Hotels near Heuriger Wine Taverns

Vienna is the only major capital in the world with commercial vineyards inside the city limits, around 600 hectares of them on the slopes to the north and northeast. The Heuriger is the tavern where a grower sells his own wine, a right granted by imperial decree in 1784, and October is its season. Grinzing, Nussdorf, Neustift am Walde and Stammersdorf are the main clusters, and the last is the least touristed by a distance.

A green branch hung over the door means the tavern is currently open and pouring. Food is sold by weight from a cold buffet rather than ordered from a menu. October is when Sturm appears: cloudy, part-fermented young wine, barely alcoholic to taste and considerably stronger than it seems, available only for the few weeks between harvest and the finished vintage. Gemischter Satz, the field blend planted and pressed together, is Vienna's own appellation.

Pro Tip: Take tram 38 to the Grinzing terminus but keep walking uphill past the first three taverns. The ones on Cobenzlgasse above the village square have the vineyard views and the local crowd; the ones at the bottom have the tour buses.