S
itting in the back of
a glistening Mercedes,
I watched as Vienna’s regal
Ringstraße morphed into
green, grape-filled fields.
I closely listened as Ulli, my private
guide, recounted the history of
Austrian wine. It was summer, and
I’d asked Kensington Tours to design
an itinerary focused on heurigen and
the rest of the Viennese
wine culture.
As the car snaked higher into
the hills, the roads narrowed.
I felt like I’d found quintessential
Austria and half expected to see
people in lederhosen and dirndls
walking the landscaped, cobblestone
paths. Technically in the 21st
District of Vienna, the small village
of Stammersdorf felt a million
miles from the heart of the city.
I followed Fritz Wieninger down
the dimly lit stairs into his family’s
wine cellar, not just any ordinary
wine cellar. Wieninger Winery was
founded in the 18th century by
Fritz’s great, great grandfather
10
and is one of Vienna’s top producers.
Once a former monastery, Fritz and
his father converted the space that
now houses barrels filled with the
fruits of their labor.
All was quiet on this Saturday
afternoon at Wieninger, already
closed to the public. I had the winery
to myself. In the tasting room, Fritz