Domäne Wachau, Raising the Level of Competition

The wine world is full of great personalities: if we think about it, it’s a very individualistic universe. It makes sense: as much as we like collective efforts, terroir is anti-democratic, in the sense that either you have your vineyards in that specific place with those specific characteristics or you don’t. In the end, you don’t reach the goal together, but everyone with their own bottles.

It must also be said that often teamwork means cooperatives and cooperatives don’t enjoy a great reputation in this world. Here too, the logic is correct: a cooperative must necessarily make different needs coexist and, having its commercial leverage in volumes, often sacrifices quality for quantity. Precisely for these reasons, the operation set up by Domäne Wachau is a unique one that impresses.

The Domäne Wachau Cooperative

Wachau is the most important, beautiful and fascinating wine region in all of Austria. 1,350 hectares that wind along both sides of the Danube between Krems and Spitz. Of these 1,350 hectares, about a third (450) are managed by the historic Domäne Wachau cooperative.

A third of the total of a very prestigious area. If the quality of Domäne Wachau wines were mediocre, no one would be surprised, especially since there are 250 members (so the average is about 2 hectares each): some are professional winemakers, for others it’s a hobby and they are scattered in all the areas that make up the Wachau. In short, all the ingredients for a hodgepodge from which wines of little character emerge are there.

The deep-rooted cooperative mentality (the company has existed since the 1930s, but, under the tutelage of the Church, a primordial form has been active since the 1700s) and very precise organization give life to wines of absolute value. Personally, I believe that three factors made the difference:

1. Wachau: terroirs like these can produce great wines and this has been known since the Middle Ages. Such a pedigree must have reduced the pressure toward large volumes at the expense of quality, allowing higher winemaking standards.
2. Mentality: after eight years in this blessed country, I can confirm that Austrians know how to work as a system and know how to do things well. It’s a stereotype perhaps, but stereotypes must come from somewhere.
3. Collegiality: during my visit, the attendant (excellent) emphasized several times how the growers are the gold of the winery and decisions on when to harvest and other important production steps are made collegially, albeit under the guidance of the oenologist. Probably the fact that each grower feels heard has allowed the cooperative to maintain producers who own land even in the most prestigious areas.

Wachau, the Terroirs

The Wachau is not a large wine region: only 20 kilometers separate Krems from Spitz — yet it would be a mistake to consider it uniform. As shown by the beautiful map displayed on the tasting area table, the Danube makes a curve between Dürnstein and Weißenkirchen and this bend separates the northeastern part (toward which the river flows) which has a Pannonian and warmer climate compared to the southwestern one, which is cooler. The result, as is easy to guess, are more mature wines subject to the fatigue of climate change in the east and fresh and vertical ones in the west.

Symbolic producers of the Wachau like Knoll or the Hirtzbergers are linked to one of the two areas, instead Domäne Wachau, thanks to its size, vinifies grapes from all the terroirs of the region. The attendant also likes to tell that already 150 hectares of the cooperative have been converted to organic, but the goal is total certification and further steps in the direction of non-violent viticulture. Indeed, you notice in the vineyards the red ribbons that, attached to the poles, have the function of repelling insects without causing them harm.

The Wachau, those who have visited it know and those who haven’t should do so, is a territory of infinite dramatic beauty. Driving or cycling from Krems to Spitz is a joy not only for wine enthusiasts. Crossing the Donau Straße B 3, you notice the great differences in altitude and exposure of the vineyards, as well as how the handful of villages that form this denomination are squeezed on the bank of the Danube: organizing grape delivery and normal operations requires great effort, certifying vineyard hectares as organic certainly imposes many others.

The Visit to Domäne Wachau

Domäne Wachau produces 3 million bottles a year, inevitably even the relationship with the public is oriented toward large numbers. Of course, the staff dedicate a lot of time to individual customers, but it’s natural that, especially on weekends when moreover Dürnstein serves as a center for all Wachau tourism, the volumes inside the wine shop are significant. The experience is regulated: there are organized cellar tours both in German and English and you can taste 3 or 6 wines at a convenient price (10 euros) which is deducted from the final purchase if it occurs.

Despite the nature of the visit so different from the usual chats with producers, I didn’t have the perception of being a cow in the milking parlor, quite the opposite. Even the explanations of the wines and company lines were exhaustive and it seemed to me that the staff really cared about Domäne Wachau and the way it presents itself. For those who love wines from this territory, it’s a necessary stop.

The shop is moreover very pleasant and bright. Of course, you won’t have those chats that dance on the border between oenological treatise and gossip that you have with the small producers you normally find on these pages, but the experience is certainly interesting. After all, as they told me, about 50% of Domäne Wachau bottles are sold abroad: it’s normal that the approach tries to be as transversal as possible.

The Wines of Domäne Wachau

The wines of Domäne Wachau are frequently excellent, sometimes exceptional, and this alone justifies the label of “best cooperstive in the world”. In many tastings (from MondoVino to Wine Affairs) I have encountered wines that I remember and that impressed me enormously: from the iconoclastic Grüner Veltliner v.d.n to the magnificent Riesling Smaragd Ried Achleiten, passing through the perfect Grüner Veltliner Federspiel Kaiserberg. I have often found the Federspiel wines more convincing than the Smaragds, despite positioning themselves on a lower qualitative step.

It’s not difficult to understand why: let’s take the example of the splendid Kellerberg vineyard, from which so many companies produce their best wines. Out of 10 hectares, Domäne Wachau manages 2, which however are divided among about ten growers. This means there are members of the cooperative who own only two or three rows of vineyard, whose grapes will then converge in the final product that will have the prestigious Kellerberg label.

Now, a producer like Knoll, for example, won’t necessarily have more vineyard hectares than Domäne Wachau, but will probably have them adjacent and cultivated in a single manner. This coherence is then seen in the bottle, together with the producer’s hand. The cooperative instead must operate with raw material that is not necessarily coherent and, even by choice (Domäne Wachau wines tend not to see wood or see very little of it), ends up producing Smaragds with less character. Hence the gap with the most celebrated names.

On the other hand, precisely because Domäne Wachau’s vineyards are managed with attention, the quality of Federspiel wines, which for other producers is a bit like the Bordeaux second wine, here can rely on excellent raw material. So the Federspiels perform very well compared to similar grades from other producers, strong in care that those who have many structures and raw materials can provide. In summary, I buy Domäne Wachau Federspiels with trepidation, while, excluding the Riesling Achleiten, I am more hesitant toward the Smaragds.

But the question “Are Domäne Wachau wines or those of individual producers better?” is not the right one. The right one is “How would the wines of individual producers be, if there weren’t those of Domäne Wachau?”. If the cooperative, instead of excellent products, produced meh bottles, not very expressive, would other producers be pushed to improve? If the cooperative, instead of working on organic, were content with the status quo, would other producers have the theme of “green” viticulture on their radar? If Domäne Wachau didn’t export prestigious wines and hadn’t set the Wachau among the most renowned regions internationally, would other producers have the same commercial outlets they have now?

This is perhaps the beauty of Domäne Wachau, not so much winning the competition for the best wine but that one, working as a team, of constantly raising the level of the competition

Wines Tasted at Domäne Wachau

Grüner Veltliner

Grüner Veltliner Federspiel Ried Traunthal 2024

Very acidic, rock and depth, but without particular aromas. Sinusoidal acidity, but too much cleanliness…

Ried Kollmütz Federspiel Grüner Veltliner 2024

A bit more stone fruit, which gives thickness to a wine that is still acidic to the point of exhaustion and very spicy as per varietal.

Riesling

Riesling Federspiel Ried Trenning 2024

Very aromatic nose (green olives) and floral. Perhaps too much, but together with the delicate but present body creates a good synergy. Quite long and the acidity is perceived as an important and dynamic skeleton, but pleasant and almost necessary. Long.

Riesling Smaragd Singerriedel 2023

Richer, denser, with more tropical fruit compared to the previous one. Definitely with more character and intensity, concentrated but still quick and direct. Medium body and clean finish.

Riesling Smaragd Kellerberg 2023

The most elegant and intense of the day. Character, pulpy fruit as the vineyard wants and traces of hydrocarbons and lemon. Medium body. Deep and eternal. Excellent.

Riesling Amphora 2022

For being an orange, I expected worse. Aromas of lavender, fish (fresh), cardamom and honey. On the palate obviously polyphenolic and with moderately astringent tannins, but not at all unbalanced thanks to a succulent body. Beeswax on the sip and saline finish, which dries the mouth. Not bad.

Bottles Purchased

• V.D.N Grüner Veltliner (tasted for the first time at Pub Klemo)
• Riesling Smaragd Achleiten x2
• Riesling Federspiel 1000-Eimer-Berg
• Grüner Veltliner Federspiel Kaiserberg x2

Cost: 144 euros

Read here about the division of Wachau wines into three categories (Steinfeder, Federspiel and Smaragd). And speaking of successful cooperatives, the work of producers on the Greek island of Samos deserves attention for their Samos Vin Doux Muscat, which demonstrates how collective efforts can preserve traditional winemaking and create distinctive products.