Prof. Lenz Moser III. (1905 – 1978), who is regarded as an innovator of viniculture and the founder of the “Lenz Moser high culture” vine-training system, helped to write a part of wine history.

In 1928, he carried out his first attempts at high culture at his father’s (Laurenz Moser II.) operation in Rohrendorf. After taking over the business in 1929, he founded the wine-growing school of Lenz Moser and in 1935 began to plant out large areas of vineyard using this new style of vine training. The greater growing space for the vine – 3 to 4 square metres – and the trunk height of 1.2 to 1.4 metres not only guarantee better light exposure and ventilation of the vines, but also offer economic advantages thanks to the possibility of mechanising the vineyard work and carrying out quality-focused cultivation. Today, the Lenz Moser high culture style is used on 90% of Austria’s vineyards as well as in many wine-growing areas across Europe and overseas.

“Rotwein ist für Alte Knaben eine von den besten Gaben!” – German artist Wilhelm Busch was well aware that “Red wine is one of the best gifts for old boys”. The Alter Knabe has been winning over wine lovers and connoisseurs with its outstanding quality since 1955.

The Alter Knabe is the oldest brand from the Lenz Moser range, and revolutionised the Austrian wine market in 1955 with its semi-dry and very drinkable character. No other brand represents such consistently high quality, and this is reflected in the high degree of prominence and popularity enjoyed by the Alter Knabe today.

In 1982, Lenz Moser established a milestone in the Austrian wine-making industry with the development of its “Selection”. What set it apart from the rest? The cellar master personally vouched for the extraordinary quality of the wines.

The strictest criteria applied in terms of location, varietal character, harmony and durability when choosing Lenz Moser Selection wines. With this range of wines, the company offered consumers an assortment of pure-varietal, first-class wines whose excellent quality they could always rely on. What was unique at this time was the cellar master’s guarantee of the quality of the Selection wines in the form of his signature on each bottle. And to this very day, Lenz Moser cellar master Michael Rethaller still vouches with his signature for the quality of every Selection bottle

Since 1 September 1986, the Lenz Moser winery has been part of the Upper Austrian company VOG AG in Linz.

From 1986 until 2015, the Lenz Moser winery was managed by Otto Bruckner (+2.3.2015). Under his leadership, it established itself as Austria’s leading wine-making enterprise.

The Servus wine brand was developed in 1992 in collaboration with the state of Burgenland. A model for joint cooperation between production and trade was established for the first time.

During this period, the aim of the Servus wine range was to create a strong brand with origins in Burgenland. The development of Servus provided a solution to the issue of how to market Burgenland wine, which at the time was facing considerable challenges. The positive experiences arising from this project had an effect on all future partnerships with the winemaker families producing the grapes.

In 1996, the Lenz Moser winery purchased the “Storch” brand from the Burgenland Winery (Weinkellerei Burgenland), providing the previous suppliers with a commitment to purchase.

“The best of Burgenland’s wine cellars” is the promise of the wines in the Storch range. These wines are exuberantly fresh, premium wines for daily enjoyment. In Burgenland, where that little bit of extra sunshine makes all the difference and Lake Neusiedl adds its effect as a natural heat reservoir, the vines that bear the grapes for the Storch range are nestled amongst ideal conditions. A distinctive nature characterises this region, where the stork, both symbol and proof of a well-preserved natural landscape and heralded by people as a bringer of good fortune since time immemorial, makes its home.

The name Pfiffikus sounds just like everything this wine represents: the easy pleasure of a delicate wine full of conviction and enthusiasm.

As the first and most light-bodied Austrian premium wine with just 10% alcohol by volume, Pfiffikus set new standards for the Austrian wine industry when it was introduced to the market in 1999. And to this day, Pfiffikus remains one of Austria’s most beloved light bodied wines, coming truly into its own especially on hot summer days.

In 2004, Lenz Moser was the first Austrian winery to be certified in accordance with the IFS (International Featured Standard) Food standard.

This standard was developed by the German and French retail sector for the auditing of own-label suppliers. These days, it is addressed not just at manufacturers of own brands, but is also esteemed as a quality assurance system for all food production companies. The audit serves to ensure food safety and is also designed to improve the quality of the product. Ultimately, this increases consumers’ trust in the products offered.

In 2009, Lenz Moser developed Fête Rosé, helping rosé wine to achieve its breakthrough in Austria. Supported by a major marketing campaign, it was promoted throughout the whole country.

With its Fête Rosé, Lenz Moser achieved the impossible: vinification of a rosé with the freshness and fruitiness of a white wine AND all the virtues of red wine grapes. The fresh and fruity Fête Rosé is the embodiment of lightness and simplicity, making it ideal for any occasion, be it a celebratory event, a casual private evening or relaxed moments in the sunshine on a terrace or balcony. A wine that is simply fun!

There was a lot of careful preparation behind this step at Lenz Moser: the first episode of an epochal event took place at the end of June 2017 when the new 1,000-bucket vat was set up.

A historic 1,000-bucket vat, the bottom of which was decorated with intricate carvings, had slumbered in the Lenz Moser wine vault for many decades. This 56,589 litre jewel had been used as an ageing tun for wine, but these days were long gone. Nevertheless, the vat increasingly became a source of inspiration for our head winemaker Ernest Grossauer (from 1986 to 2018) during his daily work. How to breathe new life into this gem? Wooden vats as such – in the form of barriques and barrels with a capacity of a few thousand litres – had always been held in high esteem at Lenz Moser. The decision thus slowly matured to restore the 1,000-bucket vat to its former glory. The vat itself was to be refurbished and its ornately carved bottom would continue to delight visitors.

Now, the “Servus 5%” in a youthfully joyous design marks the start of a new era, representing absolute innovation on the market with such a low alcohol content.

The team of oenologists at the Lenz Moser winery has been aware for quite some time that wine with a low alcohol content is increasingly gaining in popularity. This led to the development of a product that meets the specification of “low-alcohol wine” to the letter. The “Servus 5%” is a mellow white wine cuvée which, with just five percent alcohol by volume, has been created to impress the drinker with its full-bodied wine taste. Thanks to a special procedure, its alcohol content is reduced to five percent by volume.