23. Austria

Question 1

What is the climate of Austria?

Answer 1

Cool continental with short summers and very harsh winters

Question 2

What is the most widely planted grape variety in Austria?

Answer 2

Grüner Veltliner

Question 3

Tasting note of a well-made Grüner Veltliner

Answer 3

• Full bodied
• Natural high acidity (acidity that pops in mouth (E))
• Citrus and stone fruit flavours
• Develop honey and toast with age

Question 4

What is the second most widely planted grape variety in Austria?

Answer 4

Welschriesling

Question 5

What kinds of wines are produced with Welschriesling?

Answer 5

• Fresh simple dry wines with high acidity and citrus and green apple flavours
• Due to susceptibility to Botrytis, high quality dessert wines

Question 6

Best examples of Rieslings come from which areas of Austria?

Answer 6

• Waschau
• Kamptal
• Kremstal

Question 7

Wine growing areas are located in which part of Austria? Why?

Answer 7

• East

- Because the west is covered by Alp mountains

Question 8

What is the most widely planted black grape varieties in Austria?

Answer 8

• Zweigelt (Blaufrankisch x St. Laurent)
• Blaufrankisch
• St Laurent

Question 9

Tasting notes for Zweigelt

Answer 9

• Very deeply colored
• Soft tannins
• Flavours of bramble fruit

Question 10

Tasting notes for Blaufrankisch

Answer 10

• High acid
• Medium tannins
• Peppery sour cherry flavour

Question 11

What are the 4 federal states for PDO wines in Austria?

Answer 11

• Niederosterreich
• Burgenland
• Steiermark
• Wien

Question 12

Which of the 4 federal states account for the vast majority of wine production?

Answer 12

• Niederosterreich (largest)

- Burgenland

Question 13

Wachau is renowned for what kind of wines?

Answer 13

-High quality dry wines made from either Grüner Veltliner or Riesling

Question 14

What is the biggest wine growing area in Austria?

Answer 14

Weinviertel DAC. It is also the first Austrian DAC

Question 15

Which grape varieties can be used in Weinviertel?

Answer 15

Only Grüner Veltliner

Question 16

What are the two levels of DAC in Weinviertel?

Answer 16

Klassik: Young, fresh, fruity, no oak
Reserve: Higher alcohol levels, allowed to be matured in oak

Question 17

Burgenland is famous for what kinds of wines?

Answer 17

Sweet and red wines

Question 18

Name the subregions of Burgenland and their DAC grapes (E)

Answer 18

• Mittelburgenland DAC: Blaufrankisch
• Eisenberg DAC: Blaufrankisch
• Neusiedlersee DAC: Zweigelt

Question 19

The best red wines of Austria come from which area?

Answer 19

From the higher ground away from the lake Neusiedlersee in the hills further south

Question 20

What is the difference between Austrian and German Predikatswein?

Answer 20

• In Austria this term is mainly reserved for medium-sweet and sweet wines
• There are two additional Pradikatswein categories in Austria.
  
  1. Ausbruch: Between BA and TBA
  2. Strohwein or Schilfwein: Grape bunches are dried on beds of straw or reeds to concentrate the sugars

Question 21

How is a DAC formed in Austria?

Answer 21

If the producers in a region can agree on grape variety or varieties, style of wine and set of regulations to go with it, that they think best reflects their area, then the region can be awarded a DAC status

Question 22

If the wines do not conform the DAC style, how are they labelled?

Answer 22

Can only be labelled with the name of the relevant federal state