The international "Steinfeder Prize for Wine Journalism", sponsored by the Wachau Winegrowers' Association Vinea Wachau Nobilis Districtus, has been awarded annually since 1986. It is named after the quality level or grass species Steinfeder. The winner is chosen by the board and receives a Steinfeder bush and a collection of 72 bottles of Wachau wines of the Smaragd quality level. The previous winners were

• 1986: Dr Helmut Romé, Falstaff - Austria
• 1987: Heinz-Gert Woschek, Alles über Wein - Germany
• 1988: August F. Winkler, freelance journalist - Austria
• 1989: Dkfm. Wolfgang Petzl, Vinothek St. Stephan - Austria
• 1990: Dr Peter Breitschopf, journalist - Austria
• 1991: Kurt Grünwald, journalist - Austria
• 1992: Stuart Pigott, wine author and journalist - Germany
• 1993: Rudolf Knoll, wine author and wine critic, Vinum - Germany
• 1994: Dr Robert Sedlaczek, wine author and publisher, Werner Schima, NEWS - Austria
• 1995: Christoph Wagner, cookery book author, Gault Millau - Austria
• 1996: no award winner
• 1997: René Gabriel, publicist and wine merchant, WeinWisser - Switzerland
• 1998: Michael Reinartz, Gault Millau - Austria
• 1999: Jancis Robinson, wine author - Great Britain
• 2000: Dr Georg Schwab, Dr Viktor Siegl, Dr Josef Obermaier, Vinaria - Austria
• 2001: Peter Moser, editor-in-chief of Falstaff - Austria
• 2002: Hans Denk, pastor and wine author - Austria
• 2003: Tim Atkin, wine author - England
• 2004: Christian Grünwald, publisher and editor-in-chief of A la Carte - Austria
• 2005: Hans Mahr, RTL Television - Austria
• 2006: David Schildknecht, wine writer, Wine Advocate - USA
• 2007: Paul Op ten Berg, sommelier and wine author - Netherlands
• 2008: Madeleine Jakits, editor-in-chief of Der Feinschmecker - Germany
• 2009: Karl and Martina Hohenlohe, editors of Gault Millau - Austria
• 2010: no award winner
• 2011: Herbert Hacker, wine author - Austria
• 2012: Jens Priewe, wine author - Germany
• 2013: Adi Schmid, sommelier at Restaurant Steirereck (Vienna) - Austria
• 2014: no award winner
• 2015: Gerhard Retter, sommelier - Germany
• 2016: Paula Bosch, sommelier and author - Germany
• 2017: Josef Schuller(MW), GF Wine Academy Austria - Austria
• 2018: Annemarie Foidl, President Sommelierunion Austria - Austria
• 2019: Anne Krebiehl (MW), journalist - Germany
• 2020: no award winner
• 2021: no award winner
• 2022: Sascha Speicher, editor-in-chief of the magazine "Meiningers Sommelier" - Germany
• 2023: Willi Klinger, long-time director of ÖWM - Austria