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    Wachau

    Austria

    A short stretch of the Danube between Melk and Krems, held up by walls of dry stone.

    30–50° N30–50° SequatorWachau
    Vineyard area
    1 344 ha1
    Country
    Austria
    Rocks in the profile
    loess, granite

    Gneiss, loess and sand

    Over millions of years the Danube cut its winding course through the Gföhl gneiss, and soils weathered from this crystalline primary rock formed.1 On the east sides of the rock slopes loess deposits often built up, and after the Ice Age wind-blown sand settled in the lee of the hills.1 Vinea Wachau describes weathered primary-rock soils on the mountain terraces that give way downvalley to light, sandy soils with small islands of loess.2

    loessgranite
    Schematic profile based on the sources, not to scale.

    Terraces

    More than 40% of the Wachau's vineyard area is terraced, and the dry-stone walls cover roughly 2.5 to 3 million square metres.3 The stone terraces were laid out as early as the Middle Ages.1 Vines climb to about 450 m, 250 m above the Danube.2 The Wachau Cultural Landscape, the Danube valley between Melk and Krems, was inscribed by UNESCO in 2000.4

    Grüner Veltliner and Riesling

    The region has 1,344 hectares of vineyards; white wines make up about 85% of the area, and the main varieties are Grüner Veltliner and Riesling.1 Western Atlantic and eastern Pannonian climates meet here, with large swings between day and night temperatures.1 Under the 2020 Wachau DAC regulation all Wachau DAC wines must come from hand-picked grapes, and single-vineyard (Ried) wines from Grüner Veltliner or Riesling.5 Vinea Wachau, founded in 1983, created the Steinfeder, Federspiel and Smaragd brands from 1984.6

    Timeline

    1. 1983

      Vinea Wachau Nobilis Districtus is founded as an association of Wachau winegrowers.6

    2. 1984

      The Steinfeder, Federspiel and Smaragd brands are created.6

    3. 2000

      UNESCO inscribes the Wachau Cultural Landscape on the World Heritage List.4

    4. 2020

      The Wachau DAC regulation is published on 5 May.5

    Grapes

    Soils

    Sources

    1. Produktspezifikation für eine Ursprungsbezeichnung gem. VO (EU) 1308/2013 Art. 94: Wachau. Bundesministerium für Land- und Forstwirtschaft (Austria). level 1 · checked 2026-10-15
    2. Die Wachau. Vinea Wachau Nobilis Districtus. level 4 · checked 2026-10-15
    3. Trockensteinmauern. Vinea Wachau Nobilis Districtus. level 4 · checked 2026-10-15
    4. Wachau Cultural Landscape (World Heritage List, ref. 970). UNESCO World Heritage Centre, 2000. level 2 · checked 2026-10-15
    5. DAC-Verordnung „Wachau“, BGBl. II Nr. 200/2020 (5.5.2020). Bundesministerin für Nachhaltigkeit und Tourismus (Austria), via RIS / der-winzer.at, 2020. level 1 · checked 2026-10-15
    6. Vinea Wachau. Vinea Wachau Nobilis Districtus. level 4 · checked 2026-10-15