Menu

Wachau: Wine reputation made in Austria

When you think of Wachau wines, terms such as Steinfeder, Federspiel and Smaragd come to mind first. But these quality levels have nothing to do with the winemaking laws of the Lower Austrian wine-growing region, but go back to the association Vinea Wachau, which for years was the driving force. In the meantime, however, there is also the well-known DAC system in Wachau.

In the Wachau, the angular and rocky giants stretch impressively along the majestic Danube. Here, with every breath, you feel the primordial forces that were at work eons ago, shaping this jagged patch of earth. A nature that seems as magnificent as it is mighty. Even more formidable than the steep slopes of the Moselle. And more compact. The Wachau in Lower Austria is, so to speak, the short-haul wonder of the wine regions. Stretching 35 kilometres along the Danube between Melk and Krems, it unfolds in all its glory. Here it's not the scale that counts, but what you make of it. And what the winemakers do here is simply impressive. On 1,285 hectares of vines, 210 farms cultivate their vines, which dig deep into the steep slopes framed by stone terraces, with slopes of up to 60 per cent in the ground.

This impressive natural spectacle, which is truly unique in Austria, is home to the country's best wines. The emeralds of Grüner Veltliner and Riesling, which can compete with Germany's Great Gewächsen in terms of quality, are not only made for eternity, but are also highly sought after around the world. The Wachau is therefore not only inspiring with its landscape, but also with its wine. Why such exceptional character wines are produced here from these two grape varieties has a lot to do with the soils and the climate. Let's take a closer look at these two factors.

Topics in this article

Wachau wines: geography

12 million years ago, when the African and Eurasian continental plates collided in the Miocene Age, the Urdonau sprang up, from which the Danube we know today sprang up. At the same time, the shifting continental plates were able to pile up so high and steep, creating the extremely impressive landscape to this day. The Wachau is home to crystalline rocks such as gneis, amphibolites, marbles and quartzite. What they have in common: They are all suppliers of minerals that give the Wachau wines a fair dose of personality.
Many of the primeval rocks are covered in numerous places by a layer of loess, which can be of varying thickness. Particularly thick loessings are usually found at the very bottom. The higher you go, the thinner the layer becomes. In some places, after a centimetre or two, the bare rock shows itself in all its glory!

The striking differences are of great importance for winemakers' choice of grape varieties. Grüne Veltliner thrives particularly well on Löss, for example. This produces wines that have a lot of body and come with a lot of pepper and spice on the finish. Riesling, on the other hand, prefers a rather barren soil. If the vines have to work a bit hard to root deep into the mineral soil, the wine can be a real spectacle of nuance. Consequently, Grüne Veltliner, in the Wachau, prefers to thrive on lower mountain slopes, while Riesling tends to thrive at breezy heights of up to 250 metres above the majestic Danube

Wachau: Good to know

Total vine area

Annual production

Climate

Climatic influences

Soils

1.285 hectare

 

Ø 90.000 hectolitre

from mild maritime to continental pannonian

Danube, cool fall winds

 

crystalline rock (gneis, amphibolite, marbles and quartzite) with partial loosening

Wachau wines and their protected designation of origin

Since the 2020 vintage, Wachau has had DAC status (Protected Designation of Origin). As a result, Wachau wines that want to carry the DAC region on the label face the following quality limitations and requirements:

  • Area wine: The base of the pyramid of origin. Their style represents the entire wine-growing region. Approved grape varieties (pure or blended): Grüner Veltliner, Riesling, Weißburgunder, Grauburgunder, Chardonnay, Neuburger, Muscateller, Sauvignon Blanc, Traminer, Frühroter Veltlineer, Müller-Thurgau, Muscat Ottonel, Roter Veltlinear, Gemischer Satz, Blauer Burgunder, St. Laurent and Zweigelt. Allowed grape varieties: Grüner Veltliner, Riesling; Weißburgunder, Grey Burgundy, Chardonnay; Neuburger; Muscateller, sauvignon Blanc or Traminer. No or barely noticeable woody tone.
  • Local wine:: Exhibits more body and complexity than local wine. These varieties show the typical character of a place.
  • Riedenwein: Top quality Austrian wines that are equivalent to a crus. They reflect the terroir of a particular location. Permitted grape varieties: Grüner Veltliner and Riesling. No enrichment allowed. No or barely noticeable woody tone..

Vinea Wachau: wines with their own classification

In the Wachau, there is Vinea Wachau Nobilis Districtus - simply Vienna Wachau for short - an association that operates in parallel to wine legislation. The association was founded in 1983 - two years before the wine scandal that rocked all of Austria - by some Wachau vintners. Vinea Wahau has strong parallels with the VDP (Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter) in Germany, since here too the primary goal was and is to improve and promote the qualities of Wachau wines. To this end, three quality levels were introduced:

  • Stone feather: Been around since 1984 and was named after the stone feather grass that grows on steep vineyards. The wines have a light and fruity character and are best enjoyed young.
  • Featherspiel: The designation comes from an old custom of falcon hunting. The designation was introduced in 1986. These Wachau wines have a lot of character and are complex. They benefit from additional storage.
  • Emerald: Until 1988, the top quality was called Honifogl. It was only then that it was renamed in honour of the emerald lizard, which is very common in the vineyards. Approved grape varieties here are Grüner Veltliner, Riesling, Neuburger and Gelber Muskateller. The wines reflect their terroir and have real heads of character full of complexity and depth. Similarly to the large varieties from Germany, they should be allowed to mature for a few years to show their full potential.

Wachau wines: Top 3

Grape varieties area

Businesses

Distribution of vine varieties

Export

import and top 3 import countries

Grüner Veltliner (828 hectares), Riesling (237 hectares), Zweigelt (55 hectares)

210

94% white wine, 6% red wine

320.000 hectolitres (20% of the production volume)

import: 860.000 hectolitres, top 3 import countries: Italy (52,331 liters), Germany (12,655 liters), France (5,321 liters)

Wachau: Economic factor wine

Thanks to Vinea Wachau, the Wachau wines already had an excellent reputation on the international wine market long before the introduction of the DAC status. This helped the wine-growing region even through the legendary wine scandal in Austria in the mid-1980s. While the other wine regions had to re-sort and set themselves up, thanks to Vinea Wachau, they already had an existing system in place that guaranteed quality.
That was one of the reasons why Wachau wines sought DAC status relatively late. But it has since become widely accepted. Nevertheless, it is the Emerald wines that continue to lead the world in terms of reputation.

Your selling points for Lower Wachau wines

  • From inexpensive everyday wines to top-notch plants with character, there is something for the whole clientele
  • Ideal food companions
  • Especially the emeralds are long-lasting and complex wines
  • With the best wines from Austria
  • Many well-known companies, but also real insider tips

 
Return to Overview