| Region of production: | Kremstal/Wachau |
| Winery Location: | Sandgrube |
| Year Established: | 2003 |
Vineyard Holdings
8 ha owned, 7 ha purchased
- Loibner Loibenberg: Soil is rocky „gföhler gneiss“
- Steiner Pfaffenberg
- Steiner Kögl: soil is slate
- Stein: soil is slate and weathered schist with a higher proportion of lime; planted to Riesling
- Kremsleithen: soil is slate; planted to Riesling
- Holzgasse: soil is primarily deep layers of loess
- Kerschbaum: soil is loess
- Weinzierlberg: sandy soil on gneiss
- Kremser Gebling: soil is loess over gravel conglomerates
- Sandgrube
Top Wines Produced
- Grüner Veltliner Kremstaler
- Grüner Veltliner Wachauer
- Grüner Veltliner Stein-Und-Krems
- Grüner Veltliner Pfaffenberg
- Riesling Wachauer
- Riesling Loibner Loibenberg
- Riesling Stein-Und-Krems
- Riesling Pfaffenberg
Average Total Production
- N/A
Summary
Namesake Rainer Wess founded the Rainer Wess estate in 2003 after working as the director of Domäne Wachau for several years. Rainer had to buy fruit prior to purchasing vineyard parcels in Loibenberg and Stein. Today the family owns and sources fruit in equal proportions—about 7-8 ha each. In 2009, Rainer Wess purchased and renovated a 300-year-old cellar that could operate as a gravity-flow winery. Farming is sustainable and organic, but Rainer is not seeking certification. The winery produces Grüner Veltliner and Riesling exclusively. The wines are known for their clean style, showing no botrytis unless released as Auslese or TBA.
Style & Vinification Techniques
Rainer does not shy away from skin contact, allowing maceration during the slow filling of the press for whole cluster pressing. The juice then settles naturally in 300-liter stainless steel tanks prior to fermentation. After fermentation, the wines are racked from gross lees and allowed to rest on their fine lees until bottling.
Producer Website: Rainer Wess