© Copyright 2001 by Kirk Wille Riesling Report, July/August 2001 As a tourist, there is plenty to see and do in the Wachau. But if you happen to love great food and wine, this beautiful valley should move to the top of your must-see list. The historical sights alone are worth the visit, but the wining and dining possibilities, added to the small-town friendliness of the local people, make it a true pleasure-seeker's paradise. Getting There; Getting Settled The Wachau is an easy hour's drive northwest of Vienna (perhaps a little more depending on how long it takes you to find your way out of the city). Its compact size makes it very easy to get around by car, train, boat, bike or even on foot. It's also quite easy to combine transportation methods - you can take a boat ride from Krems to Spitz (one and a half hours) and then return by train (much quicker). They even have rental bikes at the train stations in Krems, Spitz and Melk, which you can pick up in one town and drop off in another. Renting a car will, of course, give you the most flexibility, and will allow you to extend your wine-tasting range should you decide to explore the adjacent Kremstal and Kamptal districts. They are also full of interesting sights and terrific winemaking. All the major rental companies have offices in Vienna, either at the airport or downtown. We arrived by overnight train from Alsace (a great way to combine long-distance travel with cheap lodging), then picked up our car after a short subway ride downtown. Lodging is plentiful in the Wachau and covers the range from ultra-posh five-star hotels to cozy private rooms (Privatzimmer) in the homes of local residents. We prefer to spend our money on food and wine, so we don't go for the lavish tourist hotels. Besides, it's much more fun to stay in a small inn (affordable) or Privatzimmer (very affordable) where you get personal attention from the owner. English is spoken at most of the hotels and inns, but you'll most likely need to know at least a bit of German if you want to go the Privatzimmer route. Otherwise you won't be able to tell your host what you want for breakfast!
Any of the towns will work well as a touring base since they are all relatively small, quite close together and unbelievably charming. If you prefer a big town scene, Krems and Melk will be your best choices, although these are still small cities. For wine touring, however, Krems makes the most sense because it's very centrally located, essentially at the nexus of the three wine districts. If you're like me, you will prefer the smaller villages, such as Mautern, Dürnstein/Loiben, the Weissenkirchen area or Spitz. These are quiet little villages with very little shopping or other distractions to get in the way of hard-core wine touring. One thing they are not short on is top-notch winemakers.
Dürnstein is probably the most touristy of the smaller towns, but for good reason. It will be crowded in the summer. During our recent visit in April, we split our stay between the cheerful Privatzimmer of Elfi Schmelz in Unterloiben and Landhaus Bacher in Mautern.
Now we're getting down to the real heart of it. There are many wonderful restaurants in the Wachau and we've listed a few below. Not to be missed are the Knoll family's Loibnerhof in Unterloiben (owned by the cousin of Emmerich Knoll), Jamek's restaurant and guesthouse in Joching and Nikolaihof's seasonal restaurant in Mautern. For a filling taste of rustic Austrian cooking, try a locals pub like the warm and friendly Wachauer Stuben, run by the Lux family in Unterloiben. The holy grail of all wining and dining places in the Wachau is without doubt Landhaus Bacher in Mautern. This is a restaurant and hotel for "Geniesser," which translates as "gourmet" or "pleasure-lover." Everything about this place has been created to make your visit as effortless and sensually pleasurable as possible. Liesl Wagner-Bacher is one of Austria's finest chefs, and her husband, Klaus Wagner, is a world-class gourmand with a cellar deep in the great wines of Austria and the world. The cooking is excellent and inventive, the wine list extensive and reasonably priced. It's one of the few restaurants in the world with a wine sommelier and a cheese sommelier. When you visit the Wachau - and I hope you get to go soon - you must promise me that you will dine here at least once. But do it early in your trip because you will most assuredly want to go back for more. As for wine estate visits, your best bet is to contact the Austrian Wine Marketing Board (info@winesfromaustria.com). They are happy to help you set up appointments, but you need to be flexible because sometimes the well-known producers will not be able to accommodate your travel schedule. Another good source of information is Philipp Blom's' concise but well-written new book, "The Wines of Austria" (Faber and Faber), which includes current contact information for nearly all of the finer estates. We've included phone numbers for all of the estates in this issue if you would like to contact them directly.
Austria is a captivating place - just like the wines that grow there - and the Wachau is even more so. The rootedness of the area matches that of the vines, which must force their way deep down into the solid and ancient rock of the terraced hillsides. It is a place that makes you feel healthy, happy and alive. Go! July, 2001
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