Klaus Wagner is dead

MAUTERN. Klaus Wagner is dead. The renowned sommelier and husband of Lisl Wagner-Bacher passed away quietly and gently last Saturday in the presence of his family, according to a statement

When in Austria the crusts of the feisty economic miracle cuisine (motto: no matter what, the main thing is a lot) were slowly breaking open and tender plants of quality and innovation were striving towards the sunlight, in the form of chefs and restaurants that took up the cause of internationality and creativity, a married couple from the Wachau was at the very forefront, Lisl and Klaus Wagner Bacher.

Lisl Wagner Bacher quickly became famous as Chef of the Year and, as she was known, as the "Grand Dame" of Austrian cuisine. Behind the strong woman was an equally strong man - Klaus. Klaus had studied engineering, but his talents were never utilised professionally. When he married his Lisl, as he always called her, he switched to the world of catering. At a young age, Klaus took on the role of patron, host, head of service and head sommelier at Restaurant Bacher, which at the time was not yet a country house.

His proximity to the leading winegrowers of the Wachau at the time was reflected in his wine list, as was his growing love of the great wines from this region. Even in the 1980s, there were few places in Austria where you could enjoy such excellent and cultivated wines as at Lisl and Klaus Wagner Bacher. Klaus ruled over the financial management of the restaurant with discipline. A few rooms were created for overnight stays. There weren't many, but they were the most sought-after in the region.

Klaus Wagner repeatedly invited wine lovers from the region to wine dinners centred on the Wachau and Bordeaux. At that time, many of them became acquainted with the great wines for the first time, which were affordable until the mid-1990s, before the hype broke out. Klaus was a clever wine collector, he never bought the first growths but, as he emphasised, the second or third, which were often of the same quality as the first. One of his favourites: Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. What a melodious, promising name that tells us so much about the centuries-old wine culture in the Bordelais. Klaus Wagner had absolutely no interest in wine fashions. He could afford to follow his own taste. You could never deny that he enjoyed higher alcohol levels. He casually labelled anything with an alcohol content of 13% or more as "rascal wines".

Not only wines and wine drinkers had to stand up to Klaus' expertise, but also his Lisl herself. Over the decades, Klaus proved to be an eccentric and critic of his wife's cooking. When Thomas Dorfer gently transferred his mother-in-law's very personal style of cooking into the 21st century, with very small additions and immense precision, Klaus Wagner was still delighted with the classics: veal chops with pasta with white truffles, partridge in autumn, caviar or a whole langoustine. As mentioned, he was hardly interested in fashions and trends. Klaus never minced his words. A fan of Landhaus Bacher, the author and essayist Helmut Gansterer, once described the sometimes grumpy patron as the Wachau version of Hägar the Terrible. But anyone who knew Klaus knew that underneath the rough exterior was a loving husband, host and grandfather who was always there for the children of his daughters Susanne and Christina.

The patron, who was always to be found in elegant surroundings, remained the "boss" when his daughter Susanne took over the management of the restaurant together with Thomas Dorfer. He was often to be found at the so-called "house table", where he studied the latest news, leafed through Parker's Bordeaux guide or dined with guests who had become friends of the house. Klaus could rightly be described as an icon among Austrian hosts. It was only after a few accidents that robbed him of some of his mobility that Klaus Wagner became increasingly quiet. He spent his last weeks, lovingly cared for by his Lisl and his two daughters, in his home just a few steps away from the restaurant.