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The 11 ha of vineyards are situated on both sides of the river Danube, on the eastern frontier of the Wachau Valley. On the southfacing stoneterraces of Ried Gaisberg 1ÖTW and Ried Hinters Kirchl 1ÖTW in Stein traditional dry stonewalls store the dayheat for elegant mineral Rieslings. From here the view reaches out far across the Danube to the suntrenched vineyards in and around Furth, which extend at the foothill of the Goettweig mountain with its mighty monastery on top. The quick ground squirrel „Ziesel“ romps around among the vines and demonstrates the respectful approach to nature.
In the steep southfacing sites in Stein, on the northern bankside of the Danube, the slopes are sometimes built from shist, sometimes from tight paragneiss with lenses of amphibolite- and granitegneiss-strings and Gföhler gneiss.
On the southern bankside of the Danube deep nutrient calcerous loess shapes sites like Ried Gottschelle 1ÖTW, Ried Oberfeld or Ried Hintere Point 1ÖTW. It can cover cristalline bedrock, ancient gravelconglomerate, sand and silt of either in the ancient sea or from ancient rivers deposited Molasse-sediments and ancient Danube-terraces. The southern foothill of the bohemian highlands prevails here as Granulite, which is related to Gföhler gneiss but tightly structured and flat.
The ÖTW-Vineyard Classification – 1ÖTW und GÖTW – is related to the peak of the pramid of origin, the Single Vineyard Vines.
Situated on a high ancient Danube terrace at the foot of the Goettweig mountain, on the southern side of the Danube, this site was documented first in 1341 as „Gotschalich“. The name shoes similarity to „Goetschen“, which refers to sharp rocky projections on a mountain ridge. One of that kind can be found here falling away steeply down towards the road to the village of Steinaweg.
Glaciertime layers of gravelconglomerate underneath the highly calcerous loess-cover, which occure in the close ravine, are responsible for the elengance and finesse of the complex and longliving Veltliners of this historical site.
Low yields and a late harvest by hand due to fully ripe fruit and complexity of the wines. International and national awarded, the wines from this site are among the best Veltliners of Austria.
Altitude: 250 m
Gradient: 4°
Orientation: NNE
Formation: Quaternary (about 2,5 mio years ago)
The narrow Danube Valley opens up towards east and the steep rocks on the southern side of the Danube change to undulating country with its smooth hills and high terraces. Situated on a high ancient Danube terrace, this site extends on the foot of the Goettweig mountain. Over 65- year old vines root deeply in nutrient, highly calcerous, sandy-silty loess, which was deposited as aeolic sediment of the Alps in a coldtime of the Quaternary 2,5 mio years ago. Well ventilated with a high water storage and drainage capacity, this soil supplies the vines optimal with minerals and enhances the typical Veltliner-spiciness particullarily well.
The yields of the old vines are naturally small, as are the berries, which are therefore extremly aromatic. Picked late by hand, expressive wines, complex with lingering concentration and deep fruit with typical spyciness and elegance emerge year by year. Longliving, they are a fine example for the huge maturing-potential of great Veltliners.
Altitude: 240 m
Gradiant: 3°
Orientation: ENE
Formation: Quaternary (about 2,5 mio years ago)
Large crystalline rocks and terraces with old dry stonewalls shape this small, south-east facing steep site in Stein, on the northern bankside of the Danube. The site was documented first end of the 16th century.
The dry stone walls are home to a rich, southern-like flora and fauna, including the pasqueflower and many species of orchids, as well as the famous emerald lizard.
This heartpeace of the winery was the first vineyard of the family und therefore the foundation for the later established winery. The narrow rows on the steep hill can only be worked by hand. Picking in traditional „Butten“, which, like in ancient times, have to be carriedon the back up the hill.
The weathered soil from the bedrock of Gföhler gneiss, micashist, paragneiss and amphibolite is meager and gives the stored dayheat off to the vines in the night. Riesling with unique character are grown here- powerful but elegant with concentrated fruit of yellow peaches and ripe apricots with hints of lemoncest and a complex body. Salty minerality in the lingering finish.
Altitude: 240 m
Graduation: 25°
Orientation: SSE
Formation: Paleozoic (500 mio years ago)
This small site of the so named neighbour-mountain of the Pfaffenberg, on the northern bankside of the Danube in Stein is situated on top of the mountain with good ventilation facing south-east. The bedrock is built of gneiss and cristalline shist. In accordance with it, the weathered soil is rocky and only locally calcerous.
Only on the eastern foot of the hill a small rest of loess has been preserved.
Planted in 1964, the old Riesling-vines find ideal conditions for expressing their regional typical Riesling-aromas. Together with the old dry stonewalls, the shallow soil on the rocky bedrock stores the dayheat und gives it off to the vines in the night, which contributes to a good ripening of the grapes.
This unique site emerges Rieslings with high quality, concentrated and elegant with plenty of minerality and finesse, lingering fruit and high maturing potential.
Altitude: 350 m
Graduation: 17°
Orientation: SSE
Formation: Paleozoic (500 mio years ago)
Deeply rooted, the 50 year old vines bear particularly fine wines. Situated on a high ancient Danube terrace on the foot of the Goettweig mountain on the southern bankside of the Danube, nutrient calcerous loess contributes to complex, round and elegant Veltliners with lngering fruit and well pronounced typical spiciness. Reduced yields and hand selection at harvest bring optimal ripeness and high concentration. Ancient soil-horizons and layers in the close ravine show that the loess-cover developed over several glacial phases. „European Bee-eater“ find ideal nesting-sites in the high loesswalls year by year.
Altitude: 240 m
Gradient: 3°
Orientation: NE
Formation: Quaternary (about 2,5 mio years ago)
High above the Danube Valley, at 340 m above sealevel, this site is situated further up the village of „Steinaweg“, on the eastern frontier of the Wachau Valley, on the southern bankside of the Danube. The bedrock is built out of deposits of the Hollenburg-Karlstetten-Formation, which consists mainly of calcerously consolidated carbonate cobbles, the Conglomerate- 15 mio year old river- and deltadeposits of the prehistory river „Traisen“. Here it overlays Granulite, which is related to Gneiss, but more shist-like and flat and beeing the southern foothill of the bohemian highlands, which continues on the southern side of the Danube in the „Dunkelsteiner Forest“ nearby. The heatstoring impact of the meager and rocky soil paired with the cool fallingwinds of the „Dunkelsteiner Forest“ bear elegant Rieslings, fruitdriven and characterful.
Altitude: 340 m
Graduation: 6°
Orientation: ENE
Formation: Paleozoic (500 mio years ago) and
Tertiary (15 mio years ago)
Since 1992, the winery has been a member of the Association of Austrian Traditional Wineries. Both then and now, it is important to uphold the tradition of producing wines of the highest quality.
Building on the site concept that had already been developed at that time, the association established a site classification in 2010, according to which only the best sites may bear the designation 1ÖTW Erste Lage, based on strictly selected criteria. The classification of the sites is thelogical consequence of historically grown structures.
