The Donabaum estate has produced wine for five generations, focusing exclusively on grape growing since 1961, but it was only when current proprietor Johann took over that the family broke into the upper echelon of Austrian winemaking. After studying winemaking in nearby Krems, Johann worked at the legendary F.X. Pichler estate. It was largely Pichler’s Rieslings and Grüner Veltliners that established the Wachau as Austria’s premier winegrowing region, and it was near-maniacal attention to detail in the vineyard and cellar, along with a drastic reduction in yields, that got it done. Johann brought that stringent, prideful energy back to his family’s operation by purchasing plots in the most prized Wachau sites, cutting the yields in the vineyard in half, and shutting down the family’s restaurant operation to focus entirely on winemaking. The Austrian wine press quickly dubbed him a wunderkind, but that label no longer applies: after 20+ years at the helm, Johann is an established star in the Austrian firmament.
