Stift Klosterneuburg
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History
Klosterneuburg Abbey is one of the largest and oldest privately owned wineries in Austria. The abbey has been growing wine ever since its foundation in 1114 and is thus the oldest still-existing winery in Austria. The abbey’s vineyards, covering an area of 108 hectares, are situated on some of the most fertile grounds surrounding Vienna and the Thermenregion region of Lower Austria. The centuries-old cellars in the Abbey complex extend over five floors to a depth of 36 meters and have their own unique climate where authenticity and character are brought to life in the wine. The Winemaker - Peter Philipp After completing his studies as a construction engineer and working in this field for several years, Peter Philipp ended up in the catering industry. There he got the wine fever, and he studied oenology and viticulture at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna. After completing his studies, he worked for seven years as head of the winemaking team for a large company in the Wachau and then as a consultant oenologist for an Austrian producer of wine treatment products. Since the beginning of 2023, Peter Philipp is head of the winemaking team at the Stift Klosterneuburg wine estate. Viticulture The vines of the Stift Klosterneuburg are situated in the southern vineyards of Wagram, in the northeast part of Austria, on south and southeast-facing slopes. The classical regional varieties Gruner Veltliner and Riesling are at home here on tertiary soils of weathered sandstone with loess and loam top soils. The wines develop intense, vibrant fruit and crisp acidity. The ripeness and aroma profile of the grapes is greatly enhanced by warm sunshine balanced by cool Viennese forests nearby, which regulate both temperature and humidity. The red wine village of Tattendorf lies 25 kilometres southeast of Vienna. Stift Klosterneuburg’s largest vineyard area is found here. This southern part of the Thermenregion is one of the best areas for Austrian red wines, in particular Zweigelt and the abbey’s flagship variety St. Laurent. Full physiological ripeness of the grapes is achieved thanks to the dependable warm and sunny Pannonian climate. The calcareous cambisol is enriched with abundant heat-absorbing alluvial gravel over a mineral-rich subsoil. Sustainability Stift Klosterneuburg is the location of the Federal College for Viticulture, Oenology and Fruit Growing, the world’s first school of viticulture founded in 1860. The college teaches oenology at an international level and conducts pioneering research. Being the first climate-neutral winery in Europe, the Stift Klosterneuburg winery is also a pioneer in sustainability and climate protection. Address Stift Klosterneuburg Stiftsplatz 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg Austria |
