Green Gates to Vienna: Welcome to Vienna
A traveler arriving in Vienna passes invariably through wine country and is greeted first by romantic vineyards and rustic wine taverns on the outskirts of the city. The sophisticated vintners of Vienna are steeped in the fine arts and the history of a great cultural metropolis, yet extremely conscious of their role in preserving the city’s environment and agricultural heritage.
Viticulture in Vienna is as old as the city itself, which remains the only capital city in the world with significant wine cultivation. 320 vintners tend 680 vineyard hectares (1,680 acres) located predominantly on the outskirts and distributed among six districts: Döbling, Floridsdorf, Liesing, Favoriten, Hernals, and Ottakring. 86% of the entire vineyard area is found in Döbling (19th district) and Floridsdorf (21st district) on the west side of the city with Döbling on the south side of the Danube River, Floridsdorf directly opposite on the river's north side. The lush green vineyards and parks influence the city’s entire landscape and give it a unique flair.
Vienna occupies the impressive second rank in quality of living among 215 large cities world-wide surveyed by the human resource consulting firm William Mercer. Major contributing factors are cultural diversity, political stability, a thriving economy, and healthy environment. Wine cultivation plays an important role in the quality of life in Vienna. The expansive agricultural area within city limits is a place of rejuvenation and leisure enjoyed by inhabitants and tourists alike.
Viennese vintners spend an average of 590 hours per hectare per year tending the city’s vineyards. That means 400,000 hours of toil not only for the production of wine, but for the preservation of an important cultural landscape. Relaxing, strolling, and picnicking in the Viennese vineyards has been a tradition for centuries. Currently 40% of the full-time vintners participate in the Integrated Production program which strictly limits the use of plant protection measures and fertilization. 50% of these IP vintners abstain completely from the use of synthetic herbicides. Cover crops between the vines as a means of protection against erosion are quickly becoming the norm. No wonder the vineyards are not only called the green gates, but the lungs of the city!
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"Vienna is the only capital city in the world with significant wine production within city limits."
