From an orchard on a volcanic slope to a global innovation
The history of the Gölles manufactory began in the late 1950s, when Alois Gölles senior started growing apple trees on the sunny southeastern slope near Riegersburg in southeastern Styria. His son Alois junior grew up in these orchards, completed his training at the Higher Federal Institute for Viticulture and Pomology in Klosterneuburg, and from 1979 began processing the fruits of the family business, initially into fruit wine and juice, and soon into fine brandies. In 1986, the quotas for the small-scale farm distillery were exhausted — the hobby became a trade, and the farm became a manufactory. The decisive turning point came in 1984: Inspired by internships in Modena and the local Aceto Balsamico traditions, Alois Gölles produced the world's first apple balsamic vinegar — a balsamic vinegar not made from grapes, but from fruit. It was not until 15 years later, in 1999, that competitors dared to launch a similar product. Since March 2025, David Gölles, the eldest son of Alois Gölles, has been running the family business in the third generation.
Fully ripe fruit, no compromise — the craftsmanship behind every drop
The foundation of the manufactory is radically simple: Only the best, ripest fruit goes into the kettle or the vinegar cellar. Old varieties that are hardly available on the market anymore play a central role — Maschansker apples, Saubirnen pears, Hirschbirnen pears, Hauszwetschken plums, and Kriecherl plums provide aromas that modern table fruit varieties have long lacked. The fine brandies are produced using the traditional double distillation process in copper stills; the vinegars mature in old oak barrels — Gölles now operates one of the largest vinegar barrel cellars in Austria, where over 1,500 barrels are stored. The apple balsamic extra old matures according to the model of the Modenese batteria method through a series of barrels made of oak, chestnut, cherry, acacia, and ash — some for over twenty years. In 1990, Gölles opened the business as a "transparent manufactory," followed in 2015 by today's experience world with a shop, distillery tours, and the largest vinegar cellar in Austria.
Twenty brandies, twenty vinegars — a range with a clear signature
The range reflects the diversity of the Styrian fruit landscape: around twenty fine brandies — from classic varieties such as apricot, cherry, Williams pear, and quince to barrel-aged rarities such as the Alte Zwetschke, which has been maturing in oak barrels since 1989 — and just as many vinegars, from clear fruit vinegar to the house's flagship, the aged apple balsamic vinegar. Traceability is always crucial: some of the fruit comes from their own orchards around Riegersburg, supplemented by regional suppliers. The barrel-aged brandies deliberately bear Germanized names — "Alter Apfel" (Old Apple), "Alte Zwetschke" (Old Plum) — a naming convention that Gölles pioneered as the only producer starting in 1987 and which is now a trademark of the manufactory. Those who use the vinegars in the kitchen will find the right bottle for salads, sauces, cheese, and desserts, as well as for pure enjoyment at the end of a meal.
