Wine Tours in Austria

Gemütlichkeit, Grüner Veltliner, Monasteries & Castles

Wine tours in Austria.
Fresh air, fresh air and more fresh air – Austria is the ultimate destination for outdoor enthusiasts. But Austria isn’t just about the Alps, skiing and hiking. The wooded foothills, gently rolling farmland and flowering meadows in Austria’s lowlands provide equally enchanting vistas. Austrians cherish Gemütlichkeit, which means comfort and coziness, where life is experienced more slowly and comfortably.

So if you’re looking for a ‘slower’ adventure but with just as much beauty, Austria is your place for a wine tour. Austria may be small but it packs a mighty punch when it comes to wine. While it has made its name with a fresh-faced, white grape variety called Grüner Veltliner, there is plenty more to discover.

Austria’s wine regions might not be household names just yet but Austria is punching far above its weight when it comes to producing top-notch wines at very reasonable prices.

The Wachau wine region is hard to beat. It’s packed with secluded wine-producing villages with pastel-coloured houses scattered among rolling hills clad with vineyards, wild forests and apricot orchards. This beautifully meandering stretch of the Danube is a hidden gem, full of imposing fortresses, monasteries and abbeys. You will discover an enchanting river valley landscape, lush vineyards and countless cultural sites. The wines of the Wachau Valley will delight and surprise you.

Discover more about Austria

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MAIN REGIONS

Based around the capital itself, Wien with its numerous heurigen (local wine taverns), has a thriving wine culture. South-East towards the border with Hungary lies Leithaberg, Burgenland and Steiermark, which, as a relatively warm region, produces wonderful, opulent reds. North-West of the capital is Neiderosterreich including Wagram, Wachau and Kremstal where elegant, whites abound.

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MAIN GRAPES

Austria’s king of whites, its calling card, Gruner Veltliner, with its distinctive stone-fruit, herbaceous and white pepper character. Other local whites include Neuberger, Muskateller and Rotgipfler, and ‘international’ varieties are represented by Riesling, Sauvignon and Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc). Main local reds are Zweigelt, Blaufrankisch and Sankt Laurent; and ‘international’ varieties Pinot Noir (Blauburgunder), Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon

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FUN FACT

Nikolaihof winery can trace their history back 2000 years to Romain times. It was also one of the very first wineries in the world to be certified as Biodynamic by Demeter Association.

PAST TOURS IN AUSTRIA

For our first vinous adventure to Central Europe we headed to Austria where we were introduced to the delights of indigenous grapes like Gruner Veltliner, Blaufrankisch and Zweigelt. After an excellent presentation at the Wine Academy we visited several high quality boutique producers in the regions of Neusiedlersee, Kremstal and Wachau. We stayed in the pretty towns of Rust and Krems. And we visited the baroque marvel Ersteharzy Palace and its Wine Museum, enjoyed the Erste Lage tasting in the fabulous surroundings of Grafenegg Castle, and a took a boat ride on the River Danube marvelling at the terraced vineyards. What an exceptionally interesting and varied tour!