What is Wachau Wine?

You always remember your first. That's a saying. Is it true? Not always, really. But it holds a place in the cultural Zeitgeist and it is true that firsts tend to be more memorable than fourths or fifths.

I wanted to use this post to dive a little deeper into a specific reason that is memorable. Long story short, I had always been a red wine person. Well, for a long time I was not a wine person at all. But soon, I aged into my mid-20s and found that many wines tasted better than Natty Light. I found white wines to be bland, uninspiring, and served at the temperature of a polar bear's toenail. I preferred reds. Some were slightly hot and unbalanced, but overall I welcomed their body, tannins, and spicy warmth.

Fast forward to my first Wachau wine. Gruner Veltliner is a grape varietal synonymous with Austria. It covers about a third of the country's vineyards. I had tried a couple "budget" Gruner's before, that cost around $12-13 in the U.S. I found them truly refreshing, with a nice tinge of white pepper and light floral notes. Despite this, I was not yet a convert. On a special occasion, I splurged on a Smaragd Gruner Veltliner from the Wachau. A 2017 vintage. Whoa. it was rich, unctuous, smooth. It was actually interesting. I was enamored. I still am to this day, and like a junkie, I continue to seek the embrace of beautiful white wines from the Wachau.

Enough about me, though. the Wachau, as I have said, is in Austria. Nearly all of Austria's wine production occurs in the eastern third of the country surrounding Vienna. The Wachau is located in Niederoesterreich, northwest of Vienna between the towns of Krems and der Donau and Melk.

The Wachau is one of Austria's most renowned wine regions, located along the Danube River between Melk and Krems in Lower Austria. The Wachau is a picturesque area, known for its stunning landscape of steep terraced vineyards. It has even been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. 

The Wachau specializes in producing high-quality dry white wines. These wines are made particularly from two grape varieties, which are Grüner Veltliner and Riesling. Grüner Veltliner is known for its  distinctive white pepper characteristic and Riesling is known for its singing acidity. Both varietals can  produce fresh and fun wines, as well as rich, voluminous wines with excellent aging potential. Other grape varieties grown in the region include Chardonnay (sometimes called Morillon), Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Neuburger, Muskateller, Sauvignon Blanc, and Gelber Traminer. 

The Wachau's unique climate and terroir contribute significantly to its wine quality: The region has a continental climate with short, cold winters and long, dry growing seasons. The Danube River moderates temperatures, allowing for late harvests and full grape ripeness. Varied soil types, including gneiss, loess, and amphibolite, influence wine characteristics across different vineyards. 

The Wachau has its own wine classification system, distinct from the rest of Austria, developed by the Vinea Wachau. This system includes three levels, according to stringency and aging potential.  

Steinfeder is the classification for light, refreshing wines, which have a maximum alcohol level of 11.5 percent. 

Federspiel is the classification for medium-bodied wines which have an alcohol level between 11.5 percent and 12.5 percent.

Smaragd is the classification for the richest, most age-worthy wines, which have a minimum alcohol level of 12.5 percent. 

In 2020, the Wachau was granted D.A.C. status, which stands for Districtus Austriae Controllatus.

There are also three tiers of typicity. These include regional wines, referred to as Gebietswein, which can be from within the entire Wachau region. Then, there are wines from specific villages, referred to as Orswein. Finally, there are single-vineyard Riedenwein, which come from a single-vineyard, typically coming from steep, sloping vineyards.

The Wachau's winemaking history dates back to Celtic and Roman times, with significant influence from Bavarian and Salzburger monks who built the region's iconic terraced vineyards during the Middle Ages. Today, the Wachau continues to produce some of Austria's most distinctive and highly regarded wines, known for their freshness, minerality, and elegance