Steinertal
Facts:
- Town:
- Unterloiben
- Size in ha:
- 4,61
- Altitude in m:
- 230 - 282
- Aspect:
- S
- Average Slope in %:
- 27
- Max. Slope in %:
- 62
- Insolation in hours per year:
- 2087
- Terraced vineyard:
- Yes
- Distance to Danube in m:
- 309
- Labour required in h:
- 3.500
- First documentary evidence:
- 1435
Description
Seen from the east, the Steinertal is the first steep vineyard of the wine region. The view also reveals the trench character of this vineyard, as suggested by the old name "Steingraben" (stony trench), forming an amphitheatre with an open view of the winescape of the Wachau region.
Soil Profile Steinertal
The geological substratum of the Steinertal vineyard is entirely composed of carbonate-free, acidic Gföhl gneiss (orthogneiss). The glacial loess cover has long been eroded, so that carbonate minerals such as calcite and dolomite (""limestone"") are only found in very low concentrations in the soil.
The topsoil is sandy, meagre and low in humus. At a pH level of 7.5, the soil falls within the weakly alkaline range.
The native Gföhl gneiss is already marked by weathering. The surfaces are coated with reddish-brown iron oxides. Cracks and joints are filled with fine, washed-in soil material. The vine roots penetrate deep into the rock through these cracks.
