It is named after the Kamp River, and Langenlois, as a town, has the largest area under vines. With 3,802 hectares, the Kamptal is also one of the larger wine-growing areas in the country. Culture and tourism are of great importance, reinforced by wine taverns and vinotheques.
With the Heiligenstein, the Kamptal has one of the most distinctive sites with a very special soil: a desert sandstone with volcanic components from the 270 million year old Permian period. The steep terraces on the southern slope grow mainly Riesling grapes, which produce powerful, long-lived wines. Towards the Danube, the soils change; here, loess and clay terraces provide good conditions for a variety of wine types. In addition to Grüner Veltliner, the Burgundy family and Blauer Zweigelt show their strengths.
Climatically, the dynamic between the hot Pannonian Basin and the cool, neighbouring Waldviertel region to the north is noticeable in the Kamptal. The two main grape varieties, Grüner Veltliner and Riesling, have defined the Kamptal DAC since 2008; wines typical of the region with the Kamptal DAC designation may only come from the Grüner Veltliner and Riesling varieties. The addition of the "Reserve" category identifies particularly deep DAC wines.
An attraction for wine tourists is the Loisium, a futuristic visitor and seminar hotel centre with a vinotheque and underground mystical wine experiences. The entire experience represents the symbiosis of tradition and innovation that characterises the Kamptal.
In addition to Langenlois, as well as Gobelsburg, Straß im Straßertale and Zöbing, numerous smaller wine villages are also significant.
