How is the wine this spring and summer? Anybody, out there who lives in the area know?

Greetings Operaman!

Wine is always good in the Wachau.

Some of the best 2006 becomes available- the best wine in some years due to the weather conditions last summer.
Most has a higher than normal alcohol content- had some recently with 14 %, very fruity taste.

The Kremstal and Kamptal areas recently had wine weeks with much testing. An enjoyable time- some places open their cellars also. Makes for a most enjoyable day.


Had some white wine from the cask - to be bottled in about 1-2 months that was extra good-

Hot, sunny, dry days with some rain time to time has been good for the vineyards thus far this year - now everyone worries about hail storms-

A cloud " seeding " airplane is being based in the small airport at Krems to be used when conditions indicate bad rain storms to fight this problem.

Come and visit- enough wine for a few more people.

Still some very nice, lesser known wineries with fair prices and excelent wines.

Hello my friend;
I thought that the true expert would give a report. Very glad to hear the news, it makes me quite thirsty as I finish my final papers. A move to Boulder, Colorado is soon in store for us. I hope they have some of our Austrian favorites there. Will email you soon with more news.

Operaman

Enjoy your move ! Please advise on e-mail-etc.

for wine - look at the following:

My Opinion -- I think some of the best 2006 white wines come from Topf

www.weingut-topf.at

they have a good site in english too with some good information on their wines- winery and information about weather effects.

Note distributors in USA too.

Nice family business - a dog too-

Always good is Prager in Weissenkirchen Wachau-

www.weingutprager.at

they have US distributor - website gives name..

I save several other place names - if you can visit - we taste a little.

molker;
Thanks for the information. Wish I were there right now to do some tasting with you! Will keep you posted on our move, much to pack and do before we leave on the 25th. The boys know something is in the air and are getting excited. How is Shanjar doing? Does he help with the "tasting"?

Hi Operaman,

DH and I live nearby in north Thornton, likely about 30 minutes from you in Boulder. I hope your move went well!

DH and I will be in Austria for 16 days in May and we're in the midst of our planning. Your advice on Vienna has been so invaluable!

We would like to stay in the Wachau for 3 nights after visiting Vienna. We would love to tour a winery, bike along the river, enjoy scenic walks, and see the historic castles and churches in the area (and Melk of course). We would also like to keep our budget to around 75€ per night for a double room. Do you have any recommendations on specific hotels/B&Bs or villages?

Many Thanks,
Jill
herodotus02 @ yahoo.com

Look to our site for rec's along the Danube:
http://austria.starkeconcepts.com/
For a good trip I recommend renting bikes from Pedalpower in Vienna, taking them by train up to Linz or Melk and riding back down as far as Krems. From there you can catch a train back to Vienna. Stockingerhof is good in Duernstein (not as touristy as the other places) or stay up at the nice Goldenes Kreuz in Grein. Molker can probably give you some good rec's for winery tours as he lives in a beautiful place along the Donau. Boulder is beautiful, we love all of the biking paths (we come from Eugene, Oregon, which is very bike friendly as well). Where do you stay in Wien?
Molker:
Hope your trip was very good and you are now tasting the Sturm and Staubiger in preparation for the Punsch. Give me Shanjar's recommendations. Will email you soon...much going on here.

TexasAggie,
Forgot to say that if you go to the 'links' part of our site you will find rec's for some great apartments in Wien each of which we have either staying at or come highly recommended from family and friends.

Hi Operaman,
Thanks for the responses! I'm happy to hear you are settling into your new place in Boulder DH works at the old StorageTek campus in Louisville, so we head up to the Boulder area often. The stretch between Boulder and Lyons is beautiful and perfect for cycling.

We are planning to stay at the Apartment Phillips Wien (on Singerstrasse near Stephansdom). It's just my husband and myself, so a small place is great. I was waiting to contact them because it seems so far in advance (we arrive the first week of May), but since I think we may be there during the music festival, perhaps I should contact them sooner rather than later?

I will go to your website now and start exploring your info on the Wachau

Many Thanks, again!

I provide a little information about the Wachau and area nearby.

Usually a special wine weekend is held in the beginning of May - normally the first weekend-
The Tour De Vin
15-20 premier wineries open their doors for unlimited sampling, cellar tours etc.
cost is 15 euro for both days and allows unlimited wine tasting at each participating winery.
I go yearly - a fun and most inexpensive weekend.
Some places even supply small snacks.
www.traditionsweingueter.com

german only but easy to find dates etc.

The town of Weissenkirchen is about the center of the Wachau- offers excelent accomodations of various prices.
look to the Familie Schmelz- a winery with guest rooms - excelent prices with breakfast - probably less than 50 euro for 2.

The town has a beautiful Church - very old houses and a town museum with constantly changing exhibits.
www.weissenkirchen.at
A nice restaurant on the Danube with excelent food at fair prices and a good terrace overlooking the Danube- Heinzle
www.heinzle.at
many heurigers in the town and nearby.
They vary opening dates - the town office will have a list of those open or a bunch of pine over the door shows which place is open.
These places provide food and wine at excelent prices- easy eat and drink until overfull for 20- 30 euro for 2

The town of Spitz is also very nice - old Church- town square and old castle.
A very nice place to stay is Barock Landhof Burkhardt- about 75-80 euro for 2 with breakfast.

www.tiscover.at/barock-landhof.burkhardt

I would suggest not getting bikes in Vienna.
Many guest houses in the Wachau have them gratis or at low cost.
Also several places to rent them in Krems and a place near to the train station in Spitz.
It is very nice to take the Danube boats that travel Melk - Krems.
several trips daily - they take bikes for free
one such company that provides various options from picnics to wine tasting

www.ddsg-blue-danube.at

A regional train also runs from Krems to Melk ( station on other side of the river) and stops at most all towns- a nice ride through the vineyards- they take bikes too.
Thus many travel options.

May is a good month to visit- not so many tourists - vineyards are green - usually warm days and cool nights. Easy to find accomodations if you decide not to reserve in advance.

I spend many happy days in these places- much to see and do with friendly people and some of the best wine of Europe.

Driving from Vienna is easy - about 1 hour on excelent roads- easiest via A-22 then to S-5
from krems onward you drive on S-3 ( S-5 becomes S-3 in Krems) immediately along the Danube.

For Operaman-
Thank You- we arrive back safely after many days in the warm sun and sea.
Wine harvest almost complete- good prognosis for good wine - Much Sturm- red and white.
I did not send mail as I assumed you would be very busy.
Will reply to you -

Best Regards,

Molker






If not there this weekend for the above-- an ideal and informative tour is that at the Loisium in langenlois - very near to Krems-
excelent exhibits in a large series of wine cellars. Just the town of Langenlois with a beutiful town squre and many wineries worth a visit.

www.loisium.at

Hi molker,

Thank you so very much for so much detailed information! I am thinking of adding a 4th day and night to the Wachau and taking a night off Salzburg (we were in Salzburg just last June for a few days). The Wachau sounds like such a beautiful area with so many activities! I will look into all of your suggestions.

My only concern is that I only speak a little German. I am trying to learn more before our next trip, but I cannot as yet really communicate in German. Would this be a problem at the Familie Schmelz guest rooms?

Thank you again, so very much!

You had better reserve right now...we usually reserve 6mo to 1 year in advance.
Don't worry too much about the German, you'll be fine.
Molker:
Good to hear all is well, will write you soon.

Thanks for the tip. I emailed them early this morning and heard back within 30 minutes. There is a 20€ per night surcharge, bringing the rate per night to 92€, because we will be there over the Whit weekend. This still seems reasonable for the location which appears to be very central... since it is our first time in Vienna and we have a mutual terrible sense of direction, we wanted something very central.

Singerstrasse should be perfect for you. The price is a good one as well, let me know how you liked the place so I can give it a rec on my site. Make sure to go and do a little grocery shopping at a local Billa or Spar. For a real fun food and wine shopping experience go to Julius Meinl, which is on the Graben, probably not too far from where you stay.

One of the nicest things in travel is staying in small places and learning more about " real life"
A few words of german from the normal hello, goodbye, good morning Thank you.
is very desirable.
But many post here that they have visited many places in the country without knowledge of german and have no trouble.
You should have no problem even without converstional german.
Most locals like the idea that visitors are willing to stay in places other than the huge chain hotel.
Most any place you choose will welcome you even if no german or english is spoken by either party.
you should have no real problems at any of the places mentioned on this posting.

Perhaps no CNN on the tv usually a problem for many.
However in the Wachau enough food, wine, sightseeing and nice people that TV is not missed.

Operaman:

good sturm today - both white and red are very good.

still too early for good staubiger in my opinion.
A little is now available but too " murky" for my eyes.

Hi molker

Thank you for the reassurance re: my lack of fluent German. I've usually been able to communicate (brokenly) in restaurants and hotels, but I am definitely not fluent enough to carry on a conversation as of yet. Maybe with a few more years of practice!

No worries on the lack of TV... we don't even have it hooked up at home, so it is never a concern on vacation We usually prefer to stay in small family owned accomodations and the Familie Schmelz place sounds just perfect. Thank you again for mentioning it!

Hi Operaman,
Great to know we'll be near a couple supermarkets. Thanks for the heads up!