Loibnerhof Terrace Evening ★ 4.7
10 by the glassUnterloiben
The most scenic outdoor evening wine setting in the Wachau is the Loibnerhof terrace overlooking the Danube. On summer evenings the terrace is open to non-dining guests for aperitif or wine-only visits.
The list: The terrace at Loibnerhof looking over the Danube vineyard terraces is available for evening aperitif and dessert-wine pours on fine summer evenings, with a selection of library Smaragd wines and Wachau late-harvest rarities.
Loisium Wine and Spa Hotel Lounge ★ 4.4
20 by the glassLangenlois (Kamptal, gateway to Wachau)
The Loisium wine hotel and spa is 20 minutes from the Wachau in Langenlois and is a natural extension of a Wachau visit. The lounge serves Kamptal and Wachau wines in a striking contemporary hotel with an underground maze of centuries-old wine cellars beneath.
The list: The lounge at the Loisium hotel (Steven Holl architecture) serves a curated list of Kamptal and Wachau wines by the glass in a design-hotel setting, with access to the underground cellar labyrinth and wine spa.
Hotel Schloss Durnstein Terrace Lounge ★ 4.5
15 by the glassDurnstein
Open to non-staying guests during the day and early evening, the terrace lounge at Schloss Durnstein is the valley's most photographed wine-drinking setting: a Renaissance castle terrace looking west over the Danube curve with vineyard terraces on the opposite bank.
The list: The riverside terrace lounge at Schloss Durnstein serves Wachau wines by the glass looking directly over the Danube and the vineyard terraces. One of the most scenic outdoor wine-drinking spaces in the region.
F.X. Pichler Gutsschanke (Estate Lounge) ★ 4.7
8 by the glassOberloiben
The estate lounge at F.X. Pichler is not a commercial wine bar but a reception area for estate visitors and trade buyers; by appointment it functions as an intimate lounge setting for tasting the estate's current range directly at the source.
The list: F.X. Pichler's estate lounge and Gutsschanke serves the estate's current Smaragd range to visitors during the tasting season, in a quiet setting on the Loiben terroir.
Weingut Prager Heuriger Lounge ★ 4.6
10 by the glassWeissenkirchen
Weingut Prager, based in Weissenkirchen, opens its estate Heuriger seasonally during the harvest and summer months. The courtyard setting in the heart of Weissenkirchen village provides a relaxed lounge atmosphere for tasting the full Prager range.
The list: Weingut Prager's seasonal Heuriger in Weissenkirchen opens its courtyard and house for tasting of the full Prager range: Steinfeder, Hinter der Burg Federspiel, and Smaragd Riesling and Gruner Veltliner.
Krems Wine Merchant Late-Harvest Selection ★ 3.8
6 by the glassKrems
The Wachau has no fortified wine tradition (no Sherry, Port, or Madeira equivalent). Selected Krems wine merchants stock rare Austrian late-harvest Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese, and Eiswein from Wachau and neighbouring appellation producers, offering the closest equivalent sweet wine specialist experience in the region.
The list: Wachau and Kremstal Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese late-harvest sweet wines, plus Austrian Eiswein, available by the glass at selected Krems wine merchants. The Wachau has no fortified wine tradition; Austrian late-harvest sweet wines fill this category.