Meet Roland Tauss
If we told you about a place, that offers endless lush and steep hills, Mediterranean summers, and looks that could easily pass for Tuscany; a place that becomes proper Alpine country in the winter, where Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay reign and the vinous history goes back to Roman times; a place that is the actual home state of the Terminator where fried chicken is an actual traditional dish, would you have believed that such a place existed? Welcome to Styria, the Green Heart of Austria and if you like wine, you need to know about Roland Tauss.
Even to the newcomers working at Newcomer, Roland Tauss was a bit of a mythical figure. Due to winery and other local commitments, Roland is rarely seen outside of Austria or even Styria itself. In a region where wine tourism can be reminiscent of that of the Napa Valley, Roland, a fourth- generation winemaker started out producing conventional wine in 1991. After 14 years, Roland decided to only make wine as he liked it, converted to biodynamic practices and stopped all unnecessary interventions in the cellar. Together with four other young, like-minded winegrowers (you might've heard of Werlitsch, Strohmeier, Muster and Tscheppe), Roland led their group to heights that only a few regions in the world have achieved.
Today, Roland farms 6 beautiful and steep hectares sitting on Opok (a unique, mineral-rich soil that consists of clay and loam) between 380 to 480 meters above sea level with southern and southwestern exposure. He uses all wooden barrels (because "they are living lifeforms that add to the energy mix") in a 400-year-old cellar that is almost clinical in organisation.
