The 1390 hectares of vines are planted mostly on primary rock soils. Grüner Veltliner and Riesling are the main varieties, Neuburger, Feinburgunder (Chardonnay) and Weissburgunder are other specialities. Red wines are extremely rare here.
The area surrounding the monastery of Melk, Austria's Baroque masterpiece, is the region of the Wachau. Marked by the town border of Krems in the east, and Mautern, across the Danube, the Wachau is one of the country's most treasured wine-growing regions.
The steep terraced vineyards here are in harmony with the charming villages, castle ruins and fruit orchards lining the river banks. The lovely restored houses in villages such as Spitz, Weißenkirchen, Joching and Loiben make perfect backdrops for wine-lovers. So do the quaint church and the medieval walls and fortress ruins of Dürnstein - probably the most picturesque town in the region.
One of the nicest times to enjoy the Wachau is in spring when the apricot trees are in bloom, but any time is the right time to savour Wachau wines. Many of them enjoy a worldwide reputation.
Continuously helping to nurture and protect that reputation is the "Vinea Wachau Nobilis Districtus" association, to which most of the area wine-makers belong. Their dry white wines are classified into three categories: Steinfeder (light, racy); Federspiel (elegant, medium body) and the Smaragd (ripe, full-bodied).