12 - Austria Flashcards

1
Q

Describe the climate of Austria (4)

Outline how its regions differ (3)

A
  • E →Danube + Pannonian
  • Cool, continental → Spring frost, winter freeze
  • Water stress in low rainfall years → poor soil

Nierderosterreich

  • Weinvirtel - cool breezes from N + Alps

Burgenland

  • warmer → Pannonian plain
  • Neusiedlersee → moderation + mist

Steiermark

  • warmed via Adriatic wind
  • hail
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2
Q

What are two most common soil types and which varieties are usually planted on them?

Which other soil types are present?

A
  1. Thin soil over rock e.g. granite or gneiss → Riesling
  2. Richer soil e.g. loess → Gruner (needs more water)

Other:

limestone, schist, gravel, volcanic

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3
Q

Outline trends in vineyard management including:

  • training systems
  • methods of harvesting
A

Training

Lenz Moser:

  • cordon, high trained
  • enables machine harvesting
  • low maintenance
  • best suited to high vol

Guyot with VSP → become more popular → focus on q. production

Harvesting

Machine harvest popular

→ Not for steep vineyards

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4
Q

Why is the % of organic vineyards relatively high?

A

14% organic + 9% sustainable

  1. Moderate rainfall
  2. Low disease pressure
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5
Q

Compare max and average yields

A

Max 67.5

Ave 49 → focus on quality

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6
Q

Describe the characteristics of Gruner Veltliner

A
  • Needs water → loess soil
  • Very vigorous → soil type, canopy mngt
  • Thick skins
  • rotundone
  • highish acid
  1. Citrus, green fruit, acceptable-good, inexp
  2. Pronounced peach, ageable, VG-out, prem
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7
Q

Describe the characteristics of Zweigelt

A
  • Early ripening
  • High y
  • Vigorous
  • potassium deficiency→ wither before ripening→ crop loss
  • Resistant to frost, rot
  • Med(+) acid, med tannin, red fruit
  • range from fruity and unoaked of acceptable-good/inexpensive-mid
  • to full-bodied, oaked + very good/premium
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8
Q

Describe Welschriesling and the related regions/styles

A
  • High acid
  • Neutral

Steirermark - fresh, neutral, unoaked, dry, acceptable-good, inexp

Neusiedlersee - BA or TBA with high acid, pronounced tropical and dried fruit, VG-outstanding and prem

  • Sekt
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9
Q

Describe Blaufränkisch

A
  • Early budding / late-ripening
  • generally only in Burgenland
  • Thick skin → rot →Neusiedlersee
  • High y
  • pronounced black fruit, oak, high tannin
  • Leithaberg DAC and Mittelburgenland DAC prime
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10
Q

Describe where Riesling is planted in Austria and the styles of wine it produces?

A
  • Niederösterreich
  • Best on warm sites + thin soils
  • Dry, high acid, med abv, full body, stone + tropical, nuts, honey + petrol → age
  • VG-out, prem
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11
Q

Describe the typical winemaking process for white wines (6)

A

Aim: preserve fruit + varietal character

  1. Skin-contact optional → aromas and flavour extraction
  2. Neutral vessel with temp control
  3. Malo blocked
  4. No new oak
  5. Fine lees for 6 months → texture
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12
Q

Describe the typical winemaking process for red wines (3)

A
  1. Large open-top vessels w/ p.d and p.o
  2. Some ambient yeast
  3. Maturation in larger SST/old oak
  4. new oak occasionally
  5. acacia (no vanilla)
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13
Q

Outline Austria’s wine hierarchy of geographic indicators

A
  • Wein – No Gi
  • Landwein – (PGI)
  • Qualitätswein – (PDO) - 90% - gov’t inspection for quality
  • Klassik: vintage and varietal character
  • Reserve: 13% ABV (dry)
  • Pradikatswein: same as Germany excl Kabinett + including Ausbruch
  • DAC 16 regions introduced in 2002
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14
Q

Outline the DAC system

A

Regionally Typical Qualitätswein – DAC

  • 16 DACs
  • Permitted varieties only
  • typicity test via tasting panel
  • Q. hierarchy:
    • Gebietswein - regional
    • Ortswein - village
    • Riedenwein - single v
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15
Q

What are the two producer groups attempting to certify quality?

Outline the TM systems they have created.

A
  1. Österreichische Traditionsweingüter
  • group of producers → classify vineyards based on soil type + climate
  • 81 Erste Lage vineyards which may display 1ÖTW on label(dry)

- Application to include in law has been made

2. Vinea Wachau

Wachau, SV based on soil + climate

Registered TM for classifications of dry white wine:

  • Steinfeder – Fruity, 11.5% → lightest
  • Federspielmore concentrated 11.5–12.5%
  • SmaragdHighly concentrated with ripe fruit flavours, 12.5%
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16
Q

How large is Niederosterreich? Which sub-regions are located inside it?

A

Largest region - mainly GV

  • Weinviertel in N
  • Regions along Danube → Wachau, Kremstal, Kamptal, Wagram
  • warmer Pannonian plain SE → Thermenregion
17
Q

Describe Wachau’s growing environment, style of wine produced, and production structure.

A

Growing environment

  • N bank of Danube
  • s-facing, terraced vineyards
  • low rainfall → irrigation allowed
  • gneiss, loess

Style

  • Riesling + GV for top wines
  • Dry, high acid, citrus
  • VG - outstanding
  • Vinea Wachau

Production

Mostly family-owned estates, co-op Domaine Wachau

18
Q

Describe Kremstal’s growing environment and the style of wine produced.

A

Growing environment

  • E Wachau
  • Warmer → Pannonian plain → reds

Style

  • GV + Riesling for DAC
  • Red wines → labelled Niederösterreich.
  • Zweigelteasy drinking
19
Q

Describe Kamptal growing environment, style of wine produced, and production structure.

A

Growing Environment

    • Similar to Kremstal, less humid
    • Warmeeer → Pan, cool air off Boh Massif at night → diurnals

Styles

  • GV, Riesling for DAC - HQ
  • Zweigelt → easy-drinking
  • Some PN
20
Q

Describe Wagram’s growing environment and styles of wine

A

Growing environment

  • Both sides of Danube
  • Gently rolling hills
  • warmth from Pan

Styles

Roter Veltliner - full-body, nutty with age

GV →HQ

Eiswein and late-harvest sweet wines

21
Q

Describe the growing environment of and styles produced in Weinviretel

A

Growing environment

  • Large→ varies
  • dry, Cool breezes from N → diurnals

Styles

  • GV for DAC → (peppery → N winds) high acid
  • good-VG/inexp-prem
22
Q

Describe the growing environment of and styles produced in Thermenregion, including its four local grape varieties

A

Growing environment

  • Warmth from Pan
  • Not part of DAC

Styles

  • PN - HQ
  • Sankt Laurent - med tannin, red cherry, oak, good-VG/mid-priced
  • Neuburger - floral and spice
  • Rotgipfler - peach, full body
  • Zierfandler - peach, honey, spice
23
Q

Describe the general climate within Burgenland and the varieties grown.

A
  • Flat + warm → Pannonian
  • Blau and Zweigelt
  • Range of styles
  • GV and Welschriesling
  • Welsch → outst botrytised wines
24
Q

Describe the growing environment and wine produced in Neusiedlersee

A

Growing environment

  • E of lake
  • humidity + mod → fog
  • Conditions for NR are consistent each year
  • Warmest region

Styles

Sweet Welch - usually TBA - prem

100% Zwei for DAC

Klassik - 100% Zwei, red fruit, no oak, good-VG/mid

Reserve - 60% Zwei, oak, good-VG/mid-prem

25
Q

Describe the growing environment and wine produced in Leithaberg

A

Growing environment

  • Western Neu
  • Hills → diurnals
  • West → TBA called Ruster Ausbruch
  • Further west is drier → black grapes

Styles

  • Ruster Ausbruch DAC - TBA from Rust
  • Leithaberg DAC (red) → 85% Blau, HQ
  • Leithaberg DAC (white) → blend or single Weissburgunder, Chardonnay, Grüner Veltliner or Neuburger→ good-VG
26
Q

Why is Blaufrankisch grown so widely in Mittelburgenland?

How is it classified by quality level?

A

exposed to warm Pan

DAC → min 85% :

  • DAC → SS/old oak
  • DAC + Vineyard designation → higher min abv + aged in oak
  • DAC Reserve → higher min abv + longer min time maturing + oak aged
27
Q

Describe the growing environment in Steiermark.

What kind of wines are made?

Outline the introduction of its DAC system.

A

Growing environment

  • Steep
  • cold winters
  • Frost + hail
  • Warmed in summer by Adriatic

Wines

crisp, dry whites→early drinking from Welsch, SB, Weissb @ mid-price

DAC system for 3 sub-regions:

range of grapes for region, local specialities specified for villages and single-vineyards

28
Q

What is Wiener Gemischter Satz?

A

(Viennese Mixed Set)

  • DAC for field blend wines from Wien
  • immediate local consumption
  • Dry + unoaked
  • high acid, light-body, acceptable-VG,
  • cheap → some prem