Christof Höpler

Christof studied Business Administration at Vienna University intent on pursuing a career in banking.  His astute business sense alerted him to the fact that working in his father’s wine business during his studies enhanced his financial and, naturally, his social quality of life no end!  During his first university vacation in 1997, he traveled to wine fairs in the USA, Panama and Italy.  By the end of the summer he had experienced the challenges and excitement of his first harvest.  Before he knew it, he was hooked, dreams of banking a distant memory.  He worked internships at wineries in Sonoma, Carmernet, Leeuwin Estate, Margaret River and Graf Hardegg, Austria.  He was keen to learn different wine making techniques across the world.  He  owns and runs Höpler, a 47 Hectare Estate on the slopes of the Leitaberg Hills on the shores of the Neusieedled Lake in Austria.  This unique microclimate enables Höpler to make white, red, and dessert wines.  Höpler exports 70% of its wine to 35 states in USA, UK, Holland, the Baltics and Scandinavia.  His wines have won numerous gold medals at the International Wine Challenge in London, the AWC, Vienna, Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast in the USA and even won 99 points by Wine Enthusiast for his dessert wine, something he is still trying to top!