How can a young winery already possess more than 100 years of experience? The answer lies in the strength of family.
Weingut Gattinger was founded in 2017 by Simon Gattinger, yet its roots reach back to 1912. That year, Simon's great-grandfather Anton laid the foundation of the family's wine legacy and co-founded the Wachau Winemaker's Association Dinstl-Gut. Today, in the Loiben Kellergasse, four generations of winemaking tradition meet a distinctly modern approach.
Four Generations, One Vision
After Anton came Leopold, and then Leo, who focused exclusively on growing grapes. The family's knowledge of the land deepened with every harvest, but the wines were not bottled under the family name. It was Simon who revived that vision, turning inherited expertise into a fresh, contemporary estate.
Simon built on this foundation with studies, internships, and an early passion for wine. In 2023, he rebuilt the historic cellar into a modern gravity-flow facility. Designed on three levels, it moves the must without pumps, an approach that combines sustainability with precision. For Simon, this is less about following a trend than about continuity: using generational knowledge to craft wines with a future.
A Family Endeavor
Weingut Gattinger remains a true family affair:
- Sissy and Leo, Simon's parents, are still hands-on in the vineyards.
- Marlies Auer, Simon's partner, leads marketing and communications.
- Simon guides the cellar and the vision for the estate.
Together they embody what makes the winery distinctive: innovation rooted in heritage.
Origin Over Numbers
For Simon, great wine is never defined by alcohol levels or technical figures. It is defined by origin. Every vineyard tells its own story, and his mission is to capture those nuances in the glass.
All of his vineyards lie in Unterloiben and Oberloiben, in the municipality of Dürnstein, the easternmost part of the Wachau. The Pannonian climate brings warmth, while the Danube and the northern forests provide refreshing coolness. The soils are just as varied: gneiss, granite, and Danubian gravel known as Donauschotter, which lends a signature minerality, particularly to wines from Ried Klostersatz.
The Wachau as a Mosaic of Terroirs
In Simon's eyes, the Wachau is not one uniform landscape but a mosaic. Kreutles is not Klostersatz. Höhereck is not Loibenberg. Each site reflects its own interplay of soil, altitude, and microclimate.
With Grüner Veltliner and Riesling at the center of his work, he translates this diversity into wines that are clear, structured, and precise, yet always full of enjoyment.
Steep Terraces, Careful Hands
The work behind these wines is demanding. Terraces are held by dry stone walls, and the slopes are so steep that hand labor is essential, with hundreds of careful touches throughout the growing season. These terraces are iconic, but they are also ecological havens. They function as some of the largest "insect hotels" in Austria, supporting biodiversity while keeping soils healthy.
Patience in the Cellar
Certified sustainable since 2021, Simon balances minimal intervention with careful protection of the vines. He believes in patience: letting wines mature on fine lees or giving them longer maceration when the wine calls for it. Every detail is intentional, and every decision aims at wines that are authentic, refined, and memorable.
Wines That Invite a Second Glass
The result is wines of finesse, precision, and joy, wines that make you say: "Another glass, please!"
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