Thermenregion

One of the eight specific wine growing areas in the Austrian province or generic wine growing area of Lower Austria. It was formed in 1985 by merging the formerly independent wine-growing areas of Gumpoldskirchen and Bad Vöslau. The thermal baths, already known in ancient times, gave the area its name, but in the vernacular it is called "Südbahn" after the railway line built here in the middle of the 19th century. The oldest winery in Austria, the Freigut Thallern near Gumpoldskirchen was founded in 1141 by the Cistercians of the Heiligenkreuz Monastery. Since the 13th century the right to serve wine has been a tradition, at that time it was called Leitgeben (Leutgeben).

There were rich wine yields in the 14th and 15th century. In the 16th and 17th century the area was severely affected by the Turkish sieges. The ill, Turkish commander-in-chief Kara Mustapha (1630-1683) of the second Turkish siege of Vienna recovered very quickly in Baden in 1683, but was executed after the defeat. Viticulture suffered severe losses because the Turks destroyed many vineyards for religious reasons. In 1760, the German Order introduced Pinot Noir (Blauburgunder) to this area and it began to spread throughout the entire region and into Burgenland. The area is part of the Vienna Basin and is one of the warmest wine-growing regions in Austria. Hugo von Hofmannsthal (1847-1929), the creator of the "Everyman", called it an "immense garden".

The thermal region consists of barren and stony, but also heavy, loamy soils. The climate is characterized by dry, hot summers and cold winters. The area extends from the southern outskirts of Vienna along a chain of hills to the south of the spa town of Baden. A beautiful wine route touches all important wine growing communities. The most important are Baden, Bad Vöslau, Brunn am Gebirge, Enzesfeld, Gumpoldskirchen, Guntramsdorf, Hirtenberg, Leobersdorf, Maria Enzersdorf, Mödling, Perchtoldsdorf, Pfaffstätten, Sooß, Tattendorf, Teesdorf, Traiskirchen and Tribuswinkel. Well known vineyards are Brindlbach, Doctnerin, Eichkogel, Goldeck, Igeln, Kreuzer, Mandelhöhe, Pfarrgarten, Spiegel, Tümpfel and Wiegen. A local speciality is the autochthonous variety Zierfandler (Spätrot), which is blended with the Rotgipfler to produce the white wine cuvée Spätrot-Rotgipfler. A number of wine tourism activities take place under the name "Zierfandler-Welt".

List of vine varieties

In 2015 the vineyards covered a total of 2,182 hectares of vines. Compared to 2009 with 2,196 hectares, there was no change. The share of red wine varieties is 45.3% and the share of white wine varieties 54.7%. The grape variety level of the Thermenregion differs from the other wine-growing regions. The two red wine varieties Zweigelt and Blauer Portugieser dominate, followed by the white wine variety Neuburger.

DAC system

The origin-based DAC system is in preparation

Producers

Well-known producers in the Thermenregion wine region are Alphart Karl, Auer Leopold and Helga, Aumann Leopold, Bayer Heribert, Biegler Othmar, Dopler Günther, Dungel Reinhard, Fischer Christian, Gisperg Johann, Grabner-Schierer, Hartl Heinrich, Hartl Toni, Heggenberger, Johanneshof Reinisch, Krug Gustav, Landauer-Gisperg, Loimer Fred, Nigl Georg, Pferschy-Seper, Piriwe, Pretterebner Rolf, Reinisch Alfred, Schaflerhof, Schellmann, Schlumberger, Schneider Georg, Schwertführer 47er, Schup Gregor, Schwertführer Johann, Spaetrot Gebeshuber, Stadlmann Johann, Stift Klosterneuburg, Stiftsweingut Heiligenkreuz - Freigut Thallern, Straitz & Straitz, Zierer Harald. Two WV are burgundy makers and thermal vintners.

Pictures: © ÖWM