EDELWEISS Grand Cru Days 2026

Sometimes, something extraordinary begins with a very small idea. When the Hettegger family laid the foundations for today's DAS EDELWEISS in 1979, with a guesthouse offering just 14 rooms and a café, no one could have imagined the remarkable journey that lay ahead. What began with personal dedication, hard work and a pioneering spirit has since become one of the most distinctive luxury resorts in the Austrian Alps. Yet despite all the changes, something has remained: a deep connection to family, to their homeland and to the people who come here as guests. Today, Karin and Peter Hettegger run the resort with the same passion and the ambition not only to preserve the legacy of previous generations, but also to develop it further with fresh ideas.

After all, tradition does not mean remaining in the past. 
It means drawing strength from it to shape the future. 
And it was precisely this thought that inspired me for this year's Grand Cru.

 

Daniela Neuhauser, Head Sommelière

When Great Family Visions Come Together

In my work as Head Sommelière, I regularly encounter extraordinary wines. Some fascinate with their elegance, others with their history or their incredible ability to mature over decades.

But the more time I spend exploring the world's great wine estates, the more interested I become in the people behind the labels. How do you keep a shared philosophy alive across generations? How much courage does it take to explore new paths? And how do you manage, as a family, not only to run a successful business but also to preserve a truly distinctive identity? These questions connect the Hettegger family with the great winemaking families we look forward to welcoming in November. With Alois Lageder, Louis Roederer, F.X. Pichler and Château Angélus, four fascinating wine worlds come together, united by one ambition: to combine great tradition with forward-thinking ideas. What makes this particularly special is that our guests will not only have the opportunity to discover the wines, but also to engage in conversation with personalities from the families and wine houses themselves. Because behind every great wine lies a story worth telling.

For our Grand Cru Days, we have deliberately chosen to give each evening its own distinctive culinary character. After all, just as the personalities of our winemaking families are wonderfully diverse, so too is the cuisine at our resort.

Alois Lageder – South Tyrol Meets the Art of Steak

The opening evening features the renowned South Tyrolean wine estate Alois Lageder. A family business that impressively demonstrates how heritage, a connection to nature and a spirit of innovation can come together. At Sirloin, our steakhouse, the estate's characterful wines meet the art of perfectly prepared meat. The encounter with mature vintages will be particularly exciting, revealing just how much personality and history can be found in a single bottle. An evening that brings together bold culinary creations and exceptional wine culture in a truly special way.

Louis Roederer & F.X. Pichler – Great Elegance Meets Our Sushi Expertise

On the second evening, we bring together two of Europe's most fascinating wine worlds. The historic Champagne house Louis Roederer and the exceptional Austrian wine estate F.X. Pichler stand for the highest quality, uncompromising passion and extraordinary wines. But our guests can also look forward to a special culinary surprise. In our Kaminstube, we showcase our expertise in sushi, creating an exciting connection between refined Asian cuisine, great Champagnes and expressive wines from the Wachau. Delicate textures, precision, freshness and elegance come together in a truly special way. A combination that may seem surprising at first, but is all the more fascinating for precisely that reason. And, of course, selected rarities and exceptional vintages will also have their moment in the spotlight. I do not want to reveal too much just yet.

Château Angélus – Bordeaux Meets Our Alpine Cuisine

For the grand finale, we take a journey in our minds to Saint-Émilion, one of the world's most famous wine regions. Few wine estates embody the close connection between family heritage, great winemaking tradition and the pursuit of perfection quite like Château Angélus. At our Kork & Gloria, we pair these extraordinary Bordeaux wines with our Alpine Cuisine. A cuisine deeply rooted in our Alpine homeland, yet always open to fresh inspiration. I find this combination particularly appealing: internationally celebrated wines meet a cuisine that interprets its regional identity with pride and creativity. An evening full of character, elegance and memorable culinary encounters.