Austria Flashcards
What chemical was confused as antifreeze in the Austria wine scandal of 1985?
Diethylene glycol was confused as ethylene glycol
What resulted from the antifreeze scandal?
Austria created some of the strictest wine laws in Europe
From N to S, what are the 4 main weinbaugebiete in Austria?
Niederosterreich
Wien (Vienna)
Burgenland
Styria (Steiermark)
What is the most cultivated white varietal in Austria, accounting for 30% of all vineyard acreage?
Gruner veltliner
White varietals in Austria
Gruner Veltliner Welschriesling Muller-Thurgau Weisburgunder Riesling Chardonnay
What is zweigelt?
The most planted red grape in Austria, it’s a cross of Vlaufrankish and St. Laurent
Red varietals in Austria
Zweigelt
Blaufrankish
Blaur Portugieser
Blauburger
What are the 3 levels of quality dictated by Austrian wine law?
Wein
Landwein
Qualitatswein
Qualitatswein can be further divided into which categories?
Pradikatswein
Districtus Austriae Controllatus (DAC)
Austrian Pradikat Levels
Essentially the same as the German levels, with kabinett as a subset of Qualitatswein and the addition of Strohwein (at least Beerenauslese ripeness) and Ausbruch (a specialty in Rust)
Most sweet wines in Austria are produced around which lake?
Neusidlersee in Burgenland
9 DACs of Austria
- Weinviertel
- Mittelburgenland
- Traisental
- Kremstal
- Kamptal
- Leithaberg
- Eisenberg
- Neusidelersee
- Wiener Gemischter Satz
What is the largest winegrowing region in Austria, with more than twice the planted vineyard area of the next weinbaugebiete _____?
Niederosterreich (2x more than Burgenland)
What river and its tributaries cut through Niederosterreich?
Danube River
What DACs are located in Niederosterreich? What are they known for?
Weinviertel
Traisental
Kamptal
Kremstal
Dry white wines, primarily gruner veltliner with some riesling permitted.
Where is the Wachau? Is it a DAC?
Niederosterreich’s westernmost subregion, it’s a narrow band of steep slopes along the banks of the Danube (moderates the otherwise severe continental climate).
It’s not a DAC so it follows it’s own rules
What wines excel in Wachau?
Riesling and Gruner Veltliner
Instead of Pradikatswein, what system is used in Wachau?
- Steinfeder–min must weight of 15*KMW, max abv of 11.5%
- Federspiel–min 17*KMW, final abv 11.5-12.5%
- Smaragd–min 19*KMW (equivalent to Spatlese), min 12.5% abv
Some of the best producers in Wachau
FX Pichler
Prager
Emmerich Knoll
Where is Wagram? Is it a DAC?
Follows the Danube as it passes out of Vienna.
Not a DAC
What is Wagram known for?
Gruner Veltliner
Roter Veltliner
What is Burgenland known for (wine styles)?
Red wine and sweet white wines
What does Burgenland boarder?
Hungary–shares many viticultural and climactic traits
What geographic feature tempers the hot continental climate in Burgenland?
Neusiedlersee–a large, shallow lake
Neusiedlersee divides what two subzones of Burgenland?
Neusiedlersee and Neusiedlersee-Hugelland
What DACs are in Burgenland?
Mittelburgenland
Leithaberg
Eisenberg
Neusiedlersee
Mittelburgenland DAC produces what type of wine? How does a reserve wine differ?
Red wines from Blaufrankisch–sold from 3/1 the year following harvest
Reserve wines are aged an additional year and have a higher minimum abv (13% instead of 12.5%)
Burgenland is known for these two grape varietals
Blaufrankisch–most planted
Zweigelt
Illmitz in Neusiedlersee is home to what legendary producer of sweet wine?
Kracher
What is Neusiedlersee-Hugelland known for?
In the town of Rust, it’s famous for ausbruch, a traditional sweet wine from the 17th century, done in a Tokaji style.
Originally made with furmint, Ruster Ausbruch is more often produced from chardonnay, muskateller, pinot blanc, neuburger, welschriesling, traminer, and pinot gris
What are the subzones and DACs of Styria. What grapes are planted?
Subzones: Sudsteiermark, Weststeiermark, Sudoststeiermark
No DACs
Welschriesling–most planted/cultivated varietal
Weissburgunder–2nd most cultivated
Sauvignon blanc–does well in Sudsteiermark
What is the only capital city in Europe to have a wine appellation within the city limits?
Wien (Vienna)
What is the only DAC in Wien and what wines are produced?
Gemischter Satz
White wines from a blend of at least 3 varietals
Sturm is also popular (early wine)
