Summary
Winzer Krems, with its well-known umbrella brand Sandgrube 13, ranks among the largest and most important quality-wine producers in Austria. Founded in 1938, this wine cooperative unites around 750 member growers who together farm roughly 1,000 hectares in the Kremstal. At the centre stands Grüner Veltliner, complemented by Riesling and the red Zweigelt – the region's classic varieties. This diversity yields a broad range: from approachable regional wines through village and single-vineyard bottlings to premium lines such as Edition Chremisa and single-vineyard reserves. With its “SANDGRUBE 13 wein.sinn” experience world, the house has also grown into one of the country's most important wine visitor centres.
History
The roots of Winzer Krems reach back to 1938, when the winegrowers' guild of Krems and Stein laid the foundation for a communal winery. The idea: to bundle the region's small wine estates under one roof, so that grapes could be processed professionally, matured together and marketed jointly. From this cooperative spirit grew one of the country's largest quality-wine producers over the decades.
Today Winzer Krems is a wine cooperative (eG) with around 750 member estates. Across generations, the grower families deliver their grapes from the vineyards around Krems to the modern winery. With the Sandgrube 13 umbrella brand – named after the winery's address by the Ried Sandgrube – the house has created one of the best-known names in Austrian wine. A major milestone of its recent history was the renovation and expansion of the “SANDGRUBE 13 wein.sinn” experience world between 2019 and 2023, which further strengthened the cooperative's role as a visitor magnet.
Location & Terroir
Winzer Krems lies at the heart of the Kremstal wine region, which has held the Kremstal DAC appellation since 2007. Around Krems an der Donau, a fascinating patchwork of different soils comes together: the meagre, crystalline primary-rock terraces of the steep slopes, the fine loess soils of the gentler hills, and the gravelly alluvial soils near the Danube.
The Kremstal's climate is shaped by two influences: warm Pannonian air from the east brings ripeness and power, while cool downdraughts from the nearby Waldviertel ensure fresh nights and lively acidity. These contrasts make the area an ideal region for aromatic, spicy white wines. Well-known sites from which the members deliver grapes include Sandgrube, Goldberg, Wachtberg, Kremsleiten and Pfaffenberg.
Style & Philosophy
The stylistic focus rests clearly on Grüner Veltliner and Riesling – the two white varieties that also define the Kremstal DAC. Grüner Veltliner typically shows a spicy, peppery character with juicy fruit, while Riesling is more precise, mineral and taut. Dry vinification, clear fruit and the balance of ripeness and freshness so typical of the Kremstal form the backbone of the range.
As a large cooperative, Winzer Krems thinks in quality tiers: from the uncomplicated, fruit-driven regional wine through characterful village wines to the dense, age-worthy single-vineyard wines and reserves from individual top sites. The programme is rounded out by red Zweigelt as well as a growing offering of organic-certified wines. The sheer scale of the members' vineyards makes it possible to hold a reliable quality level in every price bracket.
Notable Vineyards & Wines
The range is clearly organised by origin and brand. At the centre stands the umbrella brand Sandgrube 13, while several premium and single-vineyard lines further shape the house:
- Sandgrube 13 – the umbrella brand for the broad range of Grüner Veltliner, Riesling and more
- Edition Chremisa – the premium line with especially ambitious wines
- Ried Wachtberg – single-vineyard reserve as one of the flagships
- Kellerschlössel and Weinmanufaktur Krems – further high-quality lines
- Wines from sites such as Sandgrube, Goldberg, Kremsleiten and Pfaffenberg
The spectrum stretches from fresh everyday wines to the powerful, age-worthy single-vineyard wines and reserves from the Kremstal's best sites.
Awards
As one of Austria's largest quality-wine producers, Winzer Krems regularly collects awards at home and abroad. In the Falstaff wine guide the house is rated with two stars. Internationally, the winery made waves at MUNDUS VINI 2023, when it received not only Gold but also the “Best of Show Austria” distinction for a white wine in retail. Together with its broad, reliable range and its much-visited experience world, these successes underline Winzer Krems' role as one of the defining addresses of the Kremstal.