don’t need to discuss the potential and multifaceted nature of the variety: these are long since understood.
When anybody asks us what Blaufränkisch tastes like, we would say: plenty of blackberries, sour cherries, huckleberries, dates, plums, cloves, cinnamon – and when mature, the flavour profile includes fruit marinated in rum, with aromatic hints of tobacco and liquorice. Blaufränkisch is a marvellously easy variety for the winegrower to love: a true ‘golden boy’… the wine itself grows beautifully straight; the leaves are large and deep green with five lobes. The clusters are long and the berries loose, medium-sized with thick skins. Nearly every year it wins the beauty contest in the world of the vine.
CLIMATE
Mittelburgenland – truly the Promised Land – is protected by a range of hills called the Bucklige Welt in the west, the Ödenburg Mountains to the north and the Günser Mountains to the south. Cold winds from the north are turned away while warm and dry air currents from the Pannonian lowlands can stream in unimpeded. Lake Neusiedl – only a few kilometres distant as the crow flies – plays an important role in regulating temperatures in the region. Winters are cold with a great deal of snow, while summer is hot and dry. In terms of climate, the region can easily be compared with Burgundy, Bordeaux and Piedmont.
SOILS
Our vineyards are planted primarily in deep soils, which have an expansive capacity for water retention. This is a big advantage toward achieving quality, particularly in the dry years.
The municipality of Deutschkreutz is unique, in that it has a significant diversity of soil types: heavy loam soils, loess, gravel, limestone and even chalk. But the predominant configurations consist of more or less calcareous soils, containing varying proportions of loam, sand and gravel.
