A small glass of wine, please!

From well-known varieties of grape and Lower Austrian winery excellences, appellations of origin and varieties: a short revue of wines.

With 30,000 hectares of vineyards, Lower Austria is Austria's largest wine-growing region. Its name brings together a rich potential of appellations and the wine styles of local wine rarities, but also international grape varieties.

In terms of area, Lower Austria's vineyards make up 60% of all vineyards in Austria. The distribution between white and red wine is clearly in favour of white wine: 75% white grape varieties and 25% red grape varieties. The eight specific wine-growing regions based in Lower Austria can roughly be divided up into three climatic zones: The wine district in the north, the Danube region west of Vienna and the Pannonian region of Lower Austria in the southeast.

What does a 'true Lower Austrian' taste like?

Fifteen years ago, hardly anyone would have dared to think that Austria would make an international sensation with the Grüner Veltliner. Dry wines of this grape variety have become a remarkable peculiarity on the wine lists of local top restaurants, but also those of the UK and the USA. With 50% of the vineyard area of Lower Austria Grüner Veltliner is the flagship grape. Riesling on the other hand, is one of the grape varieties with which Austria, as a wine country, has consolidated its standing abroad, even though statistically, the vineyard area is just a few percent. Among wine connoisseurs, Riesling is still the queen of all white wines. Some of the most outstanding Austrian red wines grow in the Pannonian region of Lower Austria, south of Vienna, whereas in Carnuntum and the spa region, it is the Zweigelt and the St. Laurent that respectively set the tone. And you can find gastronomic specialties everywhere: Zierfandler and Rotgipfle around Gumpoldskirchen and even more so, Pinot Noir.