Austria produces lots of great, dry, food friendly wines which are snapped up by the local and German markets so that not much is seen on the shelves of your local wine merchants. The Wachau region running in a valley along the Danube is known for producing excellent dry whites made mostly from Riesling and Gruner Veltliner grapes, which have a crisp white peppery taste, grown in terraces along the river. Some of the regions top producers are Knoll, Pichler, Hirtzberger and Prager.

Many wineries in the Wachau region are small so expect to see lots of boutique wineries tucked into the pretty countryside along the Danube gorge amongst castle ruins and peaceful towns in a blend of gothic, baroque and renaissance architecture. This is also a popular region to cycle through, which offers the added advantage that you don’t have to worry about drink driving, though you probably need to buy an even number of bottles to make sure you don’t unbalance your bike.

Written by  Kat Mackintosh.

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Wachau Cultural Landscape

The Wachau is a stretch of the Danube Valley between Melk and Krems, a landscape of high visual quality. It preserves in an intact and visible form many traces - in terms of architecture, (monasteries, castles, ruins), urban design, (towns and villages), and agricultural use, principally for the cultivation of vines - of its evolution since prehistoric times.

Copyright © UNESCO/World Heritage Centre. All rights reserved.

 

Review posted 7th December 2007 by World Reviewer Staff.

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