Wine fairs and en primeur weeks in Wachau worth planning a trip around, by month.

Festivals through the year

Wachau Gourmet Festival ★ 4.6

Aprilannual, April to May3 to 4 daysTicket needed

The Wachau Gourmet Festival is the region's flagship wine-and-food event, staged each spring at Loibnerhof and Schloss Durnstein. Visiting chefs collaborate with Wachau producers on multi-course dinners that pair Smaragd and Federspiel wines with seasonal dishes. A cellar walk programme allows day visitors to taste across a range of Vinea Wachau member estates during the festival period.

Host: Wachau Tourismus and Vinea Wachau member producers

Featured producers: domane-wachau, nikolaihof, fx-pichler, emmerich-knoll

Vinea Wachau Open-Cellar Days ★ 4.5

Octoberannual, October2 weekends

The Vinea Wachau association opens its member cellars each October during the harvest season, inviting visitors to taste directly from tank and barrel at estates across the valley.

Host: Vinea Wachau Nobilis Districtus

Featured producers: fx-pichler, emmerich-knoll, prager, hirtzberger, domane-wachau

Weinherbst Niederosterreich (Lower Austria Wine Autumn) ★ 4.4

Septemberannual, September to October6 weeks

The Lower Austria Wine Autumn is a region-wide celebration running from September through October, encompassing harvest events, open cellars, and wine markets across all of Lower Austria's wine zones including the Wachau, Kremstal, Kamptal, and Wagram. Participating producers offer tastings, vineyard walks, and harvest experiences. The Wachau portion is particularly popular, set against the backdrop of autumn vine colours on the Danube cliffs.

Host: Niederosterreich Tourismus and wine producer associations of Lower Austria

Featured producers: domane-wachau, nikolaihof, emmerich-knoll

Marillenblute (Apricot Blossom Festival) ★ 4.5

Aprilannual, April2 to 3 weeks (blossom-duration dependent)

The apricot blossom season in the Wachau transforms the valley into a pink-white floral landscape each April, drawing visitors from Vienna along the Danube by boat and bicycle.

Host: Wachau Tourismus and regional municipalities

Featured producers: domane-wachau, nikolaihof

Donau in Flammen (Danube in Flames) ★ 4.3

Julyannual, July to August (multiple nights across different towns)Multiple single-night events across the summerTicket needed

Donau in Flammen is a summer fireworks and illumination series staged on the Danube at successive riverside locations from Krems to Ybbs across multiple nights throughout July and August.

Host: Regional municipalities of the Wachau and Nibelungengau

Featured producers: domane-wachau

Krems Weinstadt-Tage (Krems Wine City Days) ★ 4.2

Mayannual, late May to early June3 to 4 days

Krems, at the eastern gateway of the Wachau, hosts an annual wine festival in late May to early June celebrating both Kremstal DAC and Wachau wines.

Host: Stadt Krems and Kremstal DAC producers association

Featured producers: domane-wachau

Welt der Weine (Vienna Wine Fair) ★ 4.3

Octoberannual, autumn (September to November, date varies)2 to 3 daysTicket needed

Welt der Weine is Vienna's annual autumn wine fair, bringing together Austrian producers including Wachau estates alongside international producers.

Host: Wein und Co and participating Austrian importers

Featured producers: domane-wachau, fx-pichler, emmerich-knoll

Heuriger Season and Martinmas Opening, November ★ 4.2

Novemberannual, November 11 (Saint Martin's Day) marks the traditional new-wine opening1 day (Saint Martin's Day) to a week of events

Saint Martin's Day (November 11) marks the traditional opening of the new wine season across Austrian wine regions including the Wachau. Heuriger (producer taverns serving the estate's own wine) ceremonially open their new vintage wines, and some villages hold public St. Martin's celebrations with Gansl (roast goose) dinners paired with the newest Steinfeder and Federspiel releases. The tradition is deeply embedded in the Lower Austrian calendar.

Host: Individual Wachau Heuriger (producer taverns) and village tourism offices

Featured producers: domane-wachau

Wine Festivals in Wachau, FAQ

When is the best time to visit Wachau for wine?

Peak wine-travel season in Wachau is spring through autumn, with harvest the standout window.

Do I need an appointment to taste at Wachau estates?

classified-growth and grand-cru estates require booking days to weeks ahead; smaller family domaines often take walk-ins midweek.

What hours do Wachau cellars and tasting rooms keep?

most estates open 10:00 to 17:00 by appointment, often closed Sunday and Monday.

How does tipping work at Wachau tastings?

tipping is not expected at tastings; buying a bottle from the cellar door is the customary thank-you.

What is the one wine to try in Wachau?

Ask the next local you meet what they would order. Wachau rewards trust.

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