The Hofkellerei Fürst Liechtenstein, or, The Princely Wine Cellars of the Prince of Liechtenstein.

The Princely Wine Cellars of the Prince of Liechtenstein Foundation, owned by Prince Hans Adam Il of Liechtenstein and the Princely Family, include the Domaine Wilfersdorf, Austria and the Domaine Vaduz, Principality of Liechtenstein. Theirs is a vineyard and winery legacy dating from 1348.

The vineyards are farmed without chemicals and will be certified chemical-free from 2024. The range includes finely structured single vineyard wines, the youthfully fresh ‘Clos Domaine’ wines, plus elegant, easy-drinking sparkling wines and mineral-driven Blaufränkisch & Chardonnay from Leithaberg (Austria).

At the end of 2018, the Prince of Liechtenstein’s court cellars – the Hofkellerei – were completely reorganised. Under the direction of Stefan Tscheppe (formerly of Perry Creek Winery in California, as well as Austrian estates Weingut Tscheppe in the Südsteiermark and Weingut Esterházy in Burgenland), the style and orientation of the two cellars in Liechtenstein and Austria were revised and elevated to a new level of sophistication.

Princess Marie von Liechtenstein has assisted the Princely Wine Cellars in marketing and distribution since 2013. In 2019, Stefan Tscheppe took over the management of the Hofkellerei.

Liechtenstein – Domaine Vaduz

In 1712, Prince Johann Adam I of Liechtenstein acquired the Earldom of Vaduz; thus, the vineyard Herawingert and today’s Hofkellerei became property of the Princely House.

The Herawingert is the most traditional and most important vineyard in the Principality of Liechtenstein. With its four hectares of contiguous vineyards, it constitutes the very core of viticulture in the country and is one of the best sites in the Rhine River Valley. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay find ideal conditions for cultivation and ripening of the grapes here, thanks to the southwest exposure, the mild Foehn (wind) and the soils rich in slate and limestone.

In the Principality of Liechtenstein, cellarmaster Sebastian Gunsch is supported by the renowned team of advisors led by Stéphane Derenoncourt. The 4ha of vines of Herawingert, over forty years old, are cultivated by hand, creating a nuanced style of Pinot Noirs and Chardonnay characterised by the calcareous and schist soils.

Austria – Domaine Wilfersdorf

The name Liechtenstein has been inextricably linked with the town of Wilfersdorf in the northeast of Austria for centuries. The winery (Hofkellerei) has been family-owned since 1436, and is surrounded by numerous historical monuments, such as Wilfersdorf Palace, attesting to the long tradition of Princely viticulture.

A distinctive, cool climate and fertile loess soils with their high limestone content characteriSe the terroir of the vineyards, producing characteristic wines with fine acidity, especially from the single vineyards Karlsberg and Johannesberg. Since 2019, the family have been vinifying wines as well from selected vineyards in Leithaberg and Kamptal.

In Austria, the internationally experienced team of oenologist Josef Stumvoll vinifies the Princely Family’s wines. Small batches of Grüner Veltliner, Riesling, Zweigelt and Merlot are raised in the new press and fermentation cellar and the centuries-old barrel cellars in Lower Austria.

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