Located south of Vienna, Thermenregion is one of the oldest and most renowned wine-growing zones in Austria. The rich history and autochthonous grape varieties make the area unique.
The vineyards of Thermenregion extend south of Vienna along the slopes of the Vienna Woods. Away from the city limits, most of the vineyards are located on the chain of hills of the last foothills of the Pre-Alps to the south of Baden. In the plain of the Vienna Basin called "Steinfeld" lie the vineyards of Tattendorf and Teesdorf.
The area is often referred to as the "Burgundy of Austria". The range of grape varieties and the topography suggest this comparison, but the area's winegrowers prefer to be perceived as independent. After all, with the autochthonous grape varieties Rotgipfler and Zierfandler, the area has two unique specialities that also contribute to the region's profile. As a classic "Gumpoldskirchner Cuvée", it established the fame of this place. However, the Zierfandler is called "Spätroter" after the colour of its ripe berries and the wine is called "Spätrot-Rotgipfler".
The name Thermenregion refers to the sulphurous thermal springs of Baden, Bad Vöslau and Bad Fischau, which were already known to the Romans 2,000 years ago. Roman legionaries stationed in the Carnuntum and Vindobona camps brought vines and knowledge about viticulture with them.
The area was also appreciated in the Middle Ages, not least for its wines: the village of Gumpoldskirchen was the private property of the ruling Babenberg dynasty. In 1141 Margrave Leopold IV donated the hunting lodge of Thallern to the Cistercian monastery of Heiligenkreuz. The monks recognised the similarities of the area with the surroundings of their mother monastery Cîteaux in Burgundy. They brought techniques as well as grape varieties with them and still shape viticulture today. In 1180, the Melk Monastery acquired vineyards in Gumpoldskirchen. At the same time, viticulture near Wiener Neustadt is also documented.
In the 16th century, the chronicler Johannes Rasch described the "Wienergebirg", which includes today's Thermenregion, as the best wine-growing zone in Austria. To this day, the wines are sought after for their maturity, power and elegance. Finally, viticulture benefits from its peripheral location between Alpine and Pannonian climatic influences with hot summers, dry autumns and 1,800 hours of sunshine per year. A cool breeze streams down from the slopes of the Vienna Woods even on the hottest summer evenings, and the constant movement of air allows the grapes to dry quickly after dew or rain.
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The 683-metre-high Anninger dominates the landscape for miles around. It and its flanking hills are the last foothills of the Pre-Alps. The over 14 million year old deposits of a former sea consist of limestone. On top of this often lie fine-grained, loamy materials as well as gravel and sand with a high lime content and the remains of shells, snails and other sea creatures. Finds of fossils are not uncommon. The best white wines from calcareous soils still convey an idea of salty sea breezes. The wooded slopes merge into the plain of the Vienna Basin, which is characterised by Pannonian climatic influences and river gravel soils deposited during the cold period.
Thus the area is divided into two growing zones: Perchtoldsdorf, Mödling, Gumpoldskirchen, Pfaffstätten, Baden, Guntramsdorf and Traiskirchen tend to focus on white wine varieties such as Rotgipfler, Zierfandler, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay and Neuburger. The red wine centres are Bad Vöslau, Sooß, Tattendorf and Teesdorf, where the emphasis is on Pinot Noir, St. Laurent and Zweigelt, but also on Blauer Portugieser, which is called "Vöslauer" there.
With the introduction of the Thermenregion DAC in May 2023, all 18 wine-growing regions in Austria now have a protected designation of origin. A special feature is that wine-growing communities have been created beyond the political local borders, which should increase competitiveness. The local wines of Thermenregion bear Perchtoldsdorf, Gumpoldskirchen, Tattendorf, Wiener Neustadt and Bad Vöslau as their designation of origin. From the 2023 vintage, for example, wines from the political cadastral municipalities of Pfaffstätten, Traiskirchen, Guntramsdorf and Mödling can be marketed under the designation "Thermenregion DAC Gumpoldskirchen". The Thermenregion DAC is based on the three-level pyramid of origin (in ascending order:
Gumpoldskirchen with its castle is one of the main towns in the region
OEWM WSNAThallern Castle with Mount Anninger in the background
OEWM WSNAWellness is one of the most important leisure activities in an area with thermal baths. At the summer literary salon in the classicist thermal baths of Bad Vöslau, readings by top-class actors take place - often followed by a dip in the water. Baden, Mödling and Berndorf offer variety with their municipal theatres and show that the imperial and royal society already enjoyed spending time here. You can follow in the footsteps of famous composers at the Arnold Schönberg House in Mödling or on one of the numerous Beethoven hiking trails. Or in late summer you can walk 15 km - or a section - along the Genussmeile between Mödling and Bad Vöslau, where 80 winegrowers cater for hikers.
For a more moderate outdoor activity, Baden offers the Festival La Gacilly, the largest photography festival in Europe. Those who prefer to stay indoors can try their luck in the magnificent casino. And wine and Heurigen culture are present everywhere. On an organised culinary tour, you can get to know the area in larger circles. Must-visits are the Cistercian monastery of Heiligenkreuz, whose monks stormed the international charts a few years ago with Gregorian chorales, and the associated Thallern estate including the regional wine cellar near Gumpoldskirchen. Bathing, walking, cycling, being inspired and then enjoying the wines with classic Viennese cuisine, game, wild fowl or even Far Eastern dishes: That is the attitude to life at Thermenregion.