In the vaulted cellar of Weingut Steinschaden stands the oldest wooden wine press in the German-speaking world, dating back to 1564. It was built in Engabrunn, just a year after the nearby Engabrunner Stein vineyard was first terraced by hand for the church between 1560 and 1563. This remarkable witness to the very beginnings of winemaking in the region still stands today, a reminder that wine here is measured not in decades but in centuries.
The family-run estate is located in the southernmost part of the Kamptal region. The vineyards stretch from the cool northern section around Schönberg, following the Kamp River southwards to Engabrunn and Grafenegg. These diverse sites and influences within the wine-growing area, with their varying climates and unique soils, are clearly reflected in the wines. The terroir ranges from light, gravelly-sandy soils in the lower elevations to deep loess walls and rocky soils rich in granite, gneiss and weathered stone in the higher sites. Together, they allow wine lovers to taste and experience the Kamptal in all its facets.
For the Steinschaden family, winemaking is the perfect balance between working with nature and working with people. Every year, hundreds of decisions are made in the vineyard and in the cellar, and only after the harvest and fermentation do you begin to see which ones were right and which were less so. In the end, the goal is to work in harmony with nature to give each wine a touch of philosophy, to capture the idea of the ideal wine in the bottle. Each new vintage brings new challenges, and the ideas from the previous year are always adapted to what nature gives in the next.
The estate cultivates grapes from over 200 different vineyard parcels, which is why the Steinschaden family has divided its wines into three distinct collections. The Classic Collection allows wine drinkers to experience the many influences of the region’s characteristic sites, with a focus on varietal typicity. The Terroir Collection highlights the individual character of single vineyards, giving each wine its own personality whilst showcasing the essence of Kamptal, making the origin truly tangible in taste. Finally, the Signature Collection represents this philosophy at its most refined: single-vineyard and reserve wines of great character and individuality, matured slowly and carefully. You could say, the handwriting of an entire family.
