AustriaCurated by Michele Edington, Certified Sommelier
Where the Danube curves past steep loess slopes, Krems opens the door to two of Austria's finest wine regions, Kremstal and Kamptal, home to crisp Grüner Veltliner and elegant Riesling. Both sit in the Danube Valley near the UNESCO-protected Wachau, offering slightly riper, fruit-forward wines than their famous neighbor. A few hours ashore gives you time to taste, shop, and perhaps visit a cellar.
At a glance
Wine snapshot
Steep loess and slate slopes overlooking the Danube give Kremstal and Kamptal their signature white wines, all mineral-driven Grüner Veltliner with subtle stone-fruit intensity, and Riesling that ranges from bone-dry to delicately sweet. That terroir creates wines with real balance and aging potential. Expect higher alcohol and fuller body than the Wachau, with riper fruit and warming spice notes.
Also worth a sip
Krems has an easy second lane after wine. Wachau apricot shows up as nectar, juice, liqueur, sweets, and café desserts. Austrian beer covers the lunch glass, especially with schnitzel, sausage, potato salad, and fried things. Coffee matters too, because this is still Austria, and a Melange with apricot cake or poppy seed pastry can do a lot of emotional work.
Use apricot as the non-wine compass in Krems. Marille on a menu or bottle usually leads somewhere good, especially nectar, spritzers, cake, dumplings, liqueur, and jam. For beer, ask for a Lower Austrian lager or Märzen with lunch. For café hour, get a Melange and let the pastry case make the decision for you.
Common questions
- What wine is Krems known for?
- Steep loess and slate slopes overlooking the Danube give Kremstal and Kamptal their signature white wines, all mineral-driven Grüner Veltliner with subtle stone-fruit intensity, and Riesling that ranges from bone-dry to delicately sweet. That terroir creates wines with real balance and aging potential. Expect higher alcohol and fuller body than the Wachau, with riper fruit and warming spice notes.
- What grapes are grown around Krems?
- Grüner Veltliner, Riesling.
- Why is Krems a notable wine stop?
- Most people assume Austrian whites are sweet, but Krems sets the record straight. Grüner Veltliner and Riesling from Kremstal and Kamptal are among Austria's most distinctive dry whites, grown on steep loess and slate slopes above the Danube that give them a mineral backbone and real aging potential. Here you'll taste wines with more body and riper fruit than you might expect from Austria, along with warming spice notes...yet they keep the freshness and balance that make these regions world-class. They're fuller than what you'd find just upriver in the Wachau, which makes them a great place to discover how generous Austrian whites can be.
- Is Krems a wine destination?
- Krems has an easy second lane after wine. Wachau apricot shows up as nectar, juice, liqueur, sweets, and café desserts. Austrian beer covers the lunch glass, especially with schnitzel, sausage, potato salad, and fried things. Coffee matters too, because this is still Austria, and a Melange with apricot cake or poppy seed pastry can do a lot of emotional work.
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Winzer Krems
Local label terms, decoded
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