The wine spring is a very special time of year. My home town of Strass im Strassertale finally fully awakens from hibernation: everything is in bloom, the sun’s rays are really warming now and the new vintage from last autumn can finally be tasted.
Together with the Lower Austrian wine-growing regions of Kremstal and Traisental, over 220 wineries open their cellar doors for the wine spring events in the Kamptal valley. At the same time, around 40 wineries also open on 1 May: Three days full of tastings and “winesome joie de vivre”, just like you would find it at Mo’s Kaiser’s Hof in Strass.
Mo’s Kaiser’s Hof: The perfect hideaway for those seeking authentic, luxury travel experiences. Popular as a wedding destination also.
For many years, I perceived the address that is now Mo’s Kaiser’s Hof (Herrengasse 82 in Strass im Strassertale) as hidden from view. Extensive renovations, a pandemic and many negotiations later, that has changed: “We took over the business as tenants in 2022 and further developed the Kaiser’s Hof as a wedding location, a hideaway for connoisseurs and also for seminar guests. The gates on both sides of the estate remain once again open for visitors. It is important to me to appeal to our guests on several levels and to inspire them with our philosophy of enjoyment”, Philipp Wimmer-Ioannidis tells me in a personal conversation at Kaiser’s Hof.
The addition Mo’s, he says with a wink, “actually comes from the Simpsons (!), but with terms such as modern or molecular cuisine, it also fits us very well.” Philipp has many years of experience in catering, bartending, as a chef and in service; he and Peter Heneis run the kitchen of the new restaurant at Mo’s Kaiser’s Hof with a passion that you can taste: “We just know how to work very well together. The atmosphere between us fits, as does that of our business. Our employees are like family to us, my young daughter holds a business card that says, junior manager. We love it here.”
Arriving at Kaiser’s Hof estate in Strass im Strassertale …
… you get your typical views of the local parish church and village centre …
… the airy rooms have 11 units and 40 beds altogether …
… inviting you to stay for a short or longer holiday …
… an upgrade to the junior suite is possible.
The old barn has been remodeled into a modern event location …
… continuing down below in the old wine cellar …
… making the Kaiser’s Hof estate a perfect address to stay during the wine spring events.
Thank you very much for the visit, dear Isabella, dear Philipp!
Wine Spring “Mo’s Dinner Package”: Enjoy a 5-course-menu accompanied by the excellent wines of Weingut Hans Topf.
In the evening, Philipp really turns up the heat. He then swaps his casual afternoon dress for a chef’s hat, glasses on his nose and a typical Wirtshauskultur apron from Lower Austria: “This year, we became a proud member of the local Wirtshauskultur Niederösterreich.”
One of many other gastronomic awards such as the Wirtshausführer, Schlemmer-Atlas, A La Carte or Falstaff. And rightly so, as we can see from the 5-course menu called “Mo’s Dinner Package”.
The entrance area to Mo’s Kaiser’s Hof in Strass im Strassertale.
We watch Philipp and Peter do their thing in the very open kitchen, where literally nothing is hidden from view …
… I personally love to come out and watch the master chefs at work.
As a starter, chefs Philipp and Peter and their team serve us a delicious creation of asparagus, rhubarb and chives, followed by a soup of kohlrabi, truffle and fish tartare that tastes simply marvellous.
The intermediate course is particular indeed: Pig nose (honestly, great!), horseradish puree and pak choi (mmmh), for the main course we enjoy local venison, white polenta and asparagus.
The crowning glory is the dessert with curd cheese, strawberry rhubarb and dandelion. All in all, an extremely refreshing, multi-course dinner, accompanied by the wonderful wines of Weingut Hans Topf.
Hans Topf junior, sommelier and father-to-be, comments on the wines of the family winery in an extremely entertaining and knowledgeable manner; you must of course also visit this winery if you are passing through Strass during the annual wine spring events.
Venison with polenta and asparagus served at the Kaiser’s Hof in Strass.
Dessert …
… is served by the chef himself.
Thank you also for the excellent wines, dear Hans!
Right across the street: The multi-award-winning Weingut Dolle run by Peter Dolle.
No (wine-related) visit to Strass im Strassertale is complete without a visit to the Dolle wine estate. I remember visiting Peter Dolle’s famous wine tavern with my family as a child. A lot has happened since then.
Just this week, and right in time for the start of the wine spring events, Peter Dolle was once again honoured at the Mundus Vini wine awards at ProWein in Düsseldorf for his Cuvée Année 2017; the crowning glory in a long line of awards for this top wine estate in Strass im Strassertale.
Even in his mid-70s, Peter Dolle still takes the opportunity to give us a personal tour of the winery, the wine bar and the wine cellar; his grandson Dominik, a budding wine high school student, joins us for the tour.
Right across form Mo’s Kaiser’s Hof, you may enter the Dolle Wine Estate …
… check out the local wine bar and cellar, serving many typical local specialities and wines.
Family as a team: winemaker Peter Dolle (far right) with son-in-law Tarek and grandson Dominik.
We catch a glimpse behind the scenes in the local winery kitchen …
… while grandson Dominik holds up the wine estate’s most recent award …
… Peter Dolle has come a long way, showing that everything is ready for tastings at this year’s wine spring events.
Check out even more images from Mo’s Kaiser’s Hof in Strass im Strassertale in this Flickr photo album, including a photo album I made about the Dolle wine estate.
Disclaimer: We have been invited by Mo’s Kaiser’s Hof as well as the Dolle Wine Estate to participate in the Kamptal wine spring events. All opinions are my own.