Wine meets culture and architecture

Travels through the wine-growing landscapes of Lower Austria

Beginning in Martinsdorf in the Eastern wine region, we could spend three days sampling the variety of wine and culture with costs ranging from Wagram to Kamptal. We saw and did so much - but let’s start at the beginning: Us Kady und Michael. We are two wine enthusiasts with a passion for social media. The Wein für Wein (crying for wine) was the logical next step for our shared passion. 

We started as we should – with an aperitif  

Our journey begins in a small, quiet place in the Eastern region: Martinsdorf is home to the Winery Weingut und Sekterei Zuschmann-Schöfmann. From this you can already tell that not everything, but nearly everything here revolves around sparkling wine. After a warm welcome, we get straight on with a tour and we watch the remuage: where the yeast is stirred by hand by the boss himself during the production of the sparkling wine. In fact, they do nearly everything by hand here. Else and Peter Zuschmann-Schöfmann’s passion for wine and sparkling wine is clear in every word. Following a brief detour to the vineyard we taste the sparkling wine, which is sometimes stored for more than 30 months before it’s sold. As well as the fabulous sparkling wine, we are also able to sample still wines like the White Burgundy selection or the light, Grüner Veltliner “Frau Else” alongside delicious roast pork. Well fed, we go to Kultur beim Winzer (culture in the vineyards), before returning back to the Family Zuschmann-Schöfmann’s vineyard afterwards for a traditional Lower Austrian evening with wine. 

An evening full of jazz in the vineyard

The Winery Weingut Richard Schober invited certain people to an event: Between Martinsdorf and Gaweinstal, in Schrickerberg, there is a vineyard with a view over the landscape and fields shaped in different ways by the Weinviertel. You can even make out the shape of the Schneeberg in the distance. In this beautiful location, there stood a stage in the middle of the vineyard. The tables around it were full. As the sun began to set, we spent an enjoyable evening with wine, a hearty snack and excellent music by Rebecca & the Playground – all in the Kultur beim Winzer style. 

The early bird gets the wine tour

The journey continued and we started early: The best photos are taken in the soft, morning light, so before breakfast we were in the vineyard once more. Strengthened by a fantastic breakfast made of regional ingredients, we made our way to our next destination: The Winery Weingut Schödl Family in Loidesthal can well be described as the complete opposite to a traditional vineyard. The three siblings, Mathias, Viktoria and Leonhard have turned their parents’ wine-making hobby upside down. After gathering experience from elsewhere, for the last ten years or so, the Weinviertel has been their home. And for five years, this has not just meant conventional viticulture. They also produce natural wine. All areas of viticulture are seeing a rise in biodynamic farming, but we see less engagement with natural wines. That means no filtration, no sulphur, no additives. Success acts as proof and there has been a rising interest in natural wines. 

Revolutionary, controversial – and yet recognised worldwide

From the “wild young things” of the Weinviertel, we headed to a man from the world of wine who has caused controversy for decades. Fred Loimer was one of the first in the Kamptal area to produce wine in accordance with the teachings of Rudolf Steiner. In 2000, it was almost scandalous to build his modern vineyard on the 150 year old Lösskeller in Langenlois. We were greeted by the architecturally unusual black cube which, even now in the timeless modern age, could have been designed recently. After a tour around the afore-mentioned cellar in Winery Weingut Fred Loimer, we enjoyed tasting one of the typical wines for which the vintner is known across the world : Grüner Veltliner and Riesling from the best sites around Langenlois, from Heiligenstein to Käferberg. After this stop we started running out of space in our vehicle – we were allowed to take a few bottles home. 

From the present back to the Renaissance

We travelled to the next highlight for dinner and bed: To Gut Oberstockstall in Kirchberg am Wagram, an estate which was first documented in 1150, and which was redesigned to become a palace during the Renaissance. A balmy Summer evening at an historic estate: Partnerships don’t get much better than the 6-course meal including wine which followed, and the house wine from the Fritz Salomon vineyard. The vineyard, including the beautifully restored bedroom, has Demeter certification and the restaurant cooks regional and seasonal dishes. It all paid off and was the perfect end to that day of our holiday. Spending the night on a hundred-year-old estate was also another tick off the bucket list! 

The centuries come together

At the end we still had one item on our list: To visit the geese and Waldviertler Blondvieh cows from the Gut Oberstockstall estate! Fun aside, after a morning of photos and strengthening ourselves with a breakfast made from regional and seasonal ingredients from their estate, we travelled on to our last stop: Grafenegg Castle park and grounds. Famous for the international festival led by the pianist, Rudolf Buchbinder, the park and grounds also have much to offer on non-concert days. The modern, open air stage, known as “Wolkenturm” is in direct contrast to the romantic, 19th Century Grafenegg Castle, which offers multiple photo opportunities. But we weren’t just here for photography. We had a particular item on our itinerary: Picnic in the middle of the castle garden, but do it with style! We went in armed with a picnic basket, the best meals from the restaurant in the castle grounds cooked by top chef Toni Mörwald, and with the house Mörwald wines. A more than fitting end to our wine and culture travels - living our best lives in the Weinherbst of Lower Austria!

The centuries come together

At the end we still had one item on our list: To visit the geese and Waldviertler Blondvieh cows from the Gut Oberstockstall estate! Fun aside, after a morning of photos and strengthening ourselves with a breakfast made from regional and seasonal ingredients from their estate, we travelled on to our last stop: Grafenegg Castle park and grounds. Famous for the international festival led by the pianist, Rudolf Buchbinder, the park and grounds also have much to offer on non-concert days. The modern, open air stage, known as “Wolkenturm” is in direct contrast to the romantic, 19th Century Grafenegg Castle, which offers multiple photo opportunities. But we weren’t just here for photography. We had a particular item on our itinerary: Picnic in the middle of the castle garden, but do it with style! We went in armed with a picnic basket, the best meals from the restaurant in the castle grounds cooked by top chef Toni Mörwald, and with the house Mörwald wines. A more than fitting end to our wine and culture travels - living our best lives in the Weinherbst of Lower Austria!

What you should know for the wine tour