The Explore 4: Down the Danube

Give the gift of “Explore 4” without the commitment! SommSelect’s “Explore 4” surveys the vast landscape of wine and breaks it into small, digestible bites. Each month, we select four bottles that fit a theme, allowing members to experience a diversity of styles while developing their own palate preferences. It’s an ongoing exploration of wine through a sommelier’s eyes and there’s no more effective, and enjoyable, way to learn about wine The Danube River, which originates in Germany’s Black Forest and winds through 10 countries on its way to the Black Sea, is a wine-drenched waterway to rival the Rhine in Germany, the Garonne in France, or the Duero/Douro in Spain/Portugal. And while we are increasingly encountering fascinating wines in Danube-adjacent terroirs in Hungary, Croatia, Romania, and elsewhere, the key stretch of river for wine lovers is the one extending from the Waldviertel forest district in northwestern Austria to the Hungary/Austria border. Call it the “Austrian” Danub