Emmerich Knoll is definitely one of the more famous winemakers kin Austria. Amongst the high level…read moresomms ive seen a familiar love for Knoll's wines. Benu, Saison, Mangold in Austria, are just a number of high end places in tune with this wine and their ability to pair with food.The bottles themselves are works of art but it is the wine inside which shines even brighter. The Savignin grape is an old ancient one but with Knoll's skills, produces excellent Gruner Veltliner. Smooth, complex and ever changing with various foods and spices. A true chameleon, both Smaragd and Federspiel products are adaptable to pairings but also brilliant on their own.

My friend and I spent a few days driving around Lower Austria and Burgenland at the beginning of…read morethis month. One of the reasons we wanted to visit Lower Austria was to taste some wine in the Wachau Valley. The Wachau Valley is 40-kilometer/25-mile UNESCO World Heritage site along the Danube River in Lower Austria, famous for its steep vineyards producing white wines, apricot orchards, castles, and more. There are lots of wineries to choose from when you visit the Wachau Valley, but decided to do a tour and tasting at Domäne Wachau. The winery dates back to the 12th century, but it has been a cooperative since the 1930s. They produce very traditional Austrian wines, and 70% of their production is Grüner Veltliner. Our private tour and tasting lasted a couple of hours, and we learned a lot about the winery's history and their wines. We were walked through the vineyard and the cellar, including their vintage room. We learned a lot about their history and the wines they make from our lovely guide. Our tasting included five wines (I think) and an apricot brandy (they also gave us water and some locally made bread). It was a great tour, and we really enjoyed learning about this special wine region and this great winery.

We visited here on a stop during a Christmas time river cruise. It was an excursion you could take…read moreoff the boat. We were in Europe with our parents who opted out of this activity because none of them really enjoy wine (weirdos I know). Either way it gave us a great opportunity to have a little date night getaway without the folks. We walked off of the cruise boat and were guided on a fun sunset walk to the winery on a small picturesque dirt road. Upon arriving we were guided down into the super cool old cellars which were deep and COLD. Saw a very old phone on the wall that reminded us of world war II times and a very cool barrel that had a family tree carved into it. We were then taken upstairs to the tasting area which is the opposite of the cellar very light bright and contemporary with light wood and windows. Beautiful spot to meet some of our fellow shipmates and discuss delicious wine from region that was new to me. All of the wines we had were fantastic and there was even bread rolls to eat so we didn't get too loopy to walk back to the ship. I especially remember loving the white wines. If we had more room in our luggage I would have bought tons more to have at home to enjoy. This place is historical, beautiful, and they have perfect wines. Do enjoy!

4.5 overall. Excellent meal and good wine. We two had dinner…read more FOOD: 4.5. We did the buffet. - SAUERKRAUT: 5.0. Best and most sour I have had since my mom used to make during my Wisconsin childhood. Great. - SURBRATEN: 4.5. - POTATOES: 4.0 - SALAD items: 4.0 - APPLE STRUDEL: 4.5. Not too sweet. SERVICE: 3.5. Table service was very good. Buffet service met expectations. AMBIANCE: 4.0. Outdoor seating on a pleasant summer evening.

We were fortunate to visit this heuriger with my cousin and her family who are from Austria so…read morefluent German speakers in our midst. This heuriger was so accessible to the central parts of Vienna--it was only one transfer us via tram and a short 30 minute ride and a ten minute walk from the stop. I love the history attached with the winery--Beethoven supposedly was living here when he wrote his 9th symphony. The food was fantastic particularly the side dishes--roasted potatoes, sauerkraut like I haven't had before, pickled peppers with cream cheese, roasted vegetables. The bread as in Austria was wonderful as well. The meats were good as well and particularly liked the schnitzel. The wine was really good, we were a bit worried with it being young wine but enjoyed it especially with soda water. Our 17 year old enjoyed being legal in Austria and partook of it a bit too generously :). The interior was clean and comfortable with its traditional wooden tables and benches. Dessert was wonderful too with a chocolate molten cake and cream strudel..,. if we lived there could imagine coming here for regular family meals... wish they had such lovely welcoming spots where we live!

What a breath of fresh air in our trip to Vienna. We took public transportation to Grinzing and…read morethen an Uber and it was worth all of that travel. Gorgeous views of the winery you can enjoy from a variety of seating options. There were food options but we just enjoyed their delicious wine. The Strum was not my favorite from our trip but the Rose and Verliner were wonderful! This was a great place to enjoy the sunset and we didn't have to worry about our 2 year old running around or our 2 month old crying.

Great place to escape the noise and crowds of the city. We took an Uber from the downtown Vienna…read morearea straight to Mayer am Nussberg. The ride took about 20 minutes and was much easier than trying to figure out public transportation. It was well worth the time and cost. Mayer am Nussberg is situated on a hill overlooking Vienna. It's a beautiful location and the perfect place to spend an evening. There are picnic tables and folding chairs facing the vineyard and the setting sun. It seems to be a favorite haunt for locals, as we saw many folks arriving on foot with kids and dogs in tow. The staff were very nice and helpful with our lack of German language skills. They helped us pick several different wines to taste and tried to explain each in pretty good English. We stayed until dark and took an Uber back to the city. It was a wonderful evening of awesome views, great wine and even some tasty food.

This was an amazing experience. Beautiful inside and out. Service was exceptional. We ordered…read moreseveral dishes and each exceeded expectations. Reservations recommended, but we were fortunate enough to have a table for 6 available within 30 minutes. We enjoyed a wonderful bottle of Riesling while waiting.

Beautiful garden to the rear. Great indoor/outdoor seating area. Selection of premium local wines…read more Marillenknoedel to die for. Friendly service and ample of parking. A bit on the pricey side.

I will say this until Im blue in the face. The sommerliers at Benu in San Francisco have never…read moredriven me wrong. Prager is amongst multiple vintages that I've had from them that have just elevated my enjoyment of wine. That with astounding food pairings, it's becoming addictive. Recently I tried the Smaragd Achleiten, and it was phenomenal. For the $50 US range this is a phenomenal wine, showing that the Austrian wines are underappreciated. Which is find by me as I can still afford them! Mineral intensity and long length are the characteristics of the wine. It is acidic and fresh when paired with certain things. The Smaragd generally refers to the lizard that shows itself in the fields and the highest wine classification in the Wachau, but this lizard may as well be a chameleon based on the different tastes this wine reveals.

This vineyard is well-known for its good white wines, and the Heuriger is a very pleasant place to…read moresample their excellent Grüner Veltliner as well as other varieties including reds. The menu includes standard regional fare, including a couple of vegetarian platters. Aside from the wine, though, what really makes this place stand out is the lovely garden area, with plenty of room for children to play. During inclement weather it's possible to sit inside, but really the garden is the place to be, with blankets left at every table should guests feel chilly later in the evening. The service is prompt and friendly, making this a great choice for a casual meal in a lovely setting.

We were looking for a place to taste some local wine in an outdoor setting. We are so glad we found…read morethis place. The indoor sitting area of this restaurant is lovely, and most tastefully decorated, but on a good sunny day, you can't beat the large outdoor garden area. They have a fantastic selection of local wine. We tried 5 of them, 3 white, 2 red. All of them, but especially the white, are remarkable good. Coming from an area in California with a strong wine culture, a lot of wine snobs and outrageous prices to match, we were delightfully surprised by the high quality of wine that were incredibly well priced. We had initially planned to have a few drinks and snacks, and then go out for dinner. But we lingered, and ordered some delicious cold plates (they are not allowed to serve hot food by law), drank some more, and before long, we felt like we had a great dinner there. The atmosphere was so relaxed and inviting, the service efficient and friendly, you have to try really hard not to have a great time there.

A tiny little wine boutique manned by the owner of the winery Wolfgang himself. He makes his wine…read morein the area and sells it at this retail outlet in town. A small number of wines including a sparkling rose and a couple of whites and one red. He also carries a bunch of locally produced condiments including a mean Chilli chutney :-) Worth a stop when in town. He is good with English and does wine tasting in the shop. Prices are good and his wines are quite good.