Have you ever tried Austrian Wine? I don’t think I did before visiting Vienna this spring. Looking for some authentic Viennese experiences, I learned that Vienna has the most impressive vineyards within the city borders. I was tempted to visit them, but with time never being quite enough, I settled upon a Vienna Wine Tasting.
Let me tell you more about it!
Wien Mal Anders
I found this company that specializes in Vienna experiences. They don’t do tourist attractions tours. Instead, they focus on unique experiences for small groups. For instance, you can tour the Vienna center in a vintage car or try Empress Sisi’s flagrance from the very same perfumery that supplied her.
You can find out more about their offers at Wien Mal Anders.
Vienna & Wine
Wine has been a constant presence in Vienna since the Romans’ times. During the medieval era, it was safer to drink wine than water, so the Viennese were fortunate to be able to grow vines to close.
Even the German spelling of Vienna, which is Wien, is very close to wine.
Step by step review of our Vienna wine tasting
Meeting point
The Vienna wine tasting takes place at Haas & Haas, a boutique shop with wine and delicacies, in the city center.
The address is: Ertlgasse 4, 1010 Wien. It’s a few minutes’ walk from Stephanplatz.
Vienna Wine Tasting
The tasting starts with a surprise. Under the store, there are 3 and a half underground levels. The first level is part of the store, but the next two levels are tasting rooms.
What makes the place even more special, is that you can literally see parts of the old Roman walls. The larger stones have been here since the Romans called the city Vindobona, 2000 years ago. The structure was close to the ancient Eastern gate of the Vindobona Camp, Porta Dextra.
But, let’s go back to our tasting.
The sommelier
Bernie, our sommelier, introduced us to the space, then seated us in the vaulted lower level. The room was already arranged for the group. The first wine we tasted was a Gruner Veltliner from a small, local producer. It’s pure white wine, with strong fruity flavors, maybe even a little spicy.
Bernie also brought some snacks to each table. We had a variety of black pudding, some horseradish, local cheese, and apricot jam. Everything was organic and complemented the wines very well. The second tasting was another white wine – a very well-balanced one. I prefer red wines, but I really appreciated the white wines we tasted here.
For the third wine, Bernie asked about our personal preferences, then served us white or red, according to our taste. We tried a red Zweigelt wine. It was very pleasant, with a cherry hint. Austria produces especially white wines, but the red wines are growing lately, and Zweigelt is the most popular red grape. Most of the wines produced in the area are also consumed here, so it’s not that easy to find Austrian wines elsewhere.
So, my suggestion is to take advantage of your time in Vienna and include a tasting of some local wines.
Useful info
The tasting lasts 40 minutes, and you will taste 3 different wines. They also serve water and some snacks to go with the wine.
Final thoughts
I knew next to nothing about Austrian wines or wine production in Vienna before the wine tasting. This wine tasting, right after lunch was the perfect way to start a Viennese afternoon and learn something about local traditions.
Next time in Vienna, I hope to visit Grinzing, the area covered with vineyards within the city’s limits, and complete my education on the subject of Viennese wines.
Booking options
The wine tastings take place Tuesday to Saturday in the historic cellar at Haas&Haas Porta Dextra.
You can book the wine tasting or more interesting Vienna experiences on the Wien Mal Anders website.
Book your wine tasting on GetYourGuide by clicking on the link.
If you prefer TripAdvisor, you can book the Roman cellar wine tasting or a Three cellars wine tour and tasting.
Looking for more off-the-beaten-path Vienna experiences? How does the Strudel Show at Schoenbrunn sound?
Disclosure
I was offered the Vienna Wine Tasting by Wien Mal Anders. However, all opinions stated above are my own. Some of the above may be affiliate links. So, if you click on a link and make a purchase, I earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only recommend companies, activities, or products that I use myself. Thank you for your support in keeping my blog live!
Thanks for sharing, this looks fun to do, with different wines to try 🙂