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Wine flows in our veins
The market town of Gamlitz, near the Slovenian border, is one of the largest wine-growing areas in Styria and has made a name for itself with its award-winning wineries. The place name is said to go back to the word “gomilnitz” – derived from the Slavic “gom” (hill). Here, in the middle of the Gamlitz wine landscape, lies the Weinschmiede 18 of Bettina and Gustav Strauss. A cosy Buschenschank, with a sense for the essential.
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The vineyards of the Tscherne winery are located on the so-called “Ried Hundsberg”. Weinschmiede 18 already existed in 1772 as the Tscherne winery. A complete revitalisation turned the old farm into a modern place of comfort.
But first things first...
The Weinschmiede (lit. wine forge) is located on the premises of the Tscherne winery, which was founded in 1772. The estate looks back on a history that is just as old as that of the two vintners, whose families have been involved in wine-growing for many generations. “The origin of our work lies in the family business ’Weingut Strauss’, the parent house on the Gamlitzberg, which is run by Gustav and his brother and stands for a high-quality wine assortment. It has been in the family since 1810 and is one of the largest connected vineyards in southern Styria,” reveals Bettina Strauss, who with her husband Gustav acquired eight hectares of land in the immediate vicinity of the original winery for their Weinschmiede project in 2018. There, on the so-called “Ried Hundsberg”, they planted new vineyards, renovated the historic buildings of the Tscherne winery and brought the place back to life.
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Winemakers Bettina (left) and Gustav Strauss are passionate hosts. Together with Martin Moder from Vaillant (right), they realised the heat pump project. The ground collectors are laid between the vines.
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The origin of our work lies in the family business.
A combination of old and new
Nothing was left to chance in the structural renovation of the winery – consisting of the manor and former stables. In every area, the aim was to create a harmonious combination of old and new. One might say a well thought-out mix of originality, comfort and new staging. “There is a lot of love for detail in the design of our rooms. For example, we have integrated the old roof truss into the new building and used original tiles in the wine vault. In this way, we were able to reuse old stock in a meaningful fashion. However, the overall appearance only became coherent for us through the combination with timelessly modern elements. For example, the use of generous glass surfaces. They allow our guests to immerse themselves in the magnificent natural panorama – even from their beds,” says Bettina Strauss.
The view from the Weinschmiede over the extensive vineyards is impressive. From a technical point of view, however, it is also worth taking a look below ground. For the unique feel-good ambience, not only were the historic buildings lovingly revitalised, but the entire refuge was made fit for the future with environmentally friendly heat pump technology from Vaillant. “We didn’t have to do any convincing for our system in this project,” reveals Vaillant project manager Martin Moder. From the very beginning, it was clear that there should be a sustainable solution for the Weinschmiede. “Gustav Strauss was already able to gain experience with our heat pump technology in his parents’ house and has valued us as a reliable partner and competent advisor for many years.”
Ground collectors in the vineyard
The requirements in the hilly terrain were special, even for the experienced Vaillant team. In the search for the optimal solution for heat generation, the possibilities were examined in detail. Deep drilling in an area where coarse-grained gravel, clayey silts, sands and marls characterise the soil might have worked, but would have been associated with high costs. “Easier” seemed the use of the sunny vineyards themselves. Therefore, an efficient, albeit unusual, approach was chosen: over a total length of 2.4 kilometres, ground collectors were laid between the vines at a depth of around 1.2 metres in order to use the grass strips in the vineyard to generate geothermal energy. The installation of the technology was quite a delicate undertaking, because care had to be taken during the installation work not to damage the sensitive roots of the valuable vines.
The winery owners are satisfied with the “invisible” but extremely powerful result. Martin Moder, who is responsible for the planning and after-sales service of the Vaillant system, emphasises the advantages of the chosen solution and points to the generous dimensioning: “There is no lack of land in a vineyard, so we were able to use ground collectors on a large area. In this case, the usable space is relatively large, but this ensures that the supply to the Weinschmiede works all round the clock and in all weathers – from the guest room to the pool to the cold storage.”
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In the Weinschmiede 18, tradition meets modernity. The old building stock has been preserved and combined with new elements. Among other things, the heat pump and the buffer storage tank were installed in the utility room. A modern control system enables all rooms in the buildings to be controlled individually.
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In the guest rooms, the mix of old components and state-of-the-art technology creates a stylish ambience. Hot water, heating and cooling are provided by the Vaillant heat pump.
Sophisticated master concept
The ambient heat is collected by the ground collectors, transferred to the heat pump and used together with a buffer tank for the hot-water supply, heating and cooling of the two winery buildings. In addition, a photovoltaic system covers the guest house’s own needs – a separate e-bike station on the premises is also fed with the solar energy generated. A particularly practical feature is that each heating and cooling circuit at the winery can be operated individually and thus precisely adjusted to the respective demand in the different parts of the building – and this can be done from any location using a tablet or smartphone
Those who are as close to nature as Bettina and Gustav Strauss not only demand genuine quality from their own produce, but also want to indulge guests with sustainable comfort. “It feels right to create a space for well-being in harmony with nature – not only because of the reduced heating costs, but because we want to preserve what makes our region so special. This is also becoming more and more important to guests,” Bettina and Gustav Strauss confirm and point to another practical component of their energy production: “We are busy enough with the vineyard and the tavern, so it is very convenient for us that the heat pump works maintenance-free.”
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It is very convenient for us that the heat pump works maintenance-free.
A place for the soul
With the Weinschmiede 18, Gamlitz has gained a feel-good place that invites you to enjoy and let your soul relax in historical surroundings. Anyone who has once experienced the impressive wine terraces with their narrow, winding roads will come back time and again. And this is necessary, as a single visit to the Weinschmiede is not enough to hike the many hillsides in the area, to explore the countless wine tours by bike, to visit the excellent inns and to taste your way through the best wines of the region. By the way, the season does not matter for a stay: the wine roads of southern Styria always boast breathtaking vistas, seasonal delicacies, delicious wines and warm hospitality.
And Martin Moder also likes to drop in from time to time at the Ried Hundsberg. While enjoying a Styrian snack and a glass of wine, he sometimes goes into raptures: “The Strauss family has impressively succeeded in creating a modern work of art from old stock that has lost none of its authenticity. They say there is truth in wine. Here, the wine also contains the full power of modern heat pump technology. An extraordinary project that may find imitators in the future."
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