Although its name dates back to 1137, Domäne Wachau really began to prosper in the 17th century, when the Church began to give the wine estate its letters of nobility. After 300 years of development and innovation, Roman Horvath MW and Heinz Frischengruber took over the reins of the estate and breathed new enthusiasm and dynamism into it. Today, Domäne Wachau is one of Austria's finest estates.
Located in the famous wine-producing village of Dürsntein, Domäne Wachau's 440 hectares of vineyards run along the banks of the Danube. The vineyards are remarkable in their placing on steep, dry-stone terraces.
Reflecting the distinctive terroir of the Wachau, the vineyard is a complex geological and climatic mosaic. The duality of the climate, which is both mild and oceanic, and the influence of the soil, which is predominantly quartz and mica, nourish this exceptional terroir and produce very mineral wines.
The exceptional character of Domäne Wachau goes far beyond the originality of its terroir. The prestige of its wines lies in the perfect balance between manual vineyard work that respects biodiversity, and the ancestral know-how of the group of winegrowers who work on the estate. This cooperative winemaking presents wines rich in variety, with a large number of different grape varieties, including the two best in the region: Grüner Veltliner and Riesling.
The meticulous work carried out on the estate's plots throughout the Wachau valley produces great Austrian wines in the Steinfeder, Federspiel and Smaragd categories. These top-quality wines subtly blend tradition and innovation, so it is only natural that the estate should be a member of the illustrious Vinea Wachau Nobils Districtus association. In 2020, Domäne Wachau was even voted third best wine estate in the world, and best in Europe by the World's Best Vineyards. The variety of these great Austrian wines and the precision of their origins have established the estate's reputation, an excellence hailed by American wine expert Robert Parker.
