Salzburg is a capital of culture. But there are not only festivals on stages, but also in glasses. Elisabeth Eder from Salzburg reveals her insider tips for great enjoyment with wine.
Mozart - Festival - Everyman. Salzburg, Austria's fourth largest city with 157,000 inhabitants, is a world-famous tourist destination. The birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart attracts many visitors who crowd through the Getreidegasse and the historic centre, which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. In the shadow of Hohensalzburg Fortress, however, there are also plenty of attractions for local and confirmed wine fans. For as the centre of business, culture, tourism and the jet set, Salzburg has plenty of room for innovative, unusual gastronomic concepts, wine bars and vinotheques.
Yes, there is viticulture in Salzburg, very little, but still! The most famous vineyards are on the slopes of the Hohensalzburg Fortress: the "Paris-Lodron-Zwinger" is cultivated by the Salzburg Scouts and is planted with Frühroter Veltliner. The yield is low, around 500 bottles of wine are produced annually. In another vineyard, which is privately owned, Mönchsberg Sparkling Rosé is produced. In addition, in Großgmain, just outside the city, is the small Reiterhaindlhof winery, run by winemaker Marianne Witzko. And in Michaelbeuern, the Benedictine Abbey of Michaelbeuern vinifies Grüner Veltliner, Gelber Muskateller and Zweigelt on the "Alm" site.
The amount of wine produced by Salzburg's resident vintners is nowhere near enough to cover the city's needs. In the city's wine bars and vinotheques, wine enjoyment is therefore celebrated by locals and guests with bottles from all over the world.
Getreidegasse 39, 5020 Salzburg
Monday to Friday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Saturday 9.30 - 18 h
The Sporer manufactory has been in existence since 1903. The Sporers have become famous for their orange punch and homemade herbal liqueurs. The wine assortment is tight, changes with the season and is limited to Austrian wines. In addition to the manageable wine assortment, you can also taste the homemade range of liqueurs and punch. For some years now, Sporer has also been making Vermouth. You should try it: It is unique and tastes very individual. At Christmas time, Sporer's orange punch is a must in every Salzburg household!
Extra tip: The Paris-Lodron Zwinger and the Sparkling Mönchsberg are available here.
Getreidegasse 15, 5020 Salzburg
Azwanger at the Grünmarkt
Wednesday to Friday 11 am - 7 pm
Saturday 10 - 17 h
A Salzburg institution that has been around since 1400. The large wine assortment of the delicatessen in Getreidegasse includes wines from Austria as well as international bottles. If you walk through the passageway from Getreidegasse to Grünmarkt, you come to the Azwanger wine bar on Grünmarkt, where you can taste a variety of seasonal wines. This is accompanied by fresh delicacies from Austria, Spain, France and Italy. The Azwanger wine bar is the "place to be" on Saturdays. Enjoy a glass of wine or champagne and watch the hustle and bustle of the Grünmarkt - a Saturday morning in the city of Salzburg can be so relaxing.
Extra tip: You can also choose wines in the delicatessen and have them chilled.
If you walk through the old town, past the cathedral to Mozartplatz in the direction of Kaigasse, you end up at Iberico in Chiemseegasse. This is where musician Christoph Filip has made his Iberian dream come true. The Iberico is a day bar with a shop. Wine, sparkling wine and Iberian tapas are offered to take away or to enjoy on the spot. With a glass of Spanish or Portuguese wine and a few tapas, I immediately get into a Mediterranean holiday mood with lots of memories of trips to these countries.
Extra tip: In the shop you can also find the typical ceramic tiles from Portugal (azulejos), spices and much more.
The wine bar Coquette is located in Bergstraße. The ambience is reminiscent of a cosy living room and invites you to enjoy Austrian and international wines. For small appetites, Verena and Philip prepare small snacks. Coquette opens at 5 pm, making it a meeting place for after-work wine fans or early night revellers.
Extra tip: The Coquette is the perfect meeting place for casual wine fans and cool pleasure seekers.
If you walk to Platzl and turn into Steingasse, Fridrich is not far away. Since 1986, the bar has been the fixed point for wine lovers in Salzburg. Many guests came to listen to music and found their way to wine this way. The charming, fine bar offers exquisite wines from Austria and Italy. Sparkling wines include champagne, sparkling wines from the vineyards and prosecco. The wines on tap vary according to the season. Gourmet plates with ham, salami and cheese are offered with the wine. And if you would like to have a cocktail after enjoying the wine, the Fridrich is just the place for you.
Extra tip: The Fridrich is worth a visit at any time of day. I love enjoying my last glass of wine with great people in the bar before heading home.
If you follow Steingasse out of town, at the corner of the Paracelsus bookshop you will come across a cross alley onto Imbergstrasse to Flavour, a dignified wine bar and restaurant with a modern but timeless ambience. The wine list comprises around 50 items with a focus on Austria, Italy, Spain, France and Germany. The seasonally changing range is served by the glass and offers a good cross-section of Austria's most important wine-growing regions. Around 20 wines are available by the glass.
Extra tip: The food and wine assortment is particularly well coordinated. To finish, I like to choose one of the 17 gin and tonics.
The Wine.Loft in Bayerhamerstrasse in the Schallmoos district is about a 20-minute walk from Platzl and has been a popular meeting place for wine connoisseurs for many years. Since 2023, the Wein.Loft has been renamed Delivino Wein.Loft (Delicatessen & Wine) and the range includes wines, sparkling wines, spirits, antipasti and delicatessen to take away or enjoy on site.
Extra tip: The wine bar in the Loft has a metropolitan feel. I often forget that I'm in the manageably large Salzburg.
The Delivino Wein.Boutique in Schwarzstrasse, near the Landestheater and the Mozarteum, is brand new. The vinotheque offers the identical assortment of the Delivino Wein.Loft. In addition, guests can order a lunch menu to take away or to enjoy on site.
Extra tip: If you fancy a picnic, you can put together your own platter of ham, cheese and antipasti, choose a bottle of wine and then enjoy it on the banks of the Salzach or in the nearby Mirabell Gardens.
The Magazin, about ten minutes' walk from the city centre in the Mülln district, combines bistro, event rooms, wine bar, vinotheque with various wines from Austria, Italy, Spain, France, Portugal, Germany, the New World as well as alimentari and selected accessories in Augustinergasse. In summer, the cosy inner courtyard invites you to linger and enjoy.
Extra tip: I love strolling through the vinotheque and accessories with a glass of wine in my hand. There's something about it!