Wine holidays in Austria

Wine tasting is of course the most important in any wine holiday. Nevertheless, to complete the wine experience you also need to get out of the wine cellar. Austria’s wine regions are perfect for enjoying nature and local culture. Moreover, the distances are small, the sights plentiful, and the activities diverse.

Best in wine tourism

Austria’s traditional foods such as the Wienerschnitzel and Apfelstrudel are widely known. However, despite Austria being most famous for its beers, are the country’s wines steadily gaining a good reputation. Forgotten are the wine scandals of the ’80s, as the Austrian wine industry has cleaned up its act. Austrian winegrowers are producing quality wines that are highly prized both by wine experts and wine lovers all around the world. Furthermore, the Austrians have fused their excellent tourist industry with winemaking and earned prestige around the world. In February 2016, the US tourist industry elected Austria for «Best Wine Travel Destination Europe» at the Travvy Awards 2016.

Vineyard vacations

Many Austrian vineyards have ventured into tourism and offer anything from wine tasting to complete wine holiday packages. No matter if you are a  wine connoisseur or just want to enjoy the good life, you will find a suitable wine holiday in Austria. Therefore, even if you are just travelling through Austria or are on a quick business trip, check out a local winery. We strongly recommend stopping by a local vineyard to get a taste of local produce. Moreover, many vineyards also have taverns, so-called heurigen, or buschenschank that serve local traditional foods.

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Wine regions

Even though grapes are grown in all states, you find the majority of vineyards in the eastern part of Austria. The main wine-producing states are Lower Austria, Vienna, Burgenland, and Styria. Moreover, all the different wine regions have their distinctive characteristics owing to the soil, location, and climate. These factors combined with local culinary traditions and extraordinary natural beauty offer the traveller a wide choice of wine holidays.

Favourites

One of my favourite regions is the Wachau, located about 100 km west of Vienna in the Danube Valley. Wachau is prized for its picture-perfect landscape. It is known for picturesque villages, mediaeval castles and vineyards. The easiest way to visit is by car, but it can also be enjoyed from a cruise ship on the Danube. Alternatively, on a bike along the bicycle trail that runs all along the river. Likewise, I love travelling in the “Volcano land” region in south-eastern Styria. The region’s green rolling hills, dotted with villages, farms and vineyards are a delight for any traveller. If you are looking for quality wines from small family-run vineyards combined with genuine Styrian culture, this is the place for you. Nonetheless, these are only a couple of examples and Austria’s different wine regions all have their special flair.

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Grapes

It is impossible to write an article about wine holidays without at least mentioning grapes. Austria uses 35 different grapes in their wine production. There are 3 official wine classifications: Qualitätswein, Prädikatswein, and Landwein. Not surprisingly, the grape Grüner Veltliner stands for about 1/3 of the total crop. Other white wine grapes grown in Austria are Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Muskateller, Traminer, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah. The most popular red grapes are Zweigelt and Blaufränkisch. Furthermore, the soil contributes greatly to the variation of the taste and intensity of the grapes. This gives wine from different regions their distinctive characteristics. Another important factor is the climate. Austria has a cool climate which also is quite significant for the character of the wine.

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