Austria Flashcards
What river runs through Vienna?
Danube
What scandal happened in 1985 in Austria that changed the face of the Austrian wine industry?
The anti-freeze scandal. Diethylene glycol—a colorless, odorless, poisonous chemical— was added to wine to give a light wine some added texture. There was a huge international backlash, of course
Austria responded by drafting some of the strictest wine laws in Europe and quickly refocusing on quality. In a very short time, Austria has earned a renewed reputation as one of the classic winemaking nations of the world.
What are Austria’s 4 major wine making regions?
Austria’s 4 major winemaking regions (weinbaugebiete) are Niederösterreich, Wien (Vienna), Burgenland, and Styria (Steiermark).
Niederösterreich and Burgenland contain about 90% of the country’s vineyards
Morillon and Feinburgunder are synonyms for which grape?
Chardonnay
What is the most planted grape in Austria?
The indigenous Grüner Veltliner is the most cultivated white variety at 31% of total acreage, followed by:
Welschriesling Müller Thurgau Weißburgunder Riesling Chardonnay
What are Zweigelt’s parents?
Blaufrankisch X St. Laurent
Zweigelt was developed in 1922 and is the most planted red grape
What are the most planted red grapes in Austria?
Zwegeilt
Blaufränkisch
Blauer Portugieser
Blauburger (Blauer Portugieser x Blaufränkisch)
Are reds or whites more planted in Austria?
As of 2015, 67% of Austrian plantings were white
What are the 3 levels of Austrian wine?
Wein, Landwein, and Qualitätswein
What does a red and white banderole on the bottle’s capsule indicate?
An Austrian Qualitatswein
What are the necessary requirements to qualify as a qualitatswein?
- Sourced from a single Weinbaugebiete or one of the 16 smaller wine regions and may be produced from one or more of 36 permitted grapes
- must pass a tasting panel and chemical analysis, indicated by a State Control Number (Prüfnummer)
- must have the red and white banderole on the bottle’s capsule
How much of Austrian wine is produces at the Qualitatswein level?
2/3
What are the 3 broad geographic areas allowed for labeling Austrian Landwein?
Weinland, Steierland, or Bergland
Weinland covers the areas defined as Niederösterreich, Wien and Burgenland.
Steierland corresponds to Steiermark.
Bergland includes around 500 ha of vineyard land scattered throughout the remainder of Austria’s mountainous countryside.
All three levels of quality share a maximum yield of 9,000 kg/ha (67.5 hl/ha) but minimum must weights increase with each level of quality.
What is the min ABV for Austrian wines labeled pradikat?
5% abv
What is Süssreserve
A portion of selected unfermented grape must, free of microorganisms, to be added to wine as a sweetening component.
At the Kabinett level of Austrian wine is Süssreserve and/or chaptalization permitted?
No
What is strohwein?
A dried grape wine of at least Beerenauslese ripeness.
What is Ausbruch?
Ausbruch is a sweet specialty of Rust, a free city on the western shore of Neusiedlersee
Around which lake are the majority of Austria’s sweet wines produced.
Around the lake of Neusiedlersee in Burgenland
What type of wines are the focus of the Austrian DAC System?
Dry wines
How many DACs are there in Austria?
As of 2018 there are 13 DACs in Austria
What do DACs regulate?
Each DAC prescribes limited grape varietals, minimum alcohol content and stylistic choices for the producer.
What are the 13 Austrian DACs?
Weinviertel (2002) Mittelburgenland (2005) Traisental (2006) Kremstal (2007) Kamptal (2008) Leithaberg (2009) Eisenberg (2010) Neusiedlersee (2012) Wiener Gemischter Satz (2013) Rosalia (2018) Vulkanland Steiermark (2018) Südsteiermark (2018) Weststeiermark (2018)
What are the three levels of Austrian Sekt with Protected Designation of Origin?
Klassik, Reserve, or Grosse Reserve
At what level of Austrian Sekt is traditional method mandated?
Reserve and Grosse Reserve
Klassik can be tank or traditional method
When did Austrian Sekt with Protected Designation of Origin become a legal category?
2016
What are the sourcing and aging requirements for klassik, Reserve and Grosse Reserve?
Klassik: 9 mos on lees, traditional or charmat method, grapes sourced from Austria’s federal states
Reserve: 18 mos on lees, traditiontional method only, grapes sourced from Austrias federal states. May be vintage labeled. Can only be Brut, Extra Brut, or Brut Nature
Grosse Reserve: 30 mos on lees. Not released until 3 years after harvest. Traditional method only.
Grapes sourced from single wine village, and hand harvesting is required. Vintage and village can be labeled on bottle. Max 12g RS allowed, so only Brut, Extra Brut or Brut Nature
What does Hauersekt indicate?
On an Austrian sekt, it indicates the wine is made by the grape grower, like that of a recoltant manipulant.
Hauersekt must also list the village/vineyard, grape variety, and vintage
What must appear on the bottles of Austrian Sek with Protected Designation of origin that differentiates it from regular Austrian Sekt?
Bottles must carry the official seal on the capsule with the words Geschützter Ursprung, geprüfte Qualität, meaning “protected designation of origin and certified quality.”
What is the largest wine growing region in Austria?
Niederösterreich (Lower Austria)
It contains twice the planted vineyard area of the next leading Weinbaugebiete, Burgenland
What are the 8 sub zones of Niederosterreich?
Weinviertel, Carnuntum, Traisental, Wagram, Kremstal, Kamptal, Wachau, and Thermenregion.
What is Niederösterreich largest sub-zone and Austria’s first DAC?
Weinviertel
What varietal and style of Wine is permitted to be made in Weinviertel?
Gruner Vetliner, 12% min ABV - must be approved by tasting panel
A reserve wine is allowed as of 2009 that allows for a fuller bodied Gruner vetliner with notes of wood and botrytis and needs a min ABV of 13%
What are the production requirements for Traisental, Kremstal and Kamptal?
Similar to Weinviertal. They can produce from Gruner Vetliner or Riesling and can be Classic or Reserve with a corresponding min ABV of 12% or 13%
What rivers are Kremstal and Kamptal located on?
The Krems and Kamp, respectively. Both are tributaries of the Danube
What is Langenlois and where is it located?
Langenlois is one of Austria’s most important wine villages located in the Kamptal region.
The nearby villages Heiligenstein, Lamm, and Dechant vineyards are highly regarded
What does the word Ried indicate on an Austrian wine label?
A top site. It is a traditional labeling that replaces village name on the label.
What varietals are allowed to carry the Austrian Erste Lage logo?
Gruner Vetliner & Riesling
The Österreichischen Traditionsweingüter, an association of producers founded in 1992 dictate Erste Lage status
What river runs through the Wachau?
The Danube
The Danube moderates the otherwise severe continental climate
How are most of Wachau’s best sites situated?
The best vineyard land encompasses terraced slopes on the north bank of the river (similar to the Mosel)
What soil types are found in the Wachau?
A combination of loess and gföhler, or gneiss (the primary rock of which the hills are made), with a proportion of alluvial sand in the lower vineyard sites near the river’s edge
Which varietals excel in the Wachau?
Gruner Vetliner and Riesling both excel and can be very ageworthy
Instead of the typical Prädikatswein hierarchy, what indications do producers in the Wachau use?
Steinfeder - the lightest style with a minimum must weight of 15° KMW and a maximum alcohol of 11.5%
Federspiel - has a minimum must weight of 17° KMW and a final alcohol range of 11.5%-12.5%
Smaragd - has a minimum alcohol of 12.5% and a minimum must weight of 19° KMW—the approximate equivalent of 95° Öchsle, or Spätlese ripeness. As these wines must be dry, Smaragd wines can reach high alcohol levels, and show a high degree of extract and display tones of botrytis
Are Steinfeder, Federspiel and Smaragd dry, sweet or both?
Dry Only
Name three of the Wachau’s most esteemed estates
FX Pichler
Prager
Emmerich Knoll
All three are located in the village of Weissenkirchen
All three are members of Vinea Wachau
What is Achleiten and where is it located?
Achleiten is a premier vineyard in the Wachau, located in the village of Weissenkirchen
What is Vinea Wachau?
Founded in 1983, Vinea Wachau members control more than 85% of the regions vineyard acres
It is an organization of estates sworn to uphold the tenets of natural winemaking as spelled out in the Codex Wachau:
- no additives (including chaptalization)
- no aromatization (including the use of new barrique)
- no “fractionation” (techniques such as de-alcoholization).
All wines released by members must be bottled in the region and vinified from grapes grown in the Wachau.
What is a synonym for Donauland?
Wagram. Prior to 2007 Wagram was called Donauland.
Where is Wagram located?
East of Traisental, Kremstal and Kamptal and north of Vienna. The Danube runs through Wagram.
What is the main grape grown in Wagram?
Gruner Vetliner
What is a specialty of Wagram?
Production of Roter Veltliner - a red grape, produced as a white wine
What type of grape is Carnuntum’s production focused on?
Carnuntum sees a warmer climate, similar to that of Burgenland and produces more red varietals, particularly Zweigelt
Gemischter Satz—traditional field blends—are still popular in Carnuntum.
Which rare white grapes are produced in Thermenregion?
Rotgipfler and Zierfandler are cultivated in the Thermenregion and are produced varietally or as the blended Spätrot-Rotgipfler
Name a Hungarian wine region just across the border from Burgenland
Sopron
What type of wine does Burgenland focus on?
Red and sweet
What is Burgenland’s climate influenced by?
Burgenland is influenced by the hot Pannonian climate which is tempered by the cooling influence of the Neusiedlersee, a large, shallow lake
As of 2018, what are the 5 DACs Burgenland claims?
Mittelburgenland Leithaberg Eisenberg Neusiedlersee Rosalia
What are the requirements for Mittelburgenland DAC wines?
Mittelburgenland DAC wines are red wines from Blaufränkisch. Normal/Classic wines They may be sold from March 1 in the year following the harvest and have a min ABV of 12.5%
Reserve wines undergo an additional year of agin and have a 13% ABV min
DAC regulations stipulate that large casks or used wood are required for aging, but some producers are experimenting with barriques
What type of wines can Leithaberg DAC produce?
White wines may be blends or single varietals produced from Grüner Veltliner, Chardonnay, Neuburger, or Weissburgunder.
The red wines are comprised of a minimum 85% Blaufränkisch, with stipulations similar to those of Mittelburgenland on new wood.
Leithaberg DAC is the first DAC allowed to produce both whites and reds
Where is Leithaberg DAC located?
The free town of Eisenstadt
What are the German and the Hungarian synonyms for Blaufrankisch?
Lemberger (Germany)
Kékfrankos (Hungary)
What are some common descriptors of Blaufrankisch?
Blaufränkisch typically generates wines of medium weight, with supple texture, deep color and spicy red and black fruit flavors
In 2012 the Neusiedlersee DAC was created to produce which type of wines?
To produce red wines based on the fruity and spicy Zweigelt.
The wines may be Classic or Reserve bottlings, with the Reserve wines matured for an extra year before release.
What type of wines are produced in the Rosalia DAC?
The Rosalia DAC became official in 2018 but wines were retroactively labeled Rosalia DAC in the 2017 vintage
Rosalia DAC produces monovarietal wines from either Blaufrankisch or Zweigelt. The wines have a minimum alcohol content of 12% abv and a maximum of 4 g/l residual sugar.
At the reserve level single vineyards (rieds) may be indicated on the label; reserve wines must have a minimum alcohol content of 13% abv.
Rosalia DAC also permits dry rosé wines, made from one or several red Qualitätswein grapes. Varietal labelling is not allowed, though single vineyard labels are permitted.
What is the Alois Kracher estate known for?
Located in the village of Illmitz in Neusiedlersee, the Alois Kracher estate, produces legendary eiswein, BA and TBA bottlings.
The late Alois Kracher’s TBA Scheurebe is among the grape’s finest expressions to date.
Where is the city of Rust located and what is it known for?
Rust is located on the Western Shore of the Neusiedlersee.
Rust is famous for Ausbruch, a traditional sweet wine dating to the 17th century.
Furmint was the traditional grape used for Ausbruch but international varieties: Chardonnay, Muskateller, Pinot Blanc, Neuburger, Welschriesling, Traminer and Pinot Gris are now seen as well.
Ausbruch grapes are harvested at a minimum 30° KMW (approximately 156°Öchsle).
Ausbruch is produced in a similar process to Tokaji: richly concentrated botrytis-affected must is added to less concentrated must—from fruit harvested in the same vineyard—and the two are fermented together, then aged in barrel before release.
What are the DACs for the sweet wines of Burgenland?
There are no DACs for the sweet wines of Burgenland even though there are many stand out wines.
What are Styria’s three subregions?
Südsteiermark, Weststeiermark, and Südoststeiermark/ Vulkanland Steiermark DAC
Vulkanland Steiermark is a synonym for?
Südoststeiermark
What is Styria’s most cultivated variety?
Welchriesling
What did Schilcherland DAC produce?
Schilcherland DAC (2017) only existed in the 2017 vintage and produced rose from the ancient grape, Blauer Wildbacher. Those wines could be listed as “Klassic” or “Ried”, if a single vineyard was listed. In
2018 Styria earned three DACs corresponding to its wine regions: Vulkanland Steiermark DAC, Südsteiermark DAC, and Weststeiermark DAC, the latter of which reabsorbed the schilcher wine style
What are the categories in the three-tiered “System of Origin Steiermark” (put into place in 2018)
+Regional Wine
+Ortswein - which corresponds to village wines
+Reidenwein - single vineyard wines.
Both Ortswein and Reidenwein require longer aging and a focus on the best grape varieties of the region.
Gemischter Satz DAC produces what type of wine? Where?
Gemischter Satz DAC is produced in Vienna from a blend of at least 3 varietals
What is Sturm?
Sturm—a half-fermented, sparkling grape juice—usually accompanies harvest-time meals and made in Vienna
How many ha of vines are located with Wien?
There are 600ha of vines located within Vienna’s city limits
What is Heuriger?
Heuriger is a nouveau wine consumed in its infancy in taverns of the same name.
What is blauburgunder a synonym for?
Pinot Noir
Which grape variety does Eisenberg DAC specialize in?
Blaufränkisch
Which two wine producing countries border Austria to the south?
Switzerland, Italy
Schloss Gobelsburg, Bründlmayer, and Hirsch are producers in what region?
Kamptal
Lake Neusiedlersee is bordered by which two European countries?
Austria, Hungary
Schilcher is a specialty of which DAC?
Weststeiermark
Spätrot is produced by blending which two grape varieties?
Zierfandler and Rotgipfler
Nigl, Solomon, and Christoph Hoch are producers in what region?
Kremstal
Emmerich Knoll, Prager, and Hirtzberger are all producers in what region?
Wachau
Where is the Heiligenstein vineyard located?
Kamptal
In the Wiener Gemischter Satz no varietal can account for more than ____ % of the blend
50%
What is Austria’s second most planted white grape?
Welschriesling
Which countries border Niederösterreich?
Czech Republic, Slovakia
Which of the following grapes is most likely to undergo carbonic maceration? A. Merlot B. Blaufränkisch C. Blauburgunder D. Zweigelt
Blaufränkisch
Langenlois, Zobing, and Kammern are villages in what region?
Kamptal
Lamm is an Erste Lage vineyard in Kamptal specializing in what grape variety?
Gruner Vetliner
Alois Kracher is a producer in what region?
The village of Illmitz in Neusiedlersee
