Kremstal

In the old town of Krems, the close link to wine is more than evident. A place that has long – and superbly - fulfilled its role as an ambassador of Austrian wine culture, Krems is also where old harvest estates reflect great viticultural tradition. And where young and successful wine-growers, an innovative wine co-operative and an outstanding wine school are thriving. It is also home to the renowned Niederösterreich (Lower Austria) Wine Fair.

Hund, which produce elegant, minerally wines; or similarly, Senftenberg and its surrounding wine villages along the river Krems, where truly individualistic wines are created. Completely different, however, are the vineyards to the east, which yield round, full-bodied wines. The massive loess terraces in the wine villages of Rohrendorf and Gedersdorf add a very special appeal to the landscape. South of the Danube, there are the villages of Furth-Palt, Krustetten, Hollenburg, Oberfucha and Tiefenfucha, all of themdominated by the Benedictine monastery, Stift Göttweig, which was founded in 1083. In this area, many small Heurigen – the traditional wine taverns - help preserve the quaint and down-to-earth character of the villages.

As with the neighbouring Wachau and Kamptal wine-growing areas, also the Kremstal lies in the centre of climatic tension: cool humidity from the nearby Waldviertel meets the dry warmth coming over from the Pannonian plain to the east. Especially the deep Danube valley benefits from the temperature-regulating effect of the river´s large water surface. Reflecting typicity of the area are the juicy and finesse-rich white wines - mainly Grüner Veltliner and Riesling – as well as dense and expressive red wines, albeit to a lesser degree. Wine-growers have proven to be conscious of the location of their vineyards, in order to realise diversity on a small scale.

The most famous winemakers are: Martin Nigl, Stadt Krems, and Weingut Malat.