Create Your Very Own Wine Tradition in the Heart of Vienna!
...The wineBANK located in the medieval building known as the “Kipferlhaus”, just a few minutes on foot from St. Stephen's Cathedral, offers you a great opportunity to do just this. Wine and Vienna have long been inextricably bound up together. The Celts were already cultivating grapes here about 500 B.C. And many of the present city districts were still vineyards in the Middle Ages. In a way one could say that Vienna was built on wine and therefore it seemed to us to be the perfect location for the opening of Austria's first wineBANK.
We are property developers, art lovers and epicureans. When we were refurbishing the Kipferlhaus to restore it to its former glory, it was important to us to preserve as many of the original features of the building as possible. We wanted to once again bring out the architectural gems of this edifice in sharp relief. One such feature was the beautiful vaulted cellar. It did not take long to realize that we had found something really special here: an idyllic spot for all those esthetes like us who value the finer things in life. For people who can really appreciate the harmonious chiming together of art, architecture, viniculture and hedonism. Side by side next to outstanding wines, the cheese (known in German as Gebsenkäse after the milk bowls in which it is produced) of the Vorarlberg cheesemaker and artist Anton Sutterlüty matures behind glass in a separate part of the wineBANK. Also, a cigar lounge is available to all wineBANK members 24/7 as a special smoking facility. All this makes our wineBANK a true synthesis of the arts – and you can be a part of it.
We look forward to welcoming you.
Magister Gerhard Strasser,
Club Manager and Managing Partner of the wineBANK Vienna
Karl Weilhartner,
Managing Partner of the wineBANK Vienna
Overview: A wineBANK for Vienna
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Vienna is a city of longing. Dying to sit once again in a Viennese coffee house. Wishing you could stroll around the Naschmarkt with all its tasty food and produce. Waiting to bite into the crispiest Viennese schnitzel in the world. There are not many cities on the planet that give their visitors so many delicious memories. Vienna however, is a city to be experienced on the palate.
The wineBANK Vienna can be found just a few minutes on foot away from St. Stephen's Cathedral in the heart of the city. This new venue for the enophile community in Vienna is surrounded by countless galleries, coffee houses, boutiques, traditional taverns and a wealth of top-class restaurants. The Vienna State Opera and a whole selection of theaters are also in close proximity to the wineBANK.
Three walk-in cellars and 192 compartments covering ca. 300 square meters allow our wineBANKers to store about 25,000 bottles of wine. Safely and under optimal climatic conditions.
As a wineBANKer you will enjoy the privilege of being able to use the wineBANK with your guests around the clock. You will receive your Member’s Card which is the Open Sesame to your exclusive world of wine whenever you wish to enter. Enjoy!
Architecture and Design: The Legendary Bakery Becomes A wineBANK
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According to legend the traditional Viennese pastry – known today all over the world as “croissant” – originated in the Kipferlhaus in 1683 and was based on the shape of the Turkish crescent moon. It is thought to have been an act of defiance against the Turks besieging the city.
The oldest reference to the former bakery comes from the year of 1346. This is corroborated by archaeological findings in the masonry of the building also dating back to the early Middle Ages. At that time even horses were housed in the vaulted cellars, an area which was also understandably used for storage purposes.
The all-embracing refurbishment of the Kipferlhaus began in 2010 and lasted for a total of 24 months. Thanks to a big helping of passion, a part of Viennese history has been preserved for posterity. A treasure trove of historically valuable features was discovered, made safe and refurbished in line with original building methods. It was the definite aim of the owners to create a balance between reconstruction and renewal by using the language of modern architecture. And they have certainly achieved this aim.
In the meantime, the building is being used for business and residential purposes. In addition to housing a gallery and an exclusive spa, the Kipferlhaus now also boasts the wineBANK and the cheese cellar of Anton Sutterlüty. Both being the final icing on the cake of a successful revitalization project.
Our City: Viennese Viticulture
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The deeply entrenched wine history of Vienna is still ever-present in the viticulture experienced by the locals today. It cannot, of course, be forgotten that grapes have been cultivated here for over 2,500 years.
During the Middle Ages the Viennese vineyards represented the main source of business income for the city. Even then gastronomy was a lucrative business for the inhabitants of the area. An endless string of wine bars and open-air cafes – especially in the city's First District – wound their way through the streets of the Austrian capital. But it was Emperor Joseph II who created the bedrock for the Viennese culture of wine and taverns at the end of the 17th century. Under his rule wine makers were permitted to sell their own produce together with their wine.
Apart from a plethora of wine taverns, today Vienna takes pride in its wonderful choice of opulent coffee houses and luxury restaurants. Indeed, an extraordinarily lively gastronomic scene. From rustic-style to ultra sophisticated, from schnitzel to fois gras. And there right in the midde of foodie heaven in the First District you will find the wineBANK Vienna. This is a haven where it is easy to lose the hectic whirl of the big city, a retreat where a fine glass of Zweigelt can be enjoyed with friends or business associates.
Anton macht Ke:s: The Cheese Cellar
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On the same level as the wine cellars of the wineBANK but separated from this area by a glass wall, we find the cheese cellar by “Anton macht Ke:s”. This is the part of the cellar where Anton Sutterlüty, who has been making cheese on the Vorarlberg alpine meadows for over 30 years but who also resides for part of the year in Vienna, allows his speciality cheeses to mature.
This type of cheese is called Gebsenkäse and uses the natural lifecycle of the milk during its production. Here, in the wineBANK, it enjoys ideal conditions to continue maturing. The cheese loaves, which rest on wooden shelves, are turned and checked by Sutterlüty three times a week, usually early in the morning. The ripening period can take up to three years but is in actual fact open-ended. The cheeses pass through various stages of maturation and in time begin to take on fuller flavors and a more aromatic character. Why not try some cheese in the wineBANK and find out which strength suits your wines best?
Overview: A wineBANK for Vienna
Vienna is a city of longing. Dying to sit once again in a Viennese coffee house. Wishing you could stroll around the Naschmarkt with all its tasty food and produce. Waiting to bite into the crispiest Viennese schnitzel in the world. There are not many cities on the planet that give their visitors so many delicious memories. Vienna however, is a city to be experienced on the palate.
The wineBANK Vienna can be found just a few minutes on foot away from St. Stephen's Cathedral in the heart of the city. This new venue for the enophile community in Vienna is surrounded by countless galleries, coffee houses, boutiques, traditional taverns and a wealth of top-class restaurants. The Vienna State Opera and a whole selection of theaters are also in close proximity to the wineBANK.
Three walk-in cellars and 192 compartments covering ca. 300 square meters allow our wineBANKers to store about 25,000 bottles of wine. Safely and under optimal climatic conditions.
As a wineBANKer you will enjoy the privilege of being able to use the wineBANK with your guests around the clock. You will receive your Member’s Card which is the Open Sesame to your exclusive world of wine whenever you wish to enter. Enjoy!
Architecture and Design: The Legendary Bakery Becomes A wineBANK
According to legend the traditional Viennese pastry – known today all over the world as “croissant” – originated in the Kipferlhaus in 1683 and was based on the shape of the Turkish crescent moon. It is thought to have been an act of defiance against the Turks besieging the city.
The all-embracing refurbishment of the Kipferlhaus began in 2010 and lasted for a total of 24 months. Thanks to a big helping of passion, a part of Viennese history has been preserved for posterity. A treasure trove of historically valuable features was discovered, made safe and refurbished in line with original building methods. It was the definite aim of the owners to create a balance between reconstruction and renewal by using the language of modern architecture. And they have certainly achieved this aim.
In the meantime, the building is being used for business and residential purposes. In addition to housing a gallery and an exclusive spa, the Kipferlhaus now also boasts the wineBANK and the cheese cellar of Anton Sutterlüty. Both being the final icing on the cake of a successful revitalization project.
Our City: Viennese Viticulture
The deeply entrenched wine history of Vienna is still ever-present in the viticulture experienced by the locals today. It cannot, of course, be forgotten that grapes have been cultivated here for over 2,500 years.
During the Middle Ages the Viennese vineyards represented the main source of business income for the city. Even then gastronomy was a lucrative business for the inhabitants of the area. An endless string of wine bars and open-air cafes – especially in the city's First District – wound their way through the streets of the Austrian capital. But it was Emperor Joseph II who created the bedrock for the Viennese culture of wine and taverns at the end of the 17th century. Under his rule wine makers were permitted to sell their own produce together with their wine.
Apart from a plethora of wine taverns, today Vienna takes pride in its wonderful choice of opulent coffee houses and luxury restaurants. Indeed, an extraordinarily lively gastronomic scene. From rustic-style to ultra sophisticated, from schnitzel to fois gras. And there right in the midde of foodie heaven in the First District you will find the wineBANK Vienna. This is a haven where it is easy to lose the hectic whirl of the big city, a retreat where a fine glass of Zweigelt can be enjoyed with friends or business associates.
Anton macht Ke:s: The Cheese Cellar
On the same level as the wine cellars of the wineBANK but separated from this area by a glass wall, we find the cheese cellar by “Anton macht Ke:s”. This is the part of the cellar where Anton Sutterlüty, who has been making cheese on the Vorarlberg alpine meadows for over 30 years but who also resides for part of the year in Vienna, allows his speciality cheeses to mature.
This type of cheese is called Gebsenkäse and uses the natural lifecycle of the milk during its production. Here, in the wineBANK, it enjoys ideal conditions to continue maturing. The cheese loaves, which rest on wooden shelves, are turned and checked by Sutterlüty three times a week, usually early in the morning. The ripening period can take up to three years but is in actual fact open-ended. The cheeses pass through various stages of maturation and in time begin to take on fuller flavors and a more aromatic character. Why not try some cheese in the wineBANK and find out which strength suits your wines best?
Magister Gerhard Strasser, Club Manager and Managing Partner of the wineBANK Vienna
The native from Ried in the region of the scenic Inn River in Upper Austria. He found his way to Vienna in 1998. While studying Business Administration at the University of Economics and Business in the Austrian capital, Strasser met the wine maker Mario Migsich from Burgenland. From that moment on, not only was knowledge of Business Administration amassed but also that of wine expertise. His studies were followed by seven successful years in the Raiffeisen Group (dealing with leasing and transport fleet management). The year of 2011 saw Strasser taking over the management of the newly founded company depox GmbH. He proceeded to launch the innovative garage product of depox – "Made in Austria" on the market.
The refurbishment of the historic Kipferlhaus then paved the way for him to break into the real estate business. In 2013, he completed his training as a property developer and real estate agent. In order to create a suitable framework for the handling of countless operational businesses that had developed in the meantime, Strasser founded the Immoschmiede GmbH with the architect Kerstin Hetfleisch at the beginning of 2015. The Immoschmiede deals with all manner of activities revolving around property development and refurbishment of rented apartments, architecture and real estate brokerage. But it is especially the developing of property which always presents the Immoschmiede team with new and exciting challenges. So, it is a particular pleasure for Strasser that the first "wineBANK" of Austria has found its home in the cellar of the Kipferlhaus. No other use could be more perfect for a medieval vaulted cellar!
Gerhard Strasser charges up his batteries when enjoying rides on his 1951 Vespa and sidecar that he took pride in personally revamping. His love of all things that are well preserved stretches from historic buildings and vehicles right up to a perfectly aged wine.
Karl Weilhartner, Managing Partner of the wineBANK Vienna
Karl Weilhartner, born in Upper Austria in 1954, lives both in Ried in the Inn region and in Vienna. He is married and has two grown-up daughters. Following commercial training, the young Weilhartner immediately began to devote his career to the world of real estate. As a fully trained business consultant, he built up an operations system based on partnership in his own real estate and construction company. Thus, he was able to accompany countless investors in their property commitments. But today Weilhartner no longer handles operational business, nor does he hold the innumerable positions on management boards, supervisory boards and foundation councils any longer.
In 2007, Karl Weilhartner was awarded the title of "Commercial Councillor" by the Republic of Austria – as recognition for his public commitment when representing the Chamber of Commerce and the Preservation of Historic Monuments. The restoring of historic buildings in tune with their original appearance always constituted a major focus in Weilhartner’s companies. Today, Weilhartner is concerned with the developing and overseeing of his own historic properties such as Schloss Ennsegg, Schloss Hackledt and the medieval Kipferlhaus in Vienna, where the wineBANK is also located.
As a hotelier and owner of castles, Weilhartner derives a great deal of pleasure from blending art, historic buildings with culinary delights. In the fall of 2015, he staged a large-format picture exhibition featuring the artist Alexander Waltner in the courtyard of Schloss Ennsegg.
