The Soil

The soils in the upper section of the Zanzl vineyard are dominated by Gföhl gneiss. With rounded edges, the stones and rocks have obviously moved some distance. This profile apparently consists of deposits from glacial solifluction. The freezing temperatures during the last ice age resulted in permafrost soils that thawed only superficially in summer. Alternating freezing and thawing caused frost fissures in the upper layers of rock. Loess deposits covered the rubble and layers above, acting as a sort of lubricant during thaw periods. This resulted in a water-saturated mass that gradually slid during the summer months, from what is now Dunkelsteinerwald to the Danube valley below. The rocks were smoothed in the process. At deeper levels the soil still contains loess, which ensures the vines an ample water supply even in hot summers.