Austria Flashcards
What is the KMW for Ausbruch? What is that in Oechsle?
30 KMW
150 Oechsle
The conversion rate is 1KMW = 5 degrees Oechsle
What are the permitted grapes for Ruster Ausbruch?
Any of the main white grapes grown in Rust, notably the following: Chardonnay Muskateller Sauvignon Blanc Pinot Blanc Welschriesling Furmint
Plus Pinot Noir on occasion.
What are all the KMW values for each pradikat of Austrian wine?
Qualitätswein: 15 KMW
Qualitätswein Sekt: 15 KMW
Kabinett Qualitätswein: 17 KMW
Spatlese Pradikatswein: 19 KMW
Auslese Prädikatswein: 21 KMW
Beerenauslese Prädikatswein: 25 KMW
Eiswein Prädikatswein: 25 KMW
Strohwein/Schilfwein Prädikatswein: 25 KMW
Ausbruch Prädikatswein: 30 KMW
Trockenbeerenauslese Prädikatswein: 30 KMW
What are the sugar levels for Trocken, Halbtrocken, Lieblich, and Sweet?
Trocken: max 9g/L
Halbrocken: 9-18g/L
Lieblich: 18-45g/L
Sweet: min 45g/L
What is the name of the great plain of eastern Austria?
Pannonian Plain
For what reason was diethylene glycol added to wines in 1985?
For the purpose of imitating botrytis unctuousness.
What are the 3 Weinbauregionen of Austria?
Weinland: covers Niederosterreich, Wien, and Burgenland
Steirerland: Covers Steiermark
Bergland: covers the rest of areas in the Austrian countryside
What is the term for field blends in Austria?
Gemischter Satz
Osterreicher is a grape more commonly known as?
Silvaner
Urgestein soil refers to what kind of soil in the Niederosterreich?
Primary hard soils of granite and gneiss.
What climatic influence is cause for more red wine being produced in Burgenland?
Warm air from Hungary along the Pannonian Plain.
What are the top 3 planted red grapes in Austria?
Zweigelt
Blaufrankisch
St. Laurent
What is the most planted white grape in Austria?
Gruner-Veltliner
What is the KMW and Oechsle levels for Kabinett in Austria?
17 KMW or 84 Oechsle
For dry Austrian wines, what DAC terms are used increasingly in place of Kabinett and Spätlese respectively?
Klassik and Selection
What region of Austria is home to the best botrytized dessert wines?
Burgenland
What is a banderole?
A neck band or capsule top featuring the red and white stripes of the national flag which guarantees that the wine has met federal production limits and quality limits. Also used (by way of a string of tiny digits) as a means for tracking the wine.
What is the minimum alcohol level for wines labeled Wein (formerly Tafelwein)?
min 8.5%
What is the PGI quality level of wine in Austria? What are the geographical designations used?
Landwein
One of the 3 broad Weinbauregionen (Weinland, Steirerland, Bergland)
What is the KMW system also known as?
Babo
What does the term Bergwein indicate and where are you most likely to see these wines?
Indicates wine made on slopes steeper than 26% though the term is seldom encountered.
Most likely to find this term used on a wine bottle from Wachau or Styria
What is the Austrian synonym for Pinot Noir?
Blauburgunder
What crossing led to Blauburger?
Blaufrankisch x Portugieser
What is the grape and appellation of Schilcher rosé?
Weststeiermark DAC
Blauer Wildbacher
What do Germans call Blaufrankisch?
Lemberger
What is the Bulgarian synonym for Blaufrankisch? Why?
Gamé, because for the longest time it was thought that this grape was Gamay.
What is the Hungarian synonym for Blaufranksich?
Kekfrankos
What are the top 3 appellations in Austria for Blaufrankisch?
Neusiedlersee DAC
Mittelburgenland DAC
Eisenberg DAC
What are the 5 DAC of Burgenland from North to South?
Neusiedlersee DAC Leithaberg DAC Rosalia DAC Mittelburgenland DAC Eisenberg DAC
Wines produced in the Neusiedlersee DAC are based on what grape?
Zweigelt
Rosalia DAC produces wines based on what two grapes?
Zweigelt and Blaufrankisch
What is Rosolo and Rosolita?
Both are wines produced by the drying of hand-harvested grapes.
Rosolo is dry and must be 15% abv
Rosalita is a sweet wine made using the same process.
Wines produced in the Mittelburgenland DAC are based on what grape?
Blaufrankisch
Which DAC of Burgenland is for the production of both red and white wines?
Leithaberg DAC
Nigl, Solomon-Undhof, and Christoph Hoch are producers in what region?
Kremstal DAC
What is the min abv or Kremstal DAC wines? With an indication of village and single vineyard? What about for Kremstal Reserve?
min 12%
min 12.5% for wines with an indication of village nad single vineyard
min 13% for Kamtal Reserve
What level of wine quality would you see bottles labeled by one of the three weinbauregion?
Landwein
Which Burgenland DAC does not produce Blaufrankisch-based red wines?
Neusiedlersee DAC
What are three producers of Heiligenstein wines?
Bründlmayer
Hirsch
Schloss Gobelsburg
What is the village of the Heiligenstein vineyard? DAC?
Zobing is the village; Kamptal is the DAC
What is the DAC of the Renner vineyard and what is the main grape of this vineyard?
Kamptal DAC; gruner-veltliner
What is the DAC of the Gaisberg vineyard and what is the top grape here? What are the villages that share it?
Kamptal DAC
Kammern, Zobing, and Strass
Riesling is the top grape.
What is the DAC of the Kranachberg vineyard? What is a top producer here and what is the top grape?
Sudsteiermark DAC
Sattlerhof
Sauvignon Blanc
What are the max alcohol levels and KMW for Steinfeder, Federspiel, and Smaragd in the Wachau?
Steinfeder: max 11.5%; 15 KMW
Federspiel: between 11.5-12.5%; 17 KMW
Smaragd: min 12.5%; 19 KMW
What crossing produced Zweigelt?
Blaufrankisch x St. Laurent
What are 3 top vineyards in Spitz?
Axpoint
Singerriedel
Setzberg
What is the village of Achleiten and Klaus?
Weissenkirchen
Which countries border the Niederosterreich?
Slovakia
Czech Republic
Carbonic maceration is not uncommon for this top red grape of Austria?
Zweigelt
Wine produced in the Spitzerberg is produced where? Main grape here?
Carnuntum, a limestone-rich remnant of the Carpathians where Blaufrankisch thrives.
What are two synonyms for Chardonnay in Austria?
Morillon
Feinburgunder
What was the first DAC established and when was this?
Weinviertel (2002)
Which DACs in the Niederosterreich are for exclusively Riesling and Gruner Veltliner?
Kamptal
Kremstal
Traisental
Wachau
Eisenberg is a DAC for what grape? What are the two quality designations for this and the requirements for each and what is the main soil type here?
Blaufrankisch
Klassik: 12.5% abv; may not be released until Sep 1 of the year following harvest
Reserve: 13% abv; must be aged in wood and may not be released until March 1 of the 2nd year following harvest
Iron-rich schist is the main soil type here.
In what year did the Traditionsweingüter Österreich begin to call top vineyard sites Erste Lage?
2010
What was Lenz Moser’s major contribution to viticulture in 1924?
He developed a vine training method called “Hochkultur” or “high culture” that trained vines high, about 1.25m off the ground on wires. This training method combined with planting vines with more spacing and at lower densities promoted adaptation to the mechanizations available at the time in the vineyard.
What is hochkultur?
Rudimentary vine training method invented by Lenz Moser in the 1920s where vines were trained high on stakes.
Why did the antifreeze scandal of 1985 happen?
A tax policy in the 1970s implemented no longer mandated cellar inspections so counterfeit and contraband operations proceeded as pressures for export rose and quality was compromised for quantity.
Diethylene glychol was added to wines to
What are the 6 DAC of the Niederosttereich?
Wachau DAC Kremstal DAC Kamptal DAC Weinviertel DAC Traisental DAC Carnuntum DAC
What are the 4 most influential climatic influences on the Wachau DAC?
Atlantic Ocean to the west
Pannonian plain to the east
Cool winds from the Waldviertel to the north
Danube River
True or False, all Wachau DAC wines must be harvested by hand?
True
Which two grapes may qualify for riedenwein in the Wachau DAC?
Grüner-Veltliner
Riesling
What is a riedenwein?
Single vineyard wine
What is the quality hierarchy for DAC wine?
Riedenwin or single vineyard wine is considered the top.
Ortswein or village wine is considered the middle tier below riedenwein.
Gebietswein or regional wines is considered the entry level for quality.
In the past 20 years, what were the best vintages for Austrian Gruner-Veltliner and Riesling?
2019 2015 2013 2006 2001
How was the 1999 vintage in Austria?
Perfect!
What were the top two vintages in Austria during the 1990s?
1999
1997
What is the worst vintage in Austria during the 1990s?
1996
From 2000-2020 what were the coolest vintages?
2004
2008
2010
2014
From 2000-2020 what were the warmest vintages?
2000
2003
2011
2018
Between 2000-2010 what vintages were marked by botrytis in Austria?
2001 2005 2007 2008 2009
What vintage between 2010-2020 should be avoided?
2014; cool and heavy rainfall
What is the synonym for Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains?
Gelber Muskateller
Where is the appellation of Gumpoldskirchen and what style of wines is it best known for?
Thermenregion; known for full-bodied white wines produced from Zierfandler/Spätrot and Rotgipfler
What is a synonym commonly used in Austria for Zierfandler?
Spätrot
What is Staubiger?
Staubiger or “dusty one” aka Federweisser or Sturm is the still-cloudy, often only partially fermented young wine served in Heuriger around Austria.
When are heurigen usually open? What is the original and very relevant purpose today of these establishments?
Usually open on the weekends and most of the most famed estates have them.
These were open if not for some income to support the winery but to build brand awareness of the wines of the estate.
Which monks were responsible for bringing grape growing and winemaking and winemaking influence from Burgundy to Austria in the 12th century?
Cistercians
By what century had Rust become famous for its sweet botrytized wines that rivaled Tokaj?
15th century
How did the Reich Hereditary Farm Act of 1938 influence Austrian vineyard ownership?
Because the law mandated that in order for one to own a vineyard it must be 7.5-125ha in size, most who owned vineyards at the time (which was commonly far less than 7.5ha) many sales and mergers of land took place ushering in an influx of cooperatives to Austria.
What two vintages led to Riesling, Gruner Veltliner, and Welschriesling becoming preferred varietals in Austria and why?
1928 and 1929; two of the coldest winters on record decimated all other varietals and these three grapes proved to be the hardiest of those planted at the time.
Between what years was diethylene glychol added to wines in Austria according to the chemist Otto Nadrasky, the ringleader chemist of the scandal?
1978-1985
What are 3 contributions the Austrian Wine Act of 1986 lent to the advancement in quality of the Austrian wine industry?
Enforced mandatory routine cellar inspections to ensure integrity of practices.
Monitored and set max yields on the high quality grape varietals for wine production.
Established the Austrian Wine Marketing Board
What percentage of Austria’s total annual output generally qualifies for Qualitatswein or Pradikatswein?
90%
What are two American importers that champion Austrian wines?
Circo Vino and Terry Theise
What are three countries that share borders with Austria?
Switzerland Czechia Slovakia Hungary Slovenia Germany Italy
Most of Austria fits between what two parallels?
47-48
What three Austrian states comprise the Weinland weinbauregion?
Niederosterreich
Wien
Burgenland
Which two of Austria’s 3 Weinbauregions contain 17 of Austria’s 18 winemaking regions?
Weinland and Steirerland
Which 3 Austrian states form north to south border Weinland and Steirerland to the west?
Upper Austria
Salzburg
Carinthia
Where does the Danube river begin and end?
Begins in Germany in the Black Forest and ends in the Black Sea
Generally speaking how do the wines of the eastern Wachau differ in style compared to wines around Spitz in the western Wachau?
Wines in the eastern part of the region are more concentrated and lush and the wines in the west are more laser-focused and chiseled.
What is the driest state in Austria?
Niederosterreich
What climatic influences close to harvest largely contributes to the opulence and freshness of wines in the Wachau as well as the robustly flavored red wines of Burgenland?
The warm westerly winds coming from the Pannonian Plain during the day followed by cool winds at night blowing in from the north.
What is the Austrian name for “old vines”?
Alte Reben
What is the Austrian term for grower’s sekt?
Hausersekt
What is a “ried”?
Single vineyard
What is sturm?
Bottled partially-fermented grape must; sturm means “storm” in German and the drink references the cloudiness of the still-fermenting must.
What is traubenmost?
Grape must
What does “vulkan” mean?
Volcano
What does KMW stand for?
Klosterneuburg Must Weight scale
What stylistic shift occurred following the DEG scandal in Austria in regards to wine in Austria?
The focus shifted away from wines with sweetness towards wines of dryness and those of a sense of place.
In what year was the DAC system approved in Austria?
2002
Which region became the first DAC in 2003?
Weinviertel DAC
What are the three levels of quality for wine in Austria?
Qualitatswein (PDO)
Landwein (IGP)
Wein (no geographical indication)
In 2018 which category replaced tafelwein?
Wein
The Wein level of quality for Austrian wine is divided into two categories. What are they and what does each entail?
Wein and Osterreich (aka osterreichischer Wein)
Wein can include grapes from anywhere in the EU.
Osterreich: grapes must be sourced from Austria only.
What percentage of Austria’s total annual wine output qualifies for Qualitatswein?
Around 84%
What is the min KMW for Austrian Qualitatswein? What is the minimum abv when dry? What is the minimum abv for Pradikatswein?
15 KMW
Min 9% abv for Qualitatswein
Min 5% for Pradikatswein
What four overarching designations qualify for Austrian Qualitatswein?
Kabinett
DAC
Pradikatswein
Austrian Sekt
What is the min KMW for Austrian Kabinett? Max RS? Max potential alcohol?
17 KMW
Max 9g/L
Max potential alcohol of 13%
Describe the Austrian DAC Klassik wine style in a generalization.
Dry, unchaptalized, medium-bodied style that is often crisp, fruity, unoaked, and moderate in alcohol.
Describe the Austrian DAC Reserve wine style in a generalization.
Fuller style than Klassik, requires higher must weight, and minimum alcohol of 13%. DAC Reserve wines often exhibit more extract on the palate and frequently experience oak aging.
How does the Kabinett level fundamentally vary in designation in Austria compare to Germany?
In Austria, Kabinett qualifies for Qualitatswein
In Germany, Kabinett qualifies for Pradikatswein
What is the only method for retaining residual sugar for Austrian Pradikatswein?
Fermentation must be arrested; chaptalization and the addition of unfermented grape must is forbidden.
What is a mostwägerbescheiningung?
A certificate to verify the quality of grapes for Austrian Pradikatswein
What are schilf and stroh as they relate to Austrian wine?
Schilf (reed) and stroh (straw) are used for the purposes of drying grapes for the production of Schilfwein or Strohwein.
What is the minimum drying period for grapes for the production of schilfwein and strohwein?
Min 3 months.
Who is considered responsible for bringing sparkling wine production to Austria and and at what Champagne house did he train?
Alwin Schlumberger; trained and worked as the cellarmaster and head of production for Ruinart.
What are two producers of top quality Austrian Sekt?
Schlumberger
Szigeti
What are the 3 quality levels for Austrian Sekt, which must be produced by the traditional method, and what are the tirage requirements for each?
Grosse Reserve: Top quality level, min 30 months on the lees. Must be traditional method and from a single municipality.
Reserve: min 18 months on the lees. Produced from one federal state. Must be traditional method.
Klassik: min 9 months on the lees. All methods of sparkling wine production are permitted.
What was the first Austrian sparkling wine brand?
Goldeck
What are two requirements for hausersekt?
Sekt wine that is made with fruit that was estate grown and produced.
For what quality level of Austrian Sekt may a single vineyard be listed on the label?
Grosse Reserve
Which two quality levels of Austrian Sekt must be hand-harvested and produced by the traditional method?
Reserve and Grosse Reserve
What are the lees and bottle age requirements for each quality level of Austrian Sekt?
Grosse Reserve: min 30 months on the lees and 6 months in bottle.
Reserve: min 18 months on the lees and 6 months in bottle.
Klassik: min 9 months on the lees and 3 months in bottle.
What are the maximum dosage levels for Grosse Reserve and Reserve?
Max 12g/L
What are the preferred grapes for Austrian Sekt?
Gruner Veltliner and Welschriesling are the top two preferred grapes with Pinot Noir, Riesling, and Chardonnay are also commonly used.
Which two quality levels of Austrian sekt only permit the use of red grapes to produce rosé?
Resserve and Grosse Reserve
What traditional practice led to a high rate of new crossings unique to Austria?
The traditional Gemischter Satz or field blending practice.
In Austria, “pfefferl” refers to what?
The white pepper note experienced in Gruner Veltliner.
Where are Austria’s finest expressions of Riesling grown and what is the top soil type for this?
On the north bank of the Danube River primarily on heat-retaining granite soils.
What crossing led to the creation of Muller-Thurgau?
Riesling x Madeleine Royale
What is the top region in Austria for Chardonnay/Morillon where expressions are said to be the most Burgundian-like?
Leithaberg
Muscat-Sylvaner was the name for what grape in Austria during the late 19th century?
Sauvignon Blanc
Lagen refers to what style of wine from what grape in Austria?
Lagen refers to barrel-aged Sauvignon Blanc which may see partial or full malolactic fermentation. Essentially dry full bodied reserve
What are the most-planted red and white grapes in Austria respectively?
Zweigelt and Gruner Veltliner
What does traubenwelke refer to in Austria?
Berry shriveling.
What are three top producers of Blaufrankisch in Burgenland?
Moric
Velich
Weninger
What are the 6 DACS of the Niederosterreich and which two regions of Niederosterreich are not DAC?
Wachau, Kamptal, Kremstal, Weinviertel, Traisental and Carnuntum are DAC.
Wagram and Thermenregion are not DAC
What 5 regions in the Niederosterreich are influenced by the Danube River? What are two other influences that affect the climate of these regions?
Kamptal, Kremstal, Wachau, Wagram, and Traisental
Cooling winds from the north and warm westerly winds from the Pannonian plain to the east.
What is the westernmost wine region in the Niederosterreich?
Wachau DAC
What cooperative founded in the 1930s as Coop Dürnstein controls over 1/3 of all vineyard land in the Wachau and contracts over 250 of its growers?
Domaine Wachau
What two villages make up the western and eastern boundaries of the Wachau respectively?
Spitz (west)
Mautern (east)
In what year was the Vinea Wachau formed and what were the four founding producers?
1983
Wilhelm Schwengler
Josepf Jamek
Franz Prager
Franz Hirtzberger
When were the terms Steinfeder, Federspiel, Smaragd introduced?
The year after the VInea Wachau was founded (1984)
What is Steinfeder named after and what wine style does this represent in parallel to German wine system it replaced with its introduction?
Named for the long wispy grasses that can be found near vineyards.
This designation represents unchaptalized QbA wines
What is Federspiel named after and what wine style does this represent in parallel to the German wine system it replaced with its introduction?
Federspiel refers to the bait a falconer uses to lure the falcon back to the glove.
This replaced Kabinett wines
What is Smaragd named after and what wine style does this represent in parallel to the German wine system it replaced with its introduction?
Smaragd is named after the sun-bathing lizards often found on stones throughout the region.
This designation is for the dry styles of wine in the Wachau of Spatlese ripeness.
What are the 5 major villages on the Danube’s northern bank in the Wachau from west to east?
Spitz Jochen Weissenkirchen Durnstein Loiben
What is the easternmost village of the Wachau and the main village on the south bank of the Danube?
Mautern
How much more Gruner Veltliner is planted than Riesling in the Wachau?
4 times more Gruner is planted in the Wachau than Riesling
On what side of the Danube are the Wachau’s best vineyard sites located?
North side
What function do the terraces in the Wachau serve?
They help preserve the humus that sits atop the bedrock, hold in heat and moisture, and contribute to vineyards microclimates and sense of terroir.
What village in the Wachau is most influenced by the warm Pannonian winds from the east?
Loiben
Why are the wines from Spitz so much leaner in expression compared to those on the eastern side of the Wachau?
A combination of the alpine cooling winds from the Waldviertel forest from the north and a lack of influence of the Pannonian winds from the east.
Why is mechanization rare in the Wachau?
Both because the Vinea Wachau forbids it and because the aspect of most of the vineyards is so steep it’s nearly impossible.
What does excessive heat in the Wachau counterintuitively restrain in warm vintages?
Ripeness in the grapes due to the soil being so well drained and holding so much heat. This heat stress will cause interruption of photosynthesis.
When was irrigation authorized for Wachau wines?
1983
True or False, irrigation is illegal in the Wachau.
False, permitted but strictly regulated since 1983
What is the top cooperage for wood barrels used in the Wachau?
Stockinger
What is Weissherbst or Kretzer known as in Austria?
Gleichgepresster
What is the main soil type of Heiligenstein?
Weathered sandstone with volcanic
What DAC sits within the Bohemian massif?
Wachau DAC
What are the only permitted grapes for OTW Erste Lage?
Riesling and Gruner-Veltliner
What are the aging requirements for each level of Austrian Sekt?
Klassik: 9 months on the lees and not sold before 10/22 of year following harvest
Reserve: 18 months on the lees and not sold before 10/22 of 2nd year following harvest
Grosse Reserve: 30 months on the lees and not sold before 10/22 of 3rd year following harvest
Stylistically, how do the wines of Pffafenberg (Kremstal) compare to those of the neighboring Loibenberg (Wachau)?
Pffafenberg tends to produce wines that are more open and soft.
Loibenberg with its more pure gneiss/Urgestein soils produces wines that are more spicy and structured.
How does E. Knoll label ripeness levels on his Pffafenberg bottlings which are located in Kremstal?
Kabinett and Spatlese for wines closer to Federspiel.
Selection for a wine most close to Smaragd.
In addition to Gruner and Riesling, what other grapes does Emmerich Knoll produce and bottle varietally?
Blauburgunder (Rosé)
Chardonnay
Gelber Muskateller
Traminer
Grows Pinot Noir but not sold commercially.
