Austria Flashcards
What happened in Austria in 1985?
Austria’s industry was marked by the 1985 “antifreeze” scandal. Though the practice of sweetening wines with diethylene glycol, or DEG, hardly represented the majority of Austrian winemakers, all were implicated. Impressively, the industry banded together over the following years and developed stricter regulations and practices. Today, Austria has not only redeemed its reputation, but its wine industry is recognized for a proportionately high level of quality and rigorous standards.
Who were the first to settle in Austria and when?
Late Bronze Age through the early Iron Age (1200–500 BCE), among the earliest of Celtic peoples, was first to significantly settle this area, landing just southeast of what is today Salzburg
Who were responsible for significantly expanding viticulture?
Romans were responsible for significantly expanding viticulture from 15 BCE though the fifth century CE
Who played a pivotal role in terms of viticulture and winemaking in Austria during the Middle Ages?
During this time, many monasteries populated Krems, Vienna, Styria, and Burgenland. Krems, then the largest town in Wachau, was home to 16 monasteries by the end of the 12th century. The Cistercians had a tremendous impact on wine quality, bringing grapegrowing and winemaking knowledge from Burgundy.
Which Austrian wine was famous during the 16th century late Middle Ages?
In Burgenland, the free city of Rust was also gaining popularity among royals both near and afar for its distinctive Ruster Ausbruch, a sweet botrytized dessert wine that was made in a style similar to Tokaji.
Who was influencial in terms of viticulture after the WW2?
Lenz Moser, born into a family of winemakers, would come to play a primary role in the improvement of Austrian viticulture, particularly for his introduction of high-stake training
After the scandal Austria developed strict laws and regulations when?
Winemakers quickly set out to improve their image by establishing some of the strictest regulations in Europe through the Austrian Wine Act of 1986
Which are the countries that border Austria?
It shares borders with seven other countries: Switzerland (and Liechtenstein) on its western edge, the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia to the northeast, Hungary to the east, and Slovenia to the south
Which are the federal states of Austria?
Austria contains nine federal states. Together, Lower Austria (Niederösterreich in German), Burgenland, and Vienna (Wien) compose one large winemaking region known as Weinland. A second region, Steirerland, includes the federal state of Styria (Steiermark). Weinland and Steirerland collectively contain 17 of Austria’s 18 winemaking regions. The final growing area is Bergland, which comprises vineyards found in the five remaining federal states: Carinthia (Kärnten), Upper Austria (Oberösterreich), Tyrol (Tirol), Vorarlberg, and Salzburg. While these states don’t have any DACs, they have a long winemaking tradition and are beginning to experience a kind of renaissance
Define the soils of Lower Austria
The northern massif hills of the Bohemian Forest form a natural border with the Czech Republic and contain the oldest rock formations in Austria, dating back over 500 million years. Together, these geological features are responsible for some of the most diverse soils in all of Central Europe. Granite and sedimentary silty windblown loess characterize the soils of Lower Austria that are most often discussed, but millennia of tectonic and glacial activity produced a complex range of types and sizes, including schistose paragneiss, amphibolite, and granulite soils.
Define the soils of Burgenland and Styria
Many of Burgenland’s soils are informed by Danubian deposits of calcareous sandy gravels. There are also pockets of silty loam and non-calcareous clays throughout Central Burgenland, while Leithaberg is home to a unique limestone composed of sea fossils as well as schist and gneiss. The Styria Basin forms the patchwork of soils in the south, influenced by several distinct mountain ranges. It includes silt, marl, sand, gravel, sandstone, conglomerates, gneiss, amphibolite, and limestone, with a small amount of volcanic basalts.
Generally, there are two major soil types; thin soils over rock (granite or gneiss, crystalline bedrock material known locally as Urgestein) and richer soils such as loess.
Other soil types include limestone and schist (such as on
the Leithaberg hills) as well as gravel and volcanic material (such as in Steiermark and parts of
Kamptal).
Danube is Europe’s longest river and flows to?
second longest and flows in the Black Sea
Define the climate of Austria
Lower Austria’s climate is affected by various mesoclimates. In addition to the Danube River’s warming effect on its nearby wine regions, Lower Austria experiences considerable shifts in temperature during the growing season.
Burgenland is significantly affected by the warm Pannonian climate. The growing season can get quite hot, allowing for robust red wines.
Uniquely, Styria has a Mediterranean influence from the Adriatic in the south, causing longer, warmer days than experienced by its northern counterparts. The nights, though, feel more alpine and cool in the steeply planted vineyards.
Rainfall levels in Austria?
Lower Austria is the driest region, with roughly 450 to 550 millimeters of rainfall per year
Further east, in Vienna, the average is closer to 700 millimeters annually, while Burgenland has about 600 millimeters and Styria nearly 900
When did Austria join the EU?
1995
When was Districtus Austriae Controllatus (DAC) established?
Approved in 2002, with Weinviertel named the first DAC region in 2003. Austria has 18 DACs, with 15 throughout Weinland, and 3 in Steirerland
Austrian wine law identifies three levels of quality
Wein, Landwein, and Qualitätswein
Qualitätswein represents how much of the total production?
About 85%
Landwein’s regulations?
Landwein is equivalent to the EU’s Protected Geographical Indication (PGI). These wines must be produced from grape varieties that are approved for Qualitätswein, and 100% of the grapes must come solely from one of the three winegrowing areas: Weinland, Steirerland, or Bergland.
Qualitätswein’s regulations?
Qualitätswein, which makes up 84% of production, corresponds with the EU’s Protected Designation of Origin (PDO). To qualify, grapes must be harvested in a single winegrowing region and produced in a facility within or bordering that region. There are 40 approved varieties, and wines must show typicity of region, meet the minimum must weight requirement of 15 degrees KMW, adhere to maximum yields of 65.7 hectoliters per hectare, and have a minimum 9% ABV (5% for Prädikatswein). Qualitätswein must be inspected and approved by a government tasting official and given a Federal Inspection Number. This number, along with the banderole capsule, verifies strict measures of quality.
Which are the four overarching designations that can be labeled as Qualitätswein?
Kabinett, DAC wines, Prädikatswein (which has its own style categories), and Sekt Austria g.U. All build upon the basic rules laid out for Qualitätswein.
DACs must adhere to the rules established by the protected region, which typically reflect stricter guidelines for viticulture, accepted grapes, winemaking, and labels.
DAC wines can be labelled as?
klassik and reserve. The former is an unofficial term that refers to dry, unchaptalized, medium-bodied styles that are often crisp, fruity, unoaked, and moderate in alcohol. Conversely, the latter is an official term given to fuller styles; it requires higher must weight and minimum alcohol (13%). DAC Reserve wines often exhibit more extract on the palate and frequently experience oak aging.
Name the categories of Prädikatswein which is included in Qualitätswein
Spätlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese, Eiswein, Strohwein (Schilfwein),Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA) and Ausbruch
Austrian sparkling wine can be traced back to ?
1842, when Robert Alwin Schlumberger came to Vienna after working as Ruinart’s cellar master and head of production. His expertise at one of the finest Champagne houses of the era gave him confidence in Austria’s potential—and particularly in Vöslau, just south of Vienna. In chalky white soils that reminded him of France, he began to plant vines in 1844. By 1859, the first Austrian sparkling wine brand was born. Called Goldeck, it was named after the Goldeggen Vineyard and remains one of the largest sparkling wine brands in Austria, today owned by the Schlumberger Wine and Sekt Company.
