Domäne Wachau in Dürnstein: winery, tasting and the July Heuriger

What it is

Domäne Wachau is the Wachau's great cooperative winery, in Dürnstein: it is made up of about 200 winegrowers, with about two hectares each on average. It began in the 1930s, when the Starhemberg family sold the estate to the people who worked its vineyards. It mainly makes Grüner Veltliner, about 70% of its vines, and Riesling, about 20%, in the three Wachau styles: Steinfeder, Federspiel and Smaragd, from lightest to most concentrated. Its image is the Kellerschlössel, a small Baroque palace among the vines.

To visit it you have three options: the guided tour with tasting on Fridays, the wine shop for tasting and buying, and the July Heuriger, the seasonal wine tavern.

The guided tour with tasting

• What it is: a tour of the estate, the vineyards and the historic cellar, followed by a guided tasting of four wines with Wachauer Laberl bread rolls.
• When: Fridays from April to October, at 15:00, for an hour and a half. The 2026 tour ended on 30 October; the 2027 dates have not yet been published.
• Language: English.
• Price: €32 per person. Under-7s do not pay. A group of up to six people pays €200 in total.
• Bookings: online on the winery's website, choosing a date. For tailor-made appointments, at [email protected] or on +43 2711 37140.
• Cancellation: free up to 24 hours before; after that they may charge the full amount.

The tour has a steep staircase and may include a walk through the vineyard. If you need a barrier-free visit, request it by email. Dogs may enter the tasting room and the shop, but not the cellar, except assistance dogs.

The wine shop

For tasting or buying on your own, the wine shop is open:

• April to October: Monday to Friday, from 10:00 to 17:00; Saturdays, from 10:00 to 14:00.
• November, December and March: Monday to Friday, from 10:00 to 17:00, except public holidays.
• January and February: closed for the winter break.

The July Heuriger

On two weekends a year the winery opens its Heuriger in the Kellerschlössel garden, with a view over the Ried Kellerberg vineyard: in 2026 it ran from 3 to 6 and from 10 to 13 July, every day from 16:00. Heuriger specialities and regional nibbles are served with the whole range of the house wines, from fresh Federspiel to Smaragd and old bottles from the archive. The winery warns that it fills up. The 2027 dates have not yet been announced.

Getting there

The address is Dürnstein 107. If you come by bike on the Donauradweg or on the Wachau boat, which stops at Dürnstein, you arrive without a car. If you are going to taste, do not drive: the boat or the bike is the best option.

How long and who it is for

The tour lasts an hour and a half; with purchases at the wine shop, allow two hours. It is a plan for adults interested in wine. It fits well into a day in Dürnstein with the climb to the castle ruin by the Vogelbergsteig, better after the walk than before.