Weingut Donabaum

From the earliest records, the existence of the winery, at least that of the main house, can be traced back to the year 1668. Almost 200 years later, in 1853, Josef and Anna Maria Donabaum bought the estate. Since then, the Donabaum Winery has been a successful family business that focuses on combining tradition with modern forward-thinking.

The Donabaum family estate is located in the idyllic area of the Spitzer Graben. This is part of the Wachau wine-growing region and thus also part of the Wachau World Heritage Site. On the stone terraces of the well-known and excellent wine region, mainly the white wine varieties Grüner Veltliner, Neuburger and Riesling are cultivated. The Donabaum Winery also relies on these wine varieties.

Old locations, old varieties:

Christoph Donabaum does not only value tradition in the production of the wine. Of particular importance are also the old vineyards and their preservation, as they 'carry the valuable DNA of the Wachau and the Spitzer Graben', explains the winemaker. The winemaking family has already bought or leased some old, dilapidated vineyards in order to restore them to their former glory and bring them back to life. These are left in their natural state and only new dry stone walls are built and the old vines are straightened.

The sites/locations:

The diversity within the Spitzer Graben region is reflected in the wines of the Donabaum winery. The location of the vineyards and the associated soil conditions are decisive for the taste and character of the wine. Even within a wine region, the soil conditions and characteristics of the individual sites can differ. Thus, each of the 6 different vineyards of the winery has its own character. The vineyards are all in top locations and benefit from the climatic conditions and characteristics of the soil of the Spitzer Graben.

The 6 "Rieden"/ vineyards:

Ried Offenberg

Ried 1000-Eimerberg                                  

Ried Vorderseiber                                         

Ried Zornberg

Ried Setzberg                                                   

Ried Steinriegl

In the Wachau wine region, Grüner Veltliner is traditionally divided into 3 different categories: Federspiel, Steinfeder & Smaragd.

Federspiel:        Grüner Veltliner of the Federspiel classification are medium-light wines with an alcohol content between 11.5% - 12.5%. The title Federspiel is an allusion to falconry which used to be popular in the region and stands for the elegance of the wine.

Steinfeder:        Steinfelder Grüner Veltliner is a wine with a maximum alcohol content of 11.5%. The name refers to the area where the grapes are grown and its vegetation, more precisely the thin grasses that are widespread in the wine region.

Smaragd:           The title Smaragd is used for the rare, dry and concentrated wines of the region. This is a reference to the Smaragd lizard, which likes to linger in the sun just as much as the vines on the terraces.