Wines

Quality Viniculture

From the beginning our major priority has been to produce high quality white wine, particularly Grüner Veltliner and Riesling. In exceptionally good years we are even able to press a sweet select wine from our grapes. Our wines are marketed in the three categories stipulated by the “Vinea Wachau Nobilis Districtus” of which we are members. These categories are related to the alcohol concentration and maturity of the wine.

Steinfeder®

Fruity charm and a maximum alcohol content of 11% Vol. characterize the “lightest type” of the top quality wines from the Wachau. The name itself comes from the typical “Steinfedergras” (Stipa pinnata – feather grass) which grows in the immediate proximity of the vines on the terraces of the Wachau vineyards and is just as feather light and airy as the wines named after it.

Federspiel®

A wealth of nuances and a strong character are typical attributes of this classic white wine. Wines with a must-weight of over 17° KMW and an alcohol content of between 11.5% and 12.5% Vol. are classified as “Federspiel”. The name “Federspiel” comes from falconry (the device used to lure the bird of prey back to the glove after the hunt) which was a popular form of courtly hunting in the Wachau of former times.

Smaragd®

Smaragd (Emerald) is the denomination of the best and most precious Wachau wines with an alcohol content of more than 12.5% Vol. The optimal maturity of the grapes and natural concentration enable the production of world-class wines. Emerald lizards feel particularly at home on the terraces of the Wachau vineyards. On warm days, they sun themselves next to the vines and have become the symbol of those Wachau wines with the ultimate, physiological maturity.

Codex Wachau

The details of the Codex Wachau