Thermenregion DAC

Viticulture in the Thermenregion dates back over 2,000 years. Roman legionnaires stationed in Carnuntum and Vindobona introduced vines from their homeland and brought technical expertise to Pannonia, and archaeological evidence also points to Celtic grape growing in the area before the Roman era. In the medieval period, Heiligenkreuz Abbey was a main promoter of viticulture in the region, with Freigut Thallern operating continuously since 1141. In 1760, Pinot Noir was introduced to the area by the Teutonic Order and spread throughout the region. The modern Thermenregion was formed in 1985 under the new Austrian wine law, merging the formerly independent wine-growing districts of Gumpoldskirchen and Bad Vöslau. The region received its DAC designation with the 2023 harvest, making it the 18th and final Austrian wine region to join the system.

• Roman legionnaires in Carnuntum and Vindobona introduced vines to Pannonia; Celtic viticulture in the area predates the Roman era
• Freigut Thallern, donated to the Cistercians of Heiligenkreuz Abbey by Margrave Leopold IV, has produced wine continuously since October 18, 1141
• Pinot Noir was introduced to the Thermenregion by the Teutonic Order in 1760 and subsequently spread throughout the region
• The region was formed in 1985 by merging the formerly independent wine-growing areas of Gumpoldskirchen and Bad Vöslau under Austria's new wine law

The Thermenregion stretches from Vienna's southern city limits along the hillsides of the Wienerwald (Vienna Woods), following a ridge that includes the Anninger mountain, the highest elevation south of Baden. The region extends along the eastern edge of the Calcareous Alps up to the Vienna Basin, though only a small proportion of vineyards lie directly on solid limestone and dolomite. The climate is characterised by dry, hot summers and cold winters, with Austria's most pronounced day-to-night temperature swings during the ripening months of September and October. The Wienerwald hills to the west shield the vineyards from cold Alpine influences, while warm Pannonian breezes from the east create conditions especially suited to late-ripening indigenous varieties.

• The region lies between the Calcareous Alps and the Pannonian Plain, with the Anninger mountain as its highest point
• Soils are predominantly loamy from fine-grained sediments, with coarse fractions of high-carbonate gravel and sand containing fossil marine remains
• The northern hillside vineyards, best for Rotgipfler and Zierfandler, sit at elevations between roughly 200 and 300 metres on limestone bedrock with marl topsoils
• The southern Steinfeld area features barren gravel soils that provide ideal conditions for St. Laurent and Pinot Noir

Zierfandler and Rotgipfler are the flagship indigenous white varieties, found virtually nowhere else in the world. Both are natural crossings involving Roter Veltliner and Traminer parentage, making them close relatives. White wine is prominent in the north around Gumpoldskirchen, while red wine predominates in the south with St. Laurent and Pinot Noir as the key varieties. Rotgipfler, named for its reddish bronze shoot tips, tends to ripen earlier than Zierfandler and is produced as a monovarietal wine or blended with Zierfandler in the traditional Spätrot-Rotgipfler cuvée. Zierfandler, also known as Spätrot, is naturally low-yielding, later-ripening, and capable of producing wines with Riesling-like acidity and distinctive chalky, salty minerality.

• Rotgipfler is a natural cross of Traminer (Savagnin) and Roter Veltliner; when yields are restricted, wines show high extract, pleasant acidity and a fine bouquet with aromas of melon, mango and pear in youth
• Zierfandler (Spätrot) shares similar parentage to Rotgipfler and is the later-ripening of the two; it holds Riesling-like acidity and develops a salty, chalky minerality on limestone sites
• The traditional Spätrot-Rotgipfler blend can be made by blending after fermentation or by co-harvesting both varieties from the same vineyard
• St. Laurent thrives in the southern Tattendorf area, particularly on barren limestone gravel soils, and Pinot Noir has been present in the region since the Teutonic Order introduced it in 1760

Weingut Stadlmann in Traiskirchen is the standard-bearer for Rotgipfler and Zierfandler. The family has tended vines since 1780, and eighth-generation Bernhard Stadlmann, who holds three doctoral degrees, took the reins with the 2006 vintage. The estate owns 20 hectares across 35 separate parcels, fermenting spontaneously in traditional 18-hectolitre local-oak casks. Johanneshof Reinisch, a certified-organic 40-hectare estate in Tattendorf and Gumpoldskirchen, is celebrated for St. Laurent and Pinot Noir. Weingut Alphart am Mühlbach in Traiskirchen, with history dating to 1796, specialises in Rotgipfler and Zierfandler from limestone-rich sites including the Mandelhöh and Pressweingarten vineyards. Freigut Thallern, leased from Heiligenkreuz Abbey by the Polz family, houses the regional wine shop and operates vineyards across Gumpoldskirchen and Pfaffstätten.

• Stadlmann: family roots in Traiskirchen since 1780; eighth-generation Bernhard Stadlmann took over with the 2006 vintage and farms 20 hectares in 35 parcels
• Johanneshof Reinisch: certified-organic estate of 40 hectares in Tattendorf and Gumpoldskirchen, renowned for St. Laurent, Pinot Noir, Rotgipfler and Zierfandler
• Weingut Alphart am Mühlbach: 10 hectares in Traiskirchen with history from 1796, focused on Rotgipfler and Zierfandler from limestone sites including Ried Mandelhöh
• Freigut Thallern: operating since 1141, leased from Heiligenkreuz Abbey; 30 hectares across Gumpoldskirchen and Pfaffstätten, plus a regional vinotheque open since 2011

Thermenregion DAC wines are classified into three tiers: Gebietswein (regional wine), Ortswein (villages wine) and Riedenwein (single-vineyard wine), debuting with the 2023 vintage. Riedenwein represents the pinnacle and is produced from Rotgipfler, Zierfandler, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and St. Laurent, either as monovarietals or cuvées; rosé and blanc de noirs are not permitted at this tier. White Riedenwein must be dry; red Riedenwein carries a maximum residual sugar of 4 g/l. Riedenwein is subject to a maximum yield of 6,000 kg/ha or 4,500 l/ha. The Ortswein tier adds Pinot Gris and Zweigelt to the permitted varieties. The Gebietswein tier additionally permits Neuburger, Gemischter Satz and Blauer Portugieser. Wines not meeting DAC standards may be labelled as Qualitätswein of Niederösterreich. Sweet styles, including Auslese, Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese, are also permitted.

• The five DAC villages (Ortswein) are Perchtoldsdorf, Gumpoldskirchen, Tattendorf, Wiener Neustadt and Bad Vöslau; broader cross-boundary wine-growing municipalities were created to improve marketing
• Riedenwein: white must be dry; red maximum 4 g/l residual sugar; maximum yield 6,000 kg/ha or 4,500 l/ha; submission for the federal inspection number from 1 July following harvest
• Ortswein submission: from 1 March (dry) and 1 May (sweet) of the year following harvest
• Thermenregion DAC completed Austria's 20-year DAC project, which began with Weinviertel DAC in 2003

Thermenregion is directly adjacent to Vienna's southern city limits, making it one of Austria's most accessible wine destinations. The village of Gumpoldskirchen is the historic centre of white wine culture and is home to Freigut Thallern, where the Polz family operates a regional vinotheque showcasing wines from around 60 Thermenregion producers, as well as a hotel and the Klostergasthaus. The spa towns of Baden bei Wien and Bad Vöslau lie just south of the main vineyard areas and offer theatre, operetta, wellness centres and the thermal springs that give the region its name. Numerous Heurige wine taverns throughout the region offer the chance to taste local wines directly from producers, and hiking trails connect the vineyards along the Vienna Mountain Spring Water Main.

• Freigut Thallern in Gumpoldskirchen, one of Austria's oldest wine estates, operates a regional vinotheque open daily and a hotel that opened after renovations in 2011
• Baden bei Wien, just south of Gumpoldskirchen, is a cultural spa town with theatre, operetta and thermal baths fed by the sulphurous springs that gave the region its name
• Heurige wine taverns throughout the region offer direct sales from producers, a tradition in the Thermenregion dating back centuries
• The region is reachable from central Vienna in approximately 20 to 30 minutes, making it a popular day-trip destination for wine lovers visiting the Austrian capital