Johann Topf

Four generations, one cellar, one Kamptal

The Johann Topf winery in Straß im Straßertale looks back on a family history that reaches deeper than many a vine root in the Kamptal primary rock. The first documentary mention of the property can be found in the Maria Theresa land register of 1649; the property has been in family hands continuously since 1751. The foundation for today's winery was laid in 1885 by Josef Topf, who married into Straß and led the business into wine production. Johann Topf I. took over in 1929 under difficult circumstances — the early death of his father, a phylloxera catastrophe, and two world wars took their toll on the farm. His son Johann Topf II. converted the business to pure viticulture in 1960 and was one of the first winemakers in Straß to bottle wine and supply customers throughout Austria. In 1990, Hans (Johann III.) Topf took over together with his wife Magdalena — and expanded the winery to its current size of around 46 hectares.

Today, the fifth generation is already growing into the winery: sons Hans-Peter and Maximilian vinify their own single-vineyard wines, which they mark with their initials "HP" and "M". Alexander and Julius Topf complete the picture of a family that views their profession as a generational task.

Hand-picking, primary rock cellar, gentle vinification

Located in the southern Kamptal at the foot of the Gaisberg, the terroir shapes the work at the Topf winery from root to glass. The grapes grow on a mixture of loess, sandy gravel, and primary rock soils — mica schist, paragneiss, and arkose — which give the wine a firm mineral structure. Harvesting is done exclusively by hand, in several passes; the exact time of harvest depends on the physiological ripeness of the grapes and varies from vintage to vintage.

In the cellar, the family relies on gentle vinification: respect for nature and the potential of the respective site are in the foreground, not technological interventions. The wines mature in historic cellar tunnels that were dug about twelve meters deep into the Gaisberg — a vault with a history of several centuries that guarantees constant temperatures and quiet maturation conditions. The winery is a member of the Austrian Traditional Wine Estates (1ÖTW), an association dedicated to researching and classifying the best sites in the Danube region.

First sites, clear origin, broad range

The pride of the house are the classified First Sites (Erste Lagen): Gaisberg, Heiligenstein, Wechselberg Spiegel, and Offenberg. These plots produce Grüner Veltliner and Riesling with a distinct site profile and proven aging potential — wines from which you can read what Kamptal means as an origin. The Gaisberg stands for spicy texture and depth, the Heiligenstein for Riesling with volcanic rock character and a long acid line. Alongside these, region-typical Strassertal wines are created for direct, fruit-forward enjoyment, as well as sparkling wines — including the Brut Réserve — which Hans Topf vinifies himself. Chardonnay from the Ried Hasel, Gelber Muskateller, and Zweigelt are also part of the range and show how versatile the southern Kamptal can be.

What all wines have in common is the ambition to make their origin readable: clear grape variety expression, the minerality of the Kamptal soils, and a style that does not see drinking pleasure and aging potential as opposites.