The Hogl family estate lies deep in heart of the Spitzer Graben, the coolest and least known part of the Wachau, a place that Josef Hogl, the best-known winegrower in the valley, calls the forgotten Wachau.

The Spitzer Graben takes its name from the Spitzerbach, a stream that runs through the east west glen. Along the sides of the valley lie Hogl's impressive expanse of terraced vineyards climbing steep hillsides which enjoy a perfect southern exposure. As Josef Hogl explains, not only is the Spitzer Graben the coolest terroir in the Wachau, there is also very little wind. It is warm without being too warm or too dry. Cool but not too cold. Here the grapes ripen slowly, allowing for finely-developed aromatics and cool off at night, limiting sugar production.

Visiting Hogl is a convivial joy. Multiple generations collaborate on the family farm and winery now run by father and son team, Josef and Georg. The ideology is in perfect balance, maintaining tradition while exploring new types of wine and styles of winemaking, but what always lies at the core of Hogl wines is a philosophy of clean, complex, and balanced wines and farming that recognizes it is the home to generations past and to come.