Offenberg

The parent rock underlying vineyard soils in the western Wachau near Spitz consists of marble in many cases. Like gneiss, Spitz marble is a metamorphic rock originating in the Variscan Orogeny, whereas a carbonate such as limestone or dolomite serves as the base here. A higher level of silicate in the parent rock results in calcsilicate marble or calcsilicate gneiss forming during metamorphosis.
The calcsilicate marble at Offenberg is strongly weathered and the high silicate level is more likely to result in a sandy soil, despite the lime content. Due to the large share of lime, wines cultivated in marble-type rock are smoother and more full-bodied than wines grown in non-calcareous sandy soils.