Kremstal lies immediately downstream of the Wachau, centred on the town of Krems where the Danube valley begins to widen. It shares a great deal with its famous neighbour, the same river, much of the same geology and the same two leading grapes, but the broader valley lets in more warmth and the wines come out a little rounder and more approachable.

The region divides into three parts: the steep terraced slopes west of Krems that are essentially a continuation of the Wachau, the deep loess hills around Rohrendorf and Gedersdorf that give generous Grüner Veltliner, and the higher, cooler ground to the south across the river. Riesling takes the stony sites, Grüner Veltliner the loess. The extra warmth also supports more red than the Wachau does, mostly Zweigelt. Krems itself has been a wine town for over a thousand years and holds one of the oldest wine schools in Europe.