In the coolest wine growing region in Austria
and on terraces that look down upon the famous Danube river,
Domaine Wachau makes its home. The precipitously steep vineyards
are stitched together by dry stone walls and it is amongst this
challenging, yet beautiful, environment that Roman Horvath MW and
oenologist Heinz Frischengruber work their magic.
The strong diurnal changes of temperature coupled with the
mineral rich soils all play their part in making this ideal
territory for Gruner Veltliner and Riesling. Turning a cooperative
winery with great potential into a winery that is model for
sustainable winemakers the world over, the Wachau team not only
have an inspirational landscape in which to work, but are at the
heart of a winery which is an inspiration for so many others.
The team have also made a vital contribution to the preservation
of the Wachau Valley as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, made so
as vine cultivation here can be traced to Celtic times. The
dramatic, steep, terraced vineyards make it a challenging place to
grow vines and, without their efforts, many of the vine growers
would have abandoned the vineyards, losing in the process centuries
of tradition as well as many of Austria's top viticultural
sites.
The result of their efforts are wines of exceptional aroma,
texture and length that combine drinkability with substance,
structure and aromatic expression.