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!

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.

The somm's at Benu have opened my eyes to the vast world of German and Austrian wines. I knew a few…read moreRieslings here and there but now I can add another Gruner Veltliner to the list. Nigl makes a very versatile, easily drinkable one. Apparently they have a hotel and restaurant on their property too. Would be pretty cool to stay, eat and drink yourself into a stupor at this locale. However for now,Ill enjoy the wine with Corey Lee's excellent cuisine...

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.