Erwin Gegenbauer

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Erwin Maximilian Gegenbauer (* 1961 in Vienna ) is an Austrian vinegar and beer brewer, coffee roaster, juice producer, oil miller and known as the “Viennese vinegar pope”. Its single- origin balsamic , wine and fruit vinegars are used by numerous international top chefs. This contributed to the growing esteem of vinegar, which used to be a rather under-appreciated condiment. Gegenbauers vinegars have a mild taste and are characterized by a fine acidity and sweetness, the flavors come exclusively from the respective fruit.

life and work

Gegenbauer store on Vienna's Naschmarkt , 2012

The Gegenbauer family has had a stand on Vienna's Naschmarkt since the beginning of the last century . His grandfather Ignaz Gegenbauer was a sauerkraut maker , he put sauerkraut and sold it out of barrels at markets. After the First World War , Ignaz Gegenbauer had to make the vinegar himself due to delivery problems in the industry. During the interwar period , sauerkraut became the staple food rich in vitamins for the Viennese workforce and the business expanded. In 1929 he founded a production company in the working-class district of Vienna-Favoriten and the first machines for filling sauerkraut and pickles were purchased.

His father Erwin I. Gegenbauer invested in the production of canned vegetables as well as pickled cucumbers and peppers. To this end, he had canned vegetables produced in factories in Lower Bavaria and in the communist Czech Republic, which he delivered to supermarkets. Gegenbauer senior is considered to be the inventor of the still popular oil chilli peppers . At its economic peak, the Gegenbauer company employed around 650 people.

After graduating from high school , Erwin M. Gegenbauer studied economics . This was followed by a stay abroad with several gastronomic activities in Bodrum , Paris, London and New York, then he returned to Vienna in 1987 and worked in the management of his father's business. In 1992 his father handed over the company to him. Because of the increasing price pressure from the retail groups, Erwin Gegenbauer decided not to lower the quality of his previously recognized products and sold the factories.

Vinegar Manufactory

Fruit vinegars in glass balloons from Gegenbauer on Vienna's Naschmarkt

In his grandparents' factory, he turned his hobby of making vinegar into a profession, which is traditionally referred to as vinegar brewing . A thorough study of specialist literature on vinegar production in the Austrian National Library did not help him. After long and drawn-out attempts, he succeeded in producing the quality that met his expectations. The selection of natural vinegar bacteria cultures, which are only added to the fermentation process in very specific doses, turned out to be a decisive quality criterion. His products are all natural, they are neither pasteurized (“killed”), filtered and not diluted. Fruit vinegars (fruit and vegetables) are fermented twice by him, first of all he makes wine from the respective fruits and vegetables with his own yeast . Then this wine is fermented into fruit vinegar with the help of acetic acid bacteria. Fruit vinegars mature in glass balloons in the cellar for at least three years . Wine vinegars, on the other hand, are aged for at least two years and balsamic vinegars for at least five years in old oak or barrique barrels , and the oak barrels are stored on the roof of the brewery, as is customary in Italy.

Gegenbauer has been producing so-called house vinegars with the last beech chip maker in Austria since 2013 . After ten years of research, he found the barrel that his grandfather used to make the vinegar for his cucumbers. In a 12-ton beech barrel, he   uses the chip- forming process to produce vinegars that are slightly cheaper than other vinegars. The storage time is much shorter here than with the submerged process that he uses with his other vinegars. He has two of the oldest types of grain, emmer and einkorn , grown in the immediate vicinity on a field in the tenth district especially for this house vinegar .

In 2018 he created new, sweet house vinegars in a fermenter he developed himself , which combine the beech chip with the submerged process. With the advantages of both methods, he was able to obtain a purer fruit aroma and a more intense vinegar aroma at the same time.

Gegenbauer today has eight employees with whom he runs a shop on the Naschmarkt and the "smallest professional vinegar brewery in the world". It offers over 60 types of vinegar and around 25 oils (as of 2015). Two thirds of its products are exported. In addition to delicatessen shops, his customers also include star kitchens, including restaurants by Alain Ducasse , Thomas Keller , Michael Hoffmann   and Christian Lohse .

various

Since 2006 Gegenbauer has been roasting three types of coffee from small locations that he obtains from an importer from Trieste . With the emmer and einkorn grown for him, he has also been brewing beers in a top-fermented brewing process since May 2014 , which are supposed to have a strong and intense taste.

He has also been running a guest house ( Viennese guest room ) since the end of 2014 and rents five rooms in a material-oriented and puristic style that attracted attention from several media. He feeds the pomace of the fruit to his chickens, which he keeps on a terrace and whose eggs are served to the guests for breakfast. Around once a month and upon request, he offers guided tours for small groups through his factory.

Gegenbauer is married and has two children.

Awards

  • 2005: Trophée Gourmet from Á la carte magazine for raspberry seed oil 
  • 2011: Innovation Award of Anuga for the apple seed oil 
  • 2011: Producer of the year for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung 
  • 2014: Culinary Ambassador from the magazine Best Austrian Hospitality 
  • 2014: Vinegar Award , winner of the category wine vinegar from Genuss.Magazin 

membership

Movies

  • Viennese delicacies 4. Sweet - sour, spicy and bitter - Viennese preservation art. Documentary, Austria, 2015, 24:50 min., Book: Nadeschda Schukoff, director: Alexander Schukoff , production: Alexander-Schukoff-Film, ORF , 3sat , series: Wiener Schmankerl , first broadcast: 23 December 2015 on ORF III , summary by 3sat, ( memento from October 26, 2016 in the web archive archive.today ).
  • Markets - In the belly of Vienna: The Naschmarkt. Documentary, Germany, 2012, 43 min., Written and directed: Michael Seeber, Stefano Tealdi, production: Stefilm, Golden Girls Filmproduktion, Laokoon, Media 3.14 SL, ZDF , series: Markets , German first broadcast: February 20, 2013 on arte , Synopsis by arte, ( Memento from February 18, 2013 in the Internet Archive ).
  • The culinary adventures of Sarah Wiener in Austria. The Viennese sisters. Documentary, Germany, Austria, 2011, 42:30 min., Script and director: Florian Schewe, production: zero one film, arte , ORF , series: The culinary adventures of Sarah Wiener in Austria , first broadcast: June 5, 2011 on ORF 2 , table of contents from ORF 2, ( Memento from June 26, 2015 in the Internet Archive )
  • Well get it! Culinary excursions ... in Vienna. Documentary, Austria, 2010, 24:50 min., Book: Linda Hörr-Peschl and Wolfgang Peschl, director: Wolfgang Peschl, production: Laufbildgesellschaft mbH, ServusTV , series: Wohl get's! Culinary excursions , summary by ServusTV, ( memento from June 26, 2015 in the Internet Archive ).

Web links

Commons : Wiener Essigbrauerei  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

photos

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Erwin Maximilian Gegenbauer - Viennese vinegar brewery. ( Memento from August 18, 2016 in the Internet Archive ). In: Austrian Chamber of Commerce (WKO) .
  2. ↑ a b c d e f Wojciech Czaja: I like it rustic like in Grandma's time. In: Der Standard , February 15, 2014.
  3. ↑ a b c Uwe Mauch: Delicate vinegar. The Viennese "vinegar pope" Erwin Gegenbauer gives gourmets a sour treat. A culinary portrait. In: Kurier , December 5, 2011.
  4. ↑ Elke Baumstark: Top vinegar for top cuisine. ( Memento from June 25, 2015 in the web archive archive.today ). In: AHGZ , August 4, 2012, No. 2.
  5. ↑ a b c d e f Bernd Dörler: The vinegar brewer. In: brand eins , 2007, No. 2.
  6. ↑ “Of course he was laughed at - at best. Because he was also insulted as a charlatan. Wanting to sell a cheap product like vinegar at a high price , whatever he might think of, a passer-by denounced him. ”
    In: Kerstin Seling: Essig Pope Erwin Gegenbauer - The man who gives gourmets a treat. In: Gourmet Connection , 2014, (PDF; 5 p., 483 kB).
  7. ↑ Ilse Fischer: Essigbrauerei. The master of flavors. ( Memento from August 13, 2016 in the archive.today web archive ). In: Swiss Life Select , August 3, 2016.
  8. ↑ a b Laura Hertreiter: It doesn't always have to be angry. In: Süddeutsche Zeitung , June 26, 2015.
  9. ↑ a b Manfred Klimek : Sauer, Mr. Gegenbauer? In: WamS , March 4, 2012.
  10. ^ Gegenbauer, company. In: all.biz , accessed on June 24, 2015.
  11. ↑ Vinegar brewery. In: Duden , accessed on August 13, 2016.
  12. ↑ Reiner Trabold: Lifestyle: Vinegar - Sour from the pipette. ( Memento from June 26, 2015 in the Internet Archive ). In: Darmstädter Echo , February 26, 2011.
  13. ↑ a b Kerstin Seling: Essig Pope Erwin Gegenbauer - The man who gives connoisseurs sour. In: Gourmet Connection , 2014, (PDF; 5 p., 483 kB), portrait, accessed on June 23, 2015.
  14. ^ Viennese vinegar brewery. In: gegenbauer.at , accessed on June 25, 2015.
  15. ↑ Domestic vinegars. In: gegenbauer.at , accessed on April 17, 2018.
  16. ↑ Kerstin Seling: Back to the roots. Erwin Gegenbauer produces organic vinegar with a twelve-ton historic chip maker. In: Society Friends of the Arts / Gourmet Connection , April 5, 2013.
  17. ↑ The chip former process. In: essigart.de , accessed on August 13, 2016.
  18. ^ A b Herbert Hacker: Essigbrauerei. Something's going to happen soon. In: Die Zeit , June 13, 2013, No. 25.
    Erwin Gegenbauer: Submers method. In: Facebook , May 28, 2010.
  19. ↑ Patricia Freyer: From vinegar pope to inventor: Gegenbauer builds its own vinegar machine for new sweet house vinegars. In: gourmet-connection.de , August 2, 2018.
  20. ↑ Carola v. Pompetzki: The man who gives connoisseurs a treat. In: Berliner Morgenpost , November 20, 2010, archive .
  21. ↑ Bernhard Degen: Erwin Gegenbauer is now also a beer brewer. ( Memento of March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive ). In: Falstaff , April 24, 2014.
    Uwe Mauch: Gegenbauer: Taste good in favorites 2. In: Kurier , September 25, 2014.
  22. ^ Peter Popp: Essential and non-conforming: Viennese guest rooms. In: detail , 2015, issue 1, with photo gallery.
    Anna Burghardt: Better without silk stockings: rough living at the vinegar brewer. In: Die Presse , November 21, 2014.
    Bernd F. Meier / dpa / abl: Unusual accommodations in Vienna: hip or imperial? In: Spiegel online , June 20, 2015.
  23. ↑ David Seitz: The Viennese guest rooms: Adventure vacation in the vinegar factory. In: schlaraffenwelt.de , April 13, 2016.
  24. ↑ Guided tours of the Viennese vinegar brewery. In: gegenbauer.at , accessed on April 17, 2018
  25. ↑ Othmar Pruckner: A guest in the private apartments of the vinegar pope Erwin Gegenbauer. In: trend , February 2012, pp. 124–127.
  26. ↑ a b Florian Holzer: The essence of the innermost. In: Á la carte , July 2, 2015.
  27. ↑ Jürgen Dollase , Stuart Pigott : Producer of the Year: Erwin M. Gegenbauer from the Viennese Essig Brewery. In: FAZ , January 9, 2012.
  28. ↑ Erwin Gegenbauer is BÖG ambassador of pleasure 2014. ( Memento from June 26, 2015 in the Internet Archive ). In: Falstaff , March 13, 2014.
  29. ↑ Angelika Kraft: Give us a treat! ( Memento from June 26, 2015 in the Internet Archive ). In: Genuss.Magazin , November 21, 2014.
  30. ↑ Our sponsors. In: Slow Food Vienna , accessed on June 22, 2015.
personal data
SURNAME Gegenbauer, Erwin
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Gegenbauer, Erwin Maximilian (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Austrian vinegar and beer brewer
DATE OF BIRTH 1961
PLACE OF BIRTH Vienna