Today, you will find Weingut Prager on any short list of Austria's best growers. Prager, founded in 1717, would have made that list in the 1950's, thanks to Franz Prager's innovations. But it is his... Read More

Today, you will find Weingut Prager on any short list of Austria's best growers. Prager, founded in 1717, would have made that list in the 1950's, thanks to Franz Prager's innovations. But it is his son-in-law, Toni Bodenstein, who has elevated the domaine to rock-star status.

Toni, a biologist, geologist and historian, has gone to great lengths to study, document and preserve the Wachau. He was lucky enough to inherit a wealth of old vines in prime vineyards. But he has also purchased, revived and replanted some of the region's highest and most difficult to cultivate sites. He focuses on biodiversity, and has built a "living museum" of Gruner Veltliner and Riesling bio-types.

That wealth of genetic material isn't just of academic interest. It makes for some of the world's most delicious Riesling and Gruner.

While Toni would say the wines are made in the vineyard, it's also true that he is a talented winemaker of a purist bent: "controlled" spontaneous fermentation, short aging on the lees (in stainless steel only), allow each plot's terroir to shine through. While fairly reductive when young, they are built to age in the bottle.