Winery Roland Tauss

Roland Tauss works toward difference—not toward creating a product that tastes the same every year. To achieve this, the vineyards are cultivated biodynamically. The vines grow almost entirely in Opok (a lime-rich clay-marl soil), which gives the wines a unique mineral character, lending them precision and vitality. The cellar work follows the same philosophy as the vineyard: fermentation is spontaneous and unregulated by temperature, and maceration times vary depending on the grape variety.

Alice and Roland Tauss have quietly built one of the most remarkable wineries in Styria. Unlike many others in southern Styria, their focus has never been on growth for its own sake—only on quality. The estate comprises just 8 hectares, and there is no ambition to expand. The vineyards are located in five south- and southwest-facing basins at altitudes between 400 and 480 meters. The slopes are sometimes as steep as high alpine terrain, with inclines of up to 50%. Despite this, planting density is relatively high at 4,000–5,000 vines per hectare, while yields are deliberately low—between 3,000 and 4,000 kilos—due to the demanding soils and high quality standards. The oldest vines are over 50 years old.

Roland and Alice have clearly found their path—and it seems they may already have arrived at their destination. This is best reflected in the holistic concept that shapes their lives. In addition to wine, they run a beautiful guesthouse that matches the ecological philosophy of their vineyards. Solar panels generate electricity, they make their own jams, bake their own bread, and wherever they don’t produce something themselves, they source from like-minded producers. Most importantly, their wines reflect a philosophy developed over decades—one that places a deep understanding of the surrounding natural world at its core.

Roland Tauss knows that “the vitality in wine originates in the soil, where the vine takes root and grows,” and so he does everything he can to foster life in the soil.

In the cellar, he merely accompanies the process—with a patience that is rare among Austrian winemakers. As with his friends at Schmecke das Leben, time plays a decisive role. Roland often gives his wines years to develop their full expression—revealing the nuances of soil, variety, and vintage.

At the heart of his philosophy is the desire to give each wine its own voice. Roland doesn’t aim for uniformity—he cultivates difference. To achieve this, he works biodynamically. The vines grow almost entirely on Opok, which imparts mineral finesse and a vibrant structure to the wines.

The winemaking follows naturally from this approach. Fermentations begin spontaneously, without temperature control, and the duration of skin contact varies by grape. All wines undergo malolactic fermentation and are then aged in wooden barrels. Roland bottles his wines unfiltered and, recently, entirely without added sulfur.