Schübel-Auer with one of the oldest guest gardens at the foot of Nussberg mountain is one of the most beautiful traditional Viennese ‘Heuriger’ in Vienna.

The original building was built in 1642 and has been run as a wine tavern since 1711, now in the tenth generation of the family. The rooms, with their historical charm, have been tastefully restored with great attention to detail and today offer both the beauty and magic of the past and the needs and comfort of the present.

“Heuriger” means “this year’s” and implies “this year’s wine”. The Viennese tradition of going to a Heuriger goes back to the middle ages when winegrowers would sell their youngest wines directly in the vineyard.  In the old days, people would bring their empty wine flasks to fill and have a picnic after taking a hike in the mountain forests nearby. The modern Heuriger was born when winegrowers began to offer food, set up tables and chairs, and serve the wine.

The Viennese “mixed mash” (gemischter Satz) was developed in response to pests that thrived on older planting methods. By mixing the grapes in the vineyard, side by side, and carefully maintaining a microecology in those fields, the Viennese were able to successfully grow grapes without pesticides. The tradition of the mixed grape vineyard remained even as improvements in technology made pest removal easy.

Ludwig van Beethoven moved into the house two doors down in 1817. He is buried in the local cemetery and a statue in his honor can be found on the “Beethovengang”, or Beethoven walk, which you can find starting near one of our main entrances. There have been numerous sightings of his ghost in our tavern, and there are stories about the great composer sneaking in through a secret tunnel at night to have a nip or two.  We cannot corroborate any of these local myths, but you are free to investigate on your own. Heuriger Schübel-Auer has always been a place for music. Both folk and classical musicians perform today as they did in the past.