Some wineries throw parties. Domäne Wachau brought together many of the people who shape Austrian wine—on the ground, in the cellar, and far beyond. No big branding. No glitz. Just wines that spoke for themselves, food that made sense, and guests who showed up for all the right reasons.
I was lucky enough to be there. And what I saw wasn’t about ego or image. It was about respect, trust, and a kind of quiet collective pride you can’t fake with a hashtag.

On June 2, 2025, Domäne Wachau had two very good reasons to celebrate:
They had been named Falstaff’s Winemaker of the Year 2024, and it marked 20 years since they relaunched as a grower-led collective.
Which sounds very “strategic vision statement,” I know—but what it actually felt like was a bunch of genuinely grateful, hard-working people raising a glass to everything they’ve built. The kind of milestone where you don’t say “cheers,” you say “thank you.”

Domäne Wachau is powered by around 200 grape-growers who tend the steep, hand-crafted terraces along the Danube. Only a few of the 200 growers were there that night—but all of their work could be felt in every glass.

There was no dress code. No overproduced drama. Just a stunning location, a golden-hour breeze, and a perfectly measured rhythm of short speeches and long pours.
And then it started to rain.
Nobody panicked. Everyone calmly zipped into their raincoats like it was part of the dress code. And honestly? It kind of was.
It felt like a dinner party hosted by your coolest friend—if your coolest friend were also Austria’s most precise winemaker and didn’t flinch when the sky opened mid-toast.

The people invited weren’t random. Winemakers, sommeliers, wine media—but also those who’ve helped shape Domäne Wachau’s story in less obvious ways.
Take Auguszta Cseri. Her family runs the respected Cseri Winery in Hungary, which poured alongside other standout producers that evening. Today, she’s also the export manager for Domäne Wachau. That kind of crossover doesn’t just say a lot—it tastes like it, too.

Let’s talk food. That night, seven Michelin stars came together in the Wachau—and yet it all felt deliciously unbothered.
Philip Rachinger, Andreas Senn, Hubert Wallner, Maria & Josef Steffner, Martin Sieberer, Mochi, and Aris Cantina didn’t just cook. They understood the wines. The flow between bites and sips felt intuitive, like everything belonged to the same sentence.