Red Veltliner

Roter Veltliner has been maturing for many generations of winegrowers on the sunny terraces around Wagram and Krems into fine, flowery white wines, and the Slow Food Community "Roter Veltliner Donauterrassen" is dedicated to promoting and developing this rarity.

This pretty, dark-rosy grape variety is cultivated on the Wagram, in parts of the Krems and Kamptal valleys and in the southern Weinviertel. Roter Veltliner finds the best conditions for its talents here on sunny slopes overlooking the Danube valley with not too much moisture. Many wine lovers are becoming increasingly enthusiastic about this rarity again, whose strong viticultural importance in Austria goes back centuries; in the 18th century it was described as the main variety in Wagram, it came to the Danube in the province of Noricum with the Romans, and its genetics provide surprising clues: it is the progenitor of many Central European local varieties with generations of tradition: Neuburger, Zierfandler, Rotgipfler, Frühroter Veltliner. It almost disappeared in the 20th century because it did not respond well to the increasingly industrialised wine-growing technology - a misunderstood talent, predestined for extensive soil cultivation, but the spirit of the times was different.

In order to preserve the valuable genetic diversity of Roter Veltliner for the future on as broad a basis as possible, each vineyard has selected its own vines, which are then propagated as "court lines". In particular, the characteristics of vitality and robustness against weather extremes, loose berries, aroma and dark pink colouring are to be passed on to future generations of winegrowers and the knowledge about them shared. Every year at the end of August, the Schneckenpartie takes place, where you can taste Roter Veltliner as well as numerous culinary Slow Food specialities.