Martin & Anna Arndorfer

Martin and Anna Arndorfer are heritage winemakers from Kamptal. Martin spent his childhood in his parents’ vineyards, while Anna is the daughter of renowned Austrian winemaker Karl Steininger. The couple is particularly devoted to the region’s two main white grape varieties — Grüner Veltliner and Riesling. Their winery is located in the commune of Strass, on the northern border of Austrian winegrowing. The region’s unique climate creates ideal conditions for growing grapes: a combination of cold alpine air masses with warm currents from the Pannonian Lowlands, along with a special soil composition — primary rock formations for Riesling and limestone with sandstone for Grüner. The Arndorfers have a distinctive approach to winemaking. They consider cellar work to be equally important as vineyard care and reject modern technologies like reverse osmosis or micro-oxygenation. Martin is a staunch advocate of barrel aging, although he strives to ensure that oak does not dominate the wine’s flavor profile. Production involves various vessels: 228-liter “pièce” barrels for the Leidenschaft line and large foudres of 1,100–2,400 liters for Strasser Weinberge. In addition to the region’s traditional varieties, they cultivate Chardonnay, Neuburger, Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Zweigelt. The annual production volume is approximately 60,000 bottles. Martin is skeptical about the excessive emphasis on organic and biodynamic winemaking, believing that the main focus should be on the quality of the final product and the pleasure of consuming it.