📍 Lower Austria

Lower Austria (Niederösterreich) is a federal state in north-eastern Austria with its capital in St. Pölten, and the country's largest wine appellation. In 2020 it had 28,574 ha of vineyards – about 62 % of Austria's. Grüner Veltliner covers almost half the plantings, and in 2025 the state produced two thirds of Austria's wine.

The state lies along the Danube and its tributaries. Vienna is surrounded by it, but since 1921 it has been a separate state with its own wine region. The steep primary-rock slopes of the Wachau give way to the loess terraces of the Kremstal, Traisental, Kamptal and Wagram. The climate combines hot Pannonian air from the east with cool air from the Waldviertel, so the wines have a marked acidity.

The name Niederösterreich has been protected in the EU since 19.02.1999. All eight zones now have a DAC: the Weinviertel was the first in Austria (2003), the Thermenregion the latest (2023). The largest zone is the Weinviertel, with 14,226 ha. The Danube valley between Melk and Krems is the Wachau cultural landscape, inscribed on the UNESCO list in 2000.

In 2020 Grüner Veltliner covered 13,596 ha (47.6 % of plantings) – 90.5 % of all Austrian Veltliner. It is followed by Zweigelt (12.1 %), Riesling (6.5 %) and Welschriesling (4.4 %); white varieties account for about 77 % of the area.

Why it matters to you. Weinviertel DAC is always Grüner Veltliner, and Wachau DAC is hand-harvested only. The terms Steinfeder (up to 11.5 %), Federspiel (up to 12.5 %) and Smaragd (from 12.5 %) are not legal standards but trademarks of the Vinea Wachau winegrowers' association.