On 3868 hectares, primary rock, loess and clay soils bring mainly Grüner Veltliner and Riesling with favourable results for Chardonnay as well. The reds, such as Zweigelt, Blauer Burgunder, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are beginning to enter the markets, often as cuvées.
Its name originates from the Kamp river. And in the middle of the Kamptal is Austria's largest wine town, Langenlois. A wine growing highlight in the area is the Zöbinger Heiligenstein, mentioned in the Zwettl abbey register of 1280 as "Hellenstein", or hell stone, because it was a mountain on where the sun "burns like hell". That may be true, but now its wonderful grapes are heavenly. Plentiful clay, loess and primary rock soils help create a distinctive Grüner Veltliner. Here, its taste is peppery and it has an excellent ageing potential. The pronounced acidity, a characteristic of the Grüner Veltliner as well as the Riesling, adds to this potential. The local museum in Langenlois' Rathausstrasse testifies that this region has been populated since the Stone Age.
Even more details can be found in the Information Office at the Ursin Haus on the Kornplatz. But to see firsthand what is making history today, stay on the Kornplatz and visit the continuous exhibition of more than 260 wines, sparkling wines and brandies by 60 local wine-makers.
Joining Langenlois as the most well-known wine villages in the Kamptal are Gobelsburg, Zöbing, Kammern and Strass im Strassertale.