For example, red beets with Gorgonzola and blueberry sauce make their way to the table. Or goat cheese with hazelnuts and orange segments. In summer, there’s always a marinated fish. “And our guests especially love the roast beef,” Georg Pöchlinger laughs. He serves it with Dijon mustard cream, cucumber salad, and a splash of lime.
Team Tapas
In Mitterarnsdorf, the classic Heurigen dishes are sometimes deliberately moved to the sidelines. Instead, Georg Pöchlinger and his family invite guests to a tapas-style Heuriger: red beet, roast beef, and more — meant to be shared at the table. A concept that is on its way to becoming a Wachau tradition…
“You always have to try something a little new.” Georg Pöchlinger comes out of the kitchen. Soon, the first guests will be knocking at the Heuriger door. Until then, everything has to be ready — garnishes, sauces, salads. A well-thought-out system where every move is precise — with the tapas plates displayed as large photos in the kitchen. So that every plate is perfect, no matter who prepares it later.
“I’ve always loved cooking — at our pop-ups, I can really let my creativity run wild,” says the young Heuriger host. In addition to the classic Heurigen dates in autumn and spring, there’s the tapas-style Heuriger in winter and his summer pop-up, “MORE than just a Heuriger.” Georg’s Instagram feed? Packed with cooking videos. Even as a child, he would spend hours watching cooking shows.
The heart? It beats for both cooking AND wine.
People sometimes ask him which he loves more: the Heuriger cuisine or the wine. “Then I always answer: Can’t you love two things equally? For me, good food and good wine simply belong together.” Speaking of wine: at the Pöchlingers, you can try all three wine styles of the Vinea Wachau — Steinfeder, Federspiel, Smaragd. “I think they all have their place. In summer, a fresh, light Steinfeder is fantastic!” For the roast beef or the Asian-style pork roast, a slightly bolder wine works well too — depending on your taste. He doesn’t make it a science. “I believe you can’t go wrong when you combine good food with good wine.”
In Mitterarnsdorf and the neighboring villages, many fellow winemakers also run Heurigen. “I think it’s important that we can offer our guests a wide culinary range here in the Wachau. That’s why so many come to us.” It’s not always easy. “You can’t count every hour of work you put in. You have to love doing it,” says Georg. For him, it’s clearly a matter of the heart. But that, too, had to grow. At first, guests didn’t understand why the Heuriger menu suddenly looked so different. Nowadays, they come precisely for that reason: to try something new. It’s best to reserve your table in advance. And if a craving for a classic hits anyway — the pork roast is always on the menu!
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