The Pichler family has been making wine in the village of Wösendorf since at least the late 19th century. The original cellar building, more of a small stall than a winery, was purchased in 1884 and their first vineyards were planted in the town of Wosendorf in 1904. The modern winery was built in 2004 near Rudi´s private home. After some initial wanderlust and the pursuit of various other interests – academic and commercial – Rudolf Pichler IV returned to the family winery with a seed of an idea. He had no formal training other than his memories of his grandfather and his instincts for great wine.Smaragd is the Wachau designation for dry late harvest wines, above 12.5% alcohol through natural fermentation.