Team
Our team is a blend of multifaceted skills and talent. Some of us come from the Wachau, others from Vienna or beyond the Austrian border. Some are globetrotters, others are deeply attached to their homeland. There are those who have acquired their wine education at schools and academies, while others have gained oenological knowledge and gastronomic expertise through practical hands-on experience. Our resumé is indeed varied and far from the norm. But there is one single point that bonds us: We share a great passion for wine.
Roman Horvath MW
Winery Director
Concentrated Grüner Veltliners from Kellerberg are his favourite wines, but Roman also appreciates elegant white Burgundies. Before making his home in the Wachau, he worked in wine trade as well as wineries in Chile and France. He was the second Austrian to successfully complete the prestigious Master of Wine education at the Institute of Masters of Wine in London. Roman joined the Domäne Wachau as Winery Director in 2004 where he has been responsible for the successful quality-oriented restructuring and strategic positioning of the winery. He also keeps very busy in his private life as a family father who is quite proud of a daughter and twin boys all in high-school age.
E-Mail: r.horvath@domaene-wachau.at
Tel.: +43 664 5258957
Heinz Frischengruber
Oenologist & Cellar Master
After years of apprenticeship in the international wine world, Heinz Frischengruber returned to his origins in the Wachau. He is a graduate of the Viniculture College Klosterneuburg, studied international wine marketing at the college in Eisenstadt and oenology at the reputed University of Geisenheim. Heinz’ key contributions to the success of Domäne Wachau are the successful development of a quality improvement programme in the vineyards as well as a focus on preserving the unique terroir character of the wines. Heinz was awarded as the Vintner Newcomer of the Year in 2007 and is also the managing director of the Austrian Oenology and Wine Research. He adores tasting the wines of the world directly in their own terroir.
E-Mail: h.frischengruber@domaene-wachau.at
Tel.: +43 664 1061601
Vignerons
Our vignerons are the heroes of Domäne Wachau. With devotion to detail, they work the small plots, exercising artisanship based on sustainable principles. They are the ones who nurture the vineyards, who build and mend the dry stone walls, and carefully ensure biodiversity while increasingly focusing on organic farming. Each one is one of a kind – so unique and rich in character. Grape whisperers with creative minds and spirits. Whether young mavericks or experienced farmers. And with our winemaker, Heinz Frischengruber at their side, they always have a mentor to guide and support them.
Team Cellar
Gerhard Braunauer, Paul Kaiblinger, Martin Schmalzbauer, Clemens Aigner, Sebastian Fasching
There’s always something going on in the cellar — fermenting, bubbling, fizzing, or aging. To keep everything running smoothly, cellarmaster Heinz Frischengruber has gathered a five-person team that runs like a well-oiled machine. Clemens Aigner serves as director of operations, drawing on years of winemaking experience with us that began while he was still a student of oenology. He counts on the youthful and energetic support of Sebastian Fasching and Paul Kaiblinger. Also at his side: Gerhard Braunauer, after 35 years in our service a true treasure trove of oenological knowledge, as well as his trusty companion Martin Schmalzbauer, an institution at Wachau and a master of the bottling equipment. All five play a decisive role in ensuring that the grapes from our winegrowing families become first-class wines of deep elegance and Wachau typicity.
Team Export
Auguszta Cseri, Patricia Hellerschmied, Sofia Fischer
Cosmopolitan, wine loving, and ideally trained: our export team, a colorful international mix, makes sure that our wines can be found everywhere from the Cayman Islands to Kazakhstan. Auguszta Cseri, a native of Hungary, travels for us in Great Britain, many other countries in Europe, as well as in the Middle East, Africa, Canada and the Caribbean. Sofia Fischer knows everything about wine, which is a big benefit on the extremely lively Asian market, South America, USA and on our key markets, Netherlands, Belgium and Scandinavia. Working from Dürnstein, Patricia Hellerschmied keeps the entire operation moving, not to mention various international projects of her own. The three together serve a market that has grown enormously in recent years and now spans around 50 countries.
Team DACH (Wine Consulting Austria, Germany, Switzerland)
Thorsten Schmelz, Raphael Buttinger, Lukas Weitschacher
Austria, Germany, and Switzerland — three countries, supported by a trio that’s always on the go: Lukas Weitschacher, a certified sommelier, manages the desires of customers between Freilassing and Flensburg, as well as in Switzerland and several neighboring countries. Raphael Buttinger, also a certified sommelier, learned his craft amidst 25,000 bottles of wine in the Paznauer Stuben and consults for restaurants, hotels, and retailers in western Austria. And last but not least Thorsten Schmelz, a child of the Wachau who spent years as the restaurant director at Hotel Kempinski, returned to his homeland and now tends to our customers in eastern Austria.
Team Marketing, Organization & IT
Andreas Wieland, Alexandra Fragner, Diana Haas, Johannes Weber
A blend of creative minds. Andreas Wieland is our jack-of-all-trades, with plenty of experience and a broad network in the wine industry. Diana Haas is a veteran employee with comprehensive expertise in events and marketing at Domäne Wachau. Alexandra Fragner is an expert in our webshop and online marketing and also supports our event team at our events. Johannes Weber is our man for press, newsletter, content, and social media work. Our marketing team provides you with the latest news and stories from our estate. Follow our website, newsletter, Instagram & other social media and you’ll always be the first to know.
Team Events & Vinothek
Silvia Lechner, Martina Wittmann, Lisa Löschenbrand, Madeleine Strobl
Food, music & wine in the Domäne’s historic Kellerschlössel, countless individual events and a vinothek open from Monday to Saturday — we’re much more than just a winegrowing estate. Silvia Lechner ensures that our events are not just unforgettable, but also run like clockwork. Lisa Löschenbrand, certified sommelière, traded in a career as a flight attendant to land with us here in our vinothek in Dürnstein. She is joined by Martina Wittmann and Madeleine Strobl, two trained wine specialists who proudly pass their passion and expertise on to our private customers. Visitors here at Domäne Wachau couldn’t be in better hands.
