Erich
Machherndl
From medical technology to terroir technician. The prodigal son who rejected wine school after the 1986 glycol scandal—only to return in 1998 and prove that 8 hectares of Wachau obsession can outshine industrial convention.
Born in 1972, Erich Machherndl trained as a medical engineer after the Austrian wine scandal scared his parents away from the family trade. For eight years, he traveled the world selling sophisticated equipment and earning good money—until weekends helping his father turned into an irreversible calling. In 1998, facing his father's retirement with the words "Carry on, sell it, or lease it out," Erich chose the cellar over the hospital. Today, he farms 8 hectares across 23 tiny plots in Wösendorf, producing 20-30 distinct wines annually with zero standard recipes—just honest viticulture without compromises. [^1^] [^11^]
Scandal
Return
Certified
The Technician
8 years selling medical technology, worldwide travel, good money—but weekends in the vineyard revealed where his "inner world" truly harmonized. A deliberate choice, not inherited obligation.
The Terroirist
Converting to organic (LACON certified), 24-hour skin contact, wild yeast fermentation, no botrytis in dry wines. 23 micro-plots harvested separately—because weddings, divorces and deaths created a vineyard map that's "more complex than simple."
The Wachau Way
Federspiel · Smaragd · Steinfeder. The three-tier classification of Austria's most prestigious wine region, where paragneiss and amphibolite rule, and the Danube moderates every breeze.
Ancient Terraces & Primary Rock
Kollmitz, Kollmütz, Hochrain, Seelenkräutel—vineyards on paragneiss and loess, irrigated only where necessary. The Wachau's signature: primary rock soils that force vines deep, creating mineral intensity impossible to replicate.
Specialist
Intensity
Elevation
50% Grüner Veltliner, 16% Riesling, plus Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Zweigelt and—unexpectedly—Syrah. Each plot harvested separately, fermented in small charges, blended by site and style. "I don't want to reduce the spectrum, because each one tastes different." [^1^] [^11^]
"Honest viticulture without compromises. Some may call me stubborn, but my first goal is to produce wines for people to enjoy."— Erich Machherndl on his winemaking philosophy
The Wines
No cultured yeast, no filtration obsession, minimal sulfur. 24 hours of skin contact for structure, fermentation of cloudy unsedimented juice, full malolactic conversion. The result: textural wines with personality but no unnecessary weight. [^1^]
Ried Kollmütz Federspiel
"If I have one favourite among my wines: this would be it." Cool, concentrated, tangy; pure and minimalistic from the eastern parcels of Kolmütz where loess meets rock. The aristocratic expression of Wachau GV.
Paragneiss & Loess
Enotria&Coe Import
Ried Kollmitz Smaragd
A kaleidoscope of fruits, gentle and charming, but it can pounce. Always a natural beauty from the terraced slopes where 1973-planted vines dig into solid weathered paragneiss. Full-bodied, opulent, with saline minerality.
1973 Vines
Natural Beauty
"For Friends Only"
Magnum-only, extremely selected essence. Pineapple, kiwi, greengage, Crème de Marrons—baroque abundance with a saline-mineral acidity curve that "stretches like a Wagner opera." Prime grape juice for better friendships.
14.5% ABV
2019-2029
Ried Kollmütz Smaragd
A concentrated essence of Riesling. Aristocratic, mysterious and noble with plenty of ageing potential. From the high plateau where rock prevails in the west—showing why Wachau Riesling rivals the world's best.
Mysterious
Long Ageing
"Mitz & Mütz"
Picked from both Kollmitz and Kollmütz sites—hence the playful name. A vivacious wine, racy and compact, proving that even "entry-level" Wachau Riesling carries terroir DNA.
Vivacious
Racy Acidity
Weißer Burgunder Kollmitz
Delicately fruity, scents of brioche with the velvety buttery texture of white Burgundy. Machherndl transforms this "anonymous" grape into something with intense flavor, oily honey notes, and serious minerality.
Velvety Texture
Burgundian Style
Visit & Contact
Wösendorf in der Wachau, Hauptstrasse 1—30 minutes from Krems, in the heart of the Wachau World Heritage landscape. By appointment. Look for the characteristic hills Kollmitz and Kollmütz on the Danube river banks.
Cellar
Hauptstrasse 1
3610 Wösendorf
30 min from Krems
Vineyards
8 Hectares
23 Micro-Plots
Paragneiss & Loess
Method
24-Hr Skin Contact
Wild Yeast Only
Min Intervention