A winegrowers' association or regional brand in the Lower Austrian winegrowing region of Wachau for dry quality white wines typical of their origin. It was founded in 1983 by the four Wachau winegrowing pioneers Franz Hirtzberger senior (1922-2007), Josef Jamek, Franz Prager and Willi Schwengler as directors of the Wachau winegrowers' cooperative (today Domäne Wachau). The aim and purpose was to create an area-protected brand, which was directed against the then widespread practice of buying wines from other Lower Austrian wine-growing regions and marketing them as Wachau wines. The name was used by the nobleman Leuthold I von Kuenring (1243-1313), who resided at his castle in Dürnstein, to designate the core of his possessions, which corresponded to today's Wachau. He is included on the label, but instead of a sword he carries a wine goblet in his right hand. The chairman of the association was Franz Hirtzberger Jr. for 24 years; his successor has been Emmerich Knoll since 2012.
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