Weingut Josef und Georg Högl

Although the Spitzer Graben begins just a few hundred meters from the banks of the Spitzer Donau and ends after a few kilometers in the direction of the Waldviertel highlands, nature has created a very unique form of climate and soil here. In a way, it is "Wachau-typical" - but still different: higher, cooler and even more intensively exposed to the interplay of nature. Capturing this naturalness and conveying it to his customers in the form of wine and apricots is Josef Högl's life. His guiding principle "Our customers should also take a piece of the countryside home with them when they buy a bottle of wine" is something he puts into practice with great passion.

The winery, which regularly receives awards from specialist magazines, mainly cultivates terraced vineyards with the Grüne Veltliner and Riesling varieties. Small quantities of Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc and Gelber Muskateller round off the range. The most important vineyards are Bruck (Riesling) and Schön (Grüne Veltliner), both southwest-facing steep slopes (Schön alone comprises 57 individual stone terraces). The grapes are harvested in crates, processed without pumps and matured in steel tanks. Old Wachau apricot varieties ripen on the northern slopes of the Spitzer Graben, which are offered in the form of exclusive brandies and fine jams. An impressive extension was completed in 2015, which was awarded the State Prize for Architecture and the Lower Austrian Timber Construction Prize, among others.