(Manfred Klimek / animated image: runwayml)
(Below this article you will find a link to a profile of Adi Werner on KALK & KEGEL by Joachim Heidersdorf)
Adi Werner turned 90 on 11 March. And in him we see a form of hospitality that has become rarer today: the old-school patron. Someone who does not merely facilitate, but sets the tone. Who does not merely accompany, but shapes. And who does not merely run his establishments, but imprints his character upon them.
Werner has helped shape the Arlberg over the decades. Under his direction, the Hospiz and later the Hospiz Alm became more than just a hotel business – it became a stage for the dramatic. Luxury, society, wine, entertainment: all at once, all with vigour. Anyone who stayed here was not merely a guest, but part of a narrative clearly dictated by the host.
His life story is well known: from lift boy to proprietor, via stints in Bad Gastein, Venice and Lausanne, later working internationally, then back on the Arlberg, where he took over the Hospiz in 1964 together with his wife Gerda. It is the classic post-war rags-to-riches story – except that Werner lived it out in full view of everyone.
His understanding of hospitality was unambiguous: presence, closeness, influence. Werner was not one to hold back. He would sit down at tables, speak directly to guests, and intervene – even reaching into their glasses. His well-known motto, ‘Throw money out of the window so that it comes back in through the door’, was less a catchphrase than a method. Generosity as a strategy, charm as a tool, wine as a lever.
This style of leadership was effective, but also clearly hierarchical. The patron made the decisions. The rest followed. The fact that this model worked was down to the times – and to Werner himself. Today, we would probably view it more critically.
Two things left a particularly strong mark on his legacy: the St Christoph Brotherhood and wine.
The Brotherhood, a charitable organisation with a long history, was developed into a major institution under his leadership. Over 20 million euros in aid for families speaks for itself. This reveals another side to this system: structured, long-term, effective – and charitable.
When it came to wine, however, it was about more than just quality. Werner realised early on that wine is also about presentation. In the late 1970s, he began collecting Bordeaux – initially against resistance, later with growing success. Large-format bottles became his trademark. Not only because they age better, but because they make an impression.
Today, the collection comprises around 3,500 large-format bottles (!), up to 27 litres, predominantly from Bordeaux. Cheval Blanc, Latour, Margaux, Yquem – names that stand not only for wine, but for a system of prestige. Werner did not invent this system, but he has consistently implemented it in the Arlberg region.
The ‘Weinwelt’, which opened three years ago, continues this logic – only on a grander scale. The path leads downwards, not upwards. A slide, photo walls, theatrical staging. The ‘Wine Dome’ is the highlight: a space that is less a cellar than a stage. Hundreds of large bottles, lighting, architecture, a central table. You might find it impressive. Or over-the-top. Both are possible.
Here, wine is not hidden away, but displayed. And in such a way that it makes an impact.
This approach to wine reflects an era in which size was a value in itself. Today, that has shifted. Origin, precision and minimalism have become more important than grand gestures and volume. Seen from this perspective, the cult surrounding Bordeaux magnums almost seems like a counterpoint to the present day.
And yet: the Werner system worked. For decades. It retained guests, generated turnover and put the Arlberg on the international map. It made wine accessible to many people – albeit in a form heavily influenced by status and presentation. Werner himself remains a presence to this day, even without an operational role. A figure who has endured whilst the industry has changed.
One might see him as a grand seigneur. Or as the last representative of a model that is scarcely seen today. He is probably both. His life’s work deserves recognition. But it also tells of a time that is no longer quite our own.