Wachau 1 product.

The Wachau is an enclave of approximately 1,400 hectares along the Danube between Melk and Krems in Lower Austria, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The granite and gneiss of the steep river-facing slopes, the diurnal temperature contrast between warm days and cool nights, and the extreme gradients define the conditions in which Austria's longest-lived whites are produced.

Grüner Veltliner and Riesling are the exclusive varieties in the Wachau's internal classification, established by the growers' association Vinea Wachau: Steinfeder (light, up to 11.5% alcohol), Federspiel (medium, 11.5–12.5%) and Smaragd (the densest and most complex, minimum 12.5%, from fully ripe fruit). The Smaragd Rieslings from the finest single vineyards — Achleiten, Loibenberg, Singerriedel — are the denomination's wines of greatest ageing potential, with development over twenty or more years in bottle.