Josef & Philipp Brundlmayer, Riesling, 'Kaiserstiege'

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Riesling is one of the great grapes of the world. Ask any top wine professional to name their favorite grape, and you’ll almost always hear one of two answers: Chardonnay or Riesling. The misconception, of course, is that Riesling is sweet. That couldn’t be further from the truth. While parts of Germany are rightly famous for sweet expressions, a large percentage of the world’s Riesling is dry—nowhere more compelling than in Austria. These are incredible wines: dry, vertical, and deeply satisfying white wines built with energy and precision, fit for nearly any first course you can throw in their direction. Asian cuisine in particular sings with this style of Riesling—sushi is my favorite pairing.

Northwest of Vienna, where the Kremstal, Kamptal, and Wachau converge along the Danube, Riesling reaches a level of clarity and mineral drive that rivals any white wine on earth. This is one of my favorite regions to travel to—not just for the quality of the food and wine, but for the people: generous, grounded, and deeply connected to their land. Around the central town of Krems, the heart of the region, steep granite terraces rise directly from the Danube River like ancient staircases—carved by hand, radiating heat by day and releasing it at night. These are hard places that make great wine. This bottle, in particular, is a stunning expression of the region, and at under $30 it dramatically overdelivers—one of those wines that reminds you exactly why Riesling remains a sommelier’s secret weapon.

Austria’s wine history stretches back more than two thousand years, but the dramatic terraces that define Kremstal today were not built all at once. Beginning in the Middle Ages, monks and farming families slowly transformed sheer hillsides into workable vineyards, stone by stone. Loose granite was cleared from the slopes and stacked by hand into retaining walls, creating narrow steps—often just wide enough for a single row of vines. Soil was hauled uphill basket by basket, erosion was controlled through patience rather than machinery, and every wall was maintained and rebuilt across generations. These granite terraces absorb heat during the day and release it slowly at night, moderating temperature in a marginal climate and forcing vines to struggle deep into the rock. Nothing here is easy—and that struggle is exactly what gives the wines their tension, minerality, and precision.

The Weingut Philipp Bründlmayer is located just outside Krems, in the southern reaches of the Kremstal, where steep terraced vineyards rise above the Danube and primary rock dominates the soils. This is a family winery whose identity was not created overnight, but shaped slowly through observation, patience, and a willingness to embrace difficult sites.

At the core of this wine are three vineyards—Reid Steingraben, Vordernberg, and Moosburgerin—widely regarded today as among the finest sites in the Kremstal. But their importance isn’t just about pedigree; it’s about foresight. Philipp Bründlmayer’s grandfather farmed a mixed agricultural estate, raising livestock alongside small vineyard parcels whose fruit was delivered to the local cooperative. Wine was part of daily life, not yet the family’s defining pursuit.

That changed in the 1980s, when Philipp’s father, Josef Bründlmayer, decided to turn a deeply held passion for winemaking into a career. At the time, Austrian viticulture was rapidly shifting toward mechanization. Flat, tractor-friendly vineyards were prized, while steep, high-elevation terraces were considered liabilities—too labor-intensive, too costly, too slow. Old vineyards had to be worked by hand, yields were low, and few saw their value. Josef did.

He recognized that these abandoned, difficult vineyards—especially those rooted in granite and other primary rock—were precisely where the region’s most expressive wines could be made. One by one, he acquired sites others passed over: the steep and rugged Steingraben, the perilously stony slopes of Vordernberg, and the ancient, monastic terraces of Moosburgerin. What once seemed impractical became the philosophical backbone of the estate. These vineyards were preserved not because they were easy, but because they were right.

When Philipp Bründlmayer joined his father as a full partner in 2015, he didn’t change direction—he refined it. He introduced organic farming practices, cover crops, and a renewed focus on demanding handwork in the vineyards. Old vines are cherished here for their naturally low yields, heightened aromatics, and deeper phenolic complexity. In the cellar, Philipp favors precision and restraint, fermenting with care and aging the wines in a mix of stainless steel and traditional old foudre to preserve clarity and site expression. Today, the estate is moving toward organic certification while producing mineral-driven Grüner Veltliner and Riesling that speak clearly and confidently of the Kremstal.

In the glass, the 2022 Kaiserstiege is taut, aromatic, and precise. Detailed aromas of lime peel, white peach pit, green apple, petrol and finely crushed stones lift from the glass, followed by a saline, mouth-watering finish that keeps pulling you back. The acidity is vibrant but balanced, giving the wine lift without aggression and structure without weight. This is Riesling made for food: sushi and sashimi, Thai or Vietnamese dishes with herbs and citrus, grilled trout, Wiener schnitzel with lemon, or simple vegetables dressed in olive oil and salt. Serve well-chilled but not icy, in proper stems, and let it warm slowly—it rewards patience. This is dry Austrian Riesling at its best: granite-driven, food-obsessed, and quietly addictive.