Carnuntum

Stony, heavy soils with clay, loess, sand and gravel offer the best conditions for red wines, particularly Austria's leading varieties, Blauer Zweigelt and Blaufränkisch, accompanied by the international varieties of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The Pannonian climate, with its hot summers and cold winters, the nearby Danube, and the temperature-regulating Lake Neusiedl (the Neusiedlersee), spur the red grapes to mature fully.

The wine-growing area of Carnuntum extends east of Vienna to the borders of Slovakia. The vineyards spread south of the Danube river on a landscape of rolling hills: the Leithagebirge, the Arbesthaler Hügelland and the Hainburger Berge. The young wine-growers of the area take advantage of this powerful cocktail; after all, this is how they, within a short period of time, made their region a top name for wine. Their sexy red wines combine fruit and elegance and are modern in style, yet individual and true to their origins. But it must not be forgotten that white wines, notably Grüner Veltliner, the Pinot varieties, and the traditional "Gemischter Satz", also excel here in structure and strength.

A strategic bonus of the area is its close ties with tourism - an essential factor for wine sales. The nearby, beautifully renovated Marchfeld castles, the action-packed archaeological park of Carnuntum, the Donauauen National Park, and the proximity to Slovakia's capital, Bratislava, provide plenty of opportunities to introduce visitors and guests to the local wines. Göttlesbrunn, Höflein and Prellenkirchen, wine villages well-known for their Buschenschank establishments, have always been attractive excursion destinations, especially because of their close proximity to Vienna. However, more and more people are visiting the area for its fine food culture. After all, wines typical of Carnuntum are found on all of the area wine lists, precisely because they fit so well to the regional cuisine.

The most famous winemakers are: Gerhard Markowitsch, Walter Glatzer and Philip Grassl.