Authenticity, sustainability and typicity are not just buzzwords, but principles according to which Josef Högl and his son Georg press their wines in Spitz an der Donau in the Wachau. The Spitzer Graben, a side valley of the Danube valley and at the same time the westernmost and highest part of the Wachau, which stretches from the Waldviertel to Spitz, is the special feature of the wines. The Spitzer Graben not only impresses with the steepness of its rugged and stony slopes, but also with the unconventional nature of its cold and inhospitable climate.
The approximately ten hectares of vineyards of the Högl winery are all terraces characterised by dry stone walls. Ried Schön alone comprises 57 terraces, spread over 130 metres of altitude. Mr. Högl mainly cultivates the Grüner Veltliner and Riesling grape varieties. While the Schön vineyard is ideal for Grüner Veltliner with depth and minerality due to the deep mica schist soil, Riesling is grown on the steep stone terraces of the Bruck vineyard, where granodiorite gneiss predominates. Josef and Georg Högl follow the philosophy that grapes, soil, mica schist and gneiss as well as the location and the character that develops through the terroir should be reflected in the finished wine. By practicing consistent natural viticulture and the interplay of innovation and tradition, precise and complex wines of the highest quality are created. The basis for tangible wines is created by the purest grapes, which are harvested several times by hand. The Smaragd wines from the Högl winery are deep, complex and long-lasting wines from old vines. As a member of the "Vinea Wachau Nobilis Districtus", the Högls are committed to the strict quality code of this association, which emphasises the provenance and character of the individualistic Wachau villages and vineyards.
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