Cycling & Wine Tasting in Kremstal: Our Guide to Austria’s Wine Region
After plenty of trips to Austria - and naturally sampling our fair share of Austrian wine along the way - we started to notice the same names appearing again and again on the labels of some of our favourite bottles. Wachau, Kremstal and Kamptal had slowly become familiar names, and eventually, our curiosity got the better of us. Where exactly were these wines coming from, and could we go straight to the source?
A little research later, we discovered that all three wine regions sit relatively close together in Lower Austria and, even better, could easily be reached from Salzburg. That was enough to get us planning.
The original idea was to spend a few days cycling and wine tasting through the Wachau Valley, but with neighbouring Kremstal and Kamptal practically on its doorstep, it seemed a shame not to squeeze those in too.
And so, bikes in tow and with plenty of room in our backpacks for a bottle or two, we set off to explore Austria’s wine country on two wheels - starting with Kremstal.
Our 1-Day Itinerary for Kremstal
We tailored our one-day Kremstal itinerary around the wineries we most wanted to visit, linking them together into a route we could tackle by bike. One day certainly isn’t enough to experience everything Kremstal has to offer, but it gave us a brilliant introduction to the region - and plenty of reasons to come back.
Josef Dockner - The Start of Our Kremstal Wine Tour
Location: Winzerhof Familie Dockner, Ortsstraße 30, 3508 Höbenbach
We had absolutely no idea what to expect from wine tasting in Austria. Despite drinking plenty of Austrian wine over the years, this was our first time actually visiting one of the country’s wineries.
We’d done our research before the trip, picking out the wineries we most wanted to visit, but quickly discovered that finding information online wasn’t always easy. Details about opening hours, wine tastings, tasting menus and prices could be surprisingly limited, so there was still a bit of mystery around how the whole experience would work once we arrived.
And with that, Josef Dockner had the honour of becoming our very first Austrian wine tasting - and our introduction to what wine tasting in Kremstal was really like.
We chose Josef Dockner as our first stop because it was already a familiar name to us. Their wines are some of the more common Kremstal wines we’d spotted in Austrian supermarkets, so we were curious to visit the winery behind the bottles we’d seen - and already enjoyed plenty of times before.
Our first impressions of the tasting centre were a little mixed. Rather than the cosy cellar or intimate tasting room we’d perhaps imagined, the space felt more like a combination of a shop and office. The tasting also took place standing at the counter, which initially felt a little awkward compared with sitting around a table and leisurely working your way through a flight of wines.
What the setting lacked in atmosphere, however, our host more than made up for. He was incredibly friendly and knowledgeable, talking us through the history of Josef Dockner, the family behind the winery and the wines being produced today.
There wasn’t a rigid tasting flight to follow either. Instead, we were given a wine menu and could choose a selection of bottles that interested us, including the opportunity to sample some of their reserve wines. For a first introduction to wine tasting in Kremstal, being able to explore the range and simply ask to try the wines that caught our attention worked really well.
Then came one of the biggest surprises of our visit: the tasting was completely free. After working our way through a generous selection of wines, we fully expected a tasting fee, so discovering there was no charge certainly wasn't a bad way to begin our Kremstal wine tour.
Before leaving, it’s also worth having a look around the shop. Alongside plenty of bottles to take home, Josef Dockner sells a selection of marmalades, chutneys and other products, with some bottles and items available at reduced prices.
It might not have been the cosy Austrian wine-cellar experience we’d pictured before arriving, but between the warm welcome, relaxed approach to choosing our wines and free tasting, Josef Dockner gave us a great first taste of Kremstal.
Weingut Geyerhof - Family, Tradition & Organic Wine
Location: Weingut Geyerhof, Ortsstraße 1, 3511 Furth bei Göttweig
Geyerhof was one of the tastings we’d organised in advance. During our research, we’d read that the family isn’t always on site for walk-in tastings, so a few weeks before our trip, we sent an email to arrange a time to visit - something we’d definitely recommend doing if Geyerhof is on your Kremstal itinerary.
When we arrived, we were warmly greeted by Ilse Maier, and it quickly became clear that we were in for much more than simply tasting a few glasses of wine.
Ilse played an important part in shaping Geyerhof into the winery it is today, pioneering the estate’s move towards organic viticulture in the 1980s. Today, the estate is run by the next generation, her son Josef Maier and his wife, Maria, continuing Geyerhof’s long family winemaking tradition.
Ilse generously took us through several of Geyerhof’s wines, but what made the tasting particularly memorable were the stories that came with them. As we worked our way through the different bottles, she talked us through the history of the estate, the family and how their approach to winemaking has evolved over the years.
There was something particularly special about learning about Geyerhof’s organic philosophy directly from the person who helped introduce it decades ago. Rather than feeling like a formal tasting, it felt much more personal - sharing wines and hearing the story of the estate from someone who has been such an important part of it.
Weingut Müller - The Tasting That Turned Into an Afternoon
Location: Weingut Müller, Hollenburgerstraße 12, 3508 Krustetten
Our visit to Weingut Müller started with a slight detour. We’d cycled all the way up to the winery, only to realise we’d arrived at the wrong entrance. With lunchtime calling anyway, we decided to make our way to nearby Weinhof Fink for some much-needed Jause (a traditional Austrian cold platter, usually made up of local meats, cheeses, spreads and bread) instead.
While we were there, we gave Weingut Müller a call to see if they could fit us in for a tasting later that day. Luckily for us, they could.
So, suitably fed and with an actual tasting arranged this time, we got back on our bikes and made our second attempt at visiting Weingut Müller.
And we're very glad we did - because what we expected to be a relatively straightforward wine tasting ended up turning into several hours of wine, an impromptu cellar and production tour, and even a trip out to the vines.
One thing we quickly loved about Weingut Müller is just how much of a family affair it is. The winery has been in the Müller family for generations, and everyone seems to have their own role to play - from the vineyards and cellar to the kitchen, office and everything in between.
We were lucky enough to be hosted by Martha, who we can only describe as the mother wolf and leader of the pack. Incredibly friendly, hospitable and full of energy, she made us feel completely at home from the moment we arrived. The winery itself describes Martha as the “heart” of Weingut Müller, and after spending an afternoon with her, it wasn't difficult to see why.
We also got to meet her son Martin Müller, who represents the next generation of the family and now heads up the wine cellar. And he’s clearly doing something right. In 2025, their Grüner Veltliner Ried Oberfeld Kremstal DAC Reserve 2023 was crowned a SALON Sieger, one of Austria’s prestigious national wine awards, after making its way through several rounds of blind tasting.
That family dynamic was a huge part of what made our visit so memorable. This didn't feel like turning up at a polished tasting room, trying a predetermined flight and leaving an hour later. We felt like we'd been welcomed into the Müller family for the afternoon - although perhaps with considerably more wine than we'd usually drink at a family gathering.
Of all the wines we tasted, our favourite of the bunch was the Ried Eichbühel Kremstal DAC Reserve. We enjoyed it so much that we couldn’t resist buying a bottle to take home with us.
Once we’d finished our tasting, Martha offered to show us around the winery, taking us into the cellar where rows of impressive oak barrels were waiting. Some had even been specially engraved with family trees and designs to mark birthdays and other important family occasions - another little detail that reinforced just how much history and family are woven into the winery.
From the cellar, we made our way into the production area to see where the wine itself comes to life. Here, we got to sample Sturm (partially fermented grape juice that’s only available around harvest time) alongside freshly pressed grape juice -giving us the chance to taste the winemaking process at very different stages.
This was also where we met Martin, who talked us through his vision for the future of Weingut Müller. As the next generation takes on more responsibility, there are plans to modernise parts of the winery and continue moving things forward, but Martin was clear about one thing: however much the technology and processes evolve, the taste and quality of the wine itself will always come first.
Just when we thought our afternoon at Weingut Müller couldn’t get much better, there was one final surprise waiting for us.
After a tasting that had already gone far beyond anything we’d expected, we were invited on a short tour through the family’s vineyards. It was the perfect way to round off our visit, seeing where the grapes we’d spent the afternoon tasting actually begin their journey.
Our final stop took us up to one of the best viewpoints overlooking the Kremstal wine region, where there was only one thing left to do - enjoy one last glass of wine surrounded by the vines and take in the view.
What had started as a slightly spontaneous tasting had somehow turned into hours of wine, stories, cellar tours, freshly pressed grape juice and vineyard exploring. It was exactly the kind of experience we’d hoped to find when we decided to cycle through Austria’s wine regions, and one we definitely won’t forget in a hurry.
