Austria Flashcards
What viticultural invention make waves worldwide and originated in Austria?
Who was their inventor?
Wire trellising systems.
Dr. Lenz Moser
What was the “antifreeze scandal” of 1985?
What was its effect moving forward?
Austrian producers in the 80’s were adding diethylene glycol (a poisonous chemical) to their wines for added texture, and were caught when a guilty party tried to claim the ingredient as an expense on their tax return.
Orders were widely cancelled, the news tore Austria’s wine market apart, and their reputation was tarnished.
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 is a weinbaugebiete?
An Austrian winemaking region.
Name the 4 weinbaugebietes of Austria from north to south.
Niederösterreich
Wien (Vienna)
Burgenland
Styria (Steiermark)
Name the 6 most cultivated grapes of Austria in order of prominence.
Gruner Veltliner Welschriesling Müller Thurgau Weißburgunder Riesling Chardonnay
What are Austria’s 2 most planted red grapes?
Zweigelt, followed by Blaufrankisch
Which two grapes were crossed to create Zweigelt?
Blaufrankisch / St. Laurent
Name the 3 quality levels of Austrian wine from lowest to highest.
Wein
Landwein
Qualitatswein
What are the specifications of Austrian Qualitatswein?
- Must be sourced from a single Weinbaugebiete or one of the 16 smaller wine regions
- Must use one or more of the 36 approved grape varieties.
- Must pass a tasting panel
- Must pass a chemical analysis.
How is Austrian Qualitatswein subdivided?
Into Pradikatswein and DAC (Districtus Austriae Controllatus)
How is Austrian Kabinett different from German Kabinett?
In Austria, Kabinett wines are considered a subset of Qualitätswein rather than a beginning rung on the ladder of Prädikatswein
In Austria however, even at the Kabinett level, winemakers are prohibited from practicing both chaptalization and the addition of Süssreserve.
Name the 3 quality levels of Austrian sekt from lowest to highest.
Klassik
Reserve
Grosse Reserve
What method is used to make Austrian sekt?
Tank method may be used for Klassik, all others must be traditional method.
Describe the basic geography of Niederosterreich.
Location, climate, geographical landmarks, and soil
It is in far northeastern Austria, bordering the Czech Republic and Slovakia. It is on the Pannonian plain, with most of its subzones centered along the Danube river and its tributaries.
The climate is a harsh continental, with hot summers and brutally cold winters.
The soils are mostly loess, gneiss, and some alluvial sands near the Danube.
Name the 8 subzones of Niederosterreich.
Wachau Kremstal Wagram Kamstal Traisental Weinviertel Carnuntem Thermenregion
Describe the location of Weinviertel.
What kind of wine is made there?
Niederösterreich’s largest subzone and Austria’s first DAC, is located in the hills north of the Danube and the Pannonian Plain and provides a fresher, lighter wine in this cooler climate.
Only makes Gruner Veltliner
What is the difference between Classic and Reserve wines in Austria?
Classic:
- minimum 12% alcohol
- no obvious wood or botrytis
Reserve
- minimum 13% alcohol
- may show wood and botrytis
What does “Ried” mean on an Austrian wine label?
It is an old custom of replacing the village of single vineyard wines with the word Ried, indicating a top site.
Describe the location of the Wachau.
What kind of wine is made there?
Niederösterreich’s westernmost subregion, it is a narrow band of steep slopes between Melk and Krems along the banks of the Danube, which moderates the otherwise severe continental climate.
Mostly Gruner and Riesling
What are the style classifications of the Wachau and their corresponding alcohol levels?
Steinfeder - the lightest, max alcohol 11.5%
Federspiel - alcohol from 11.5%-12.5%
Smaragd - minimum alcohol of 12.5% (ripeness about equal to Spatlese)
Name 3 well-known estates of the Wachau.
FX Pichler
Prager
Emmerich Knoll
Where is Wagram and what is the specialty there?
it is in Niederosterreich, between Kremstal and Kamstal along the Danube river.
The specialty there is white wine made from the red grape Roter Veltliner.
In which subregion of Niederosterreich are the rare white grapes Rotgipfler and Zierfandler cultivated?
Thermenregion
Which subregion of Niederosterreich tends towards red wines?
Carnuntum
Which country uses the DAC designation?
What does it stand for?
Austria
Districtus Austriae Controllatus
Where is Burgenland and what geographical feature influences its weather?
It is in far east Austria, against the border of Hungary. It is centered around the large, shallow lake Neusiedlersee.
The climate is hot continental, tempered by lake Neusiedlersee.
Which weinbaugebiete is best known for its red and sweet wines?
Burgenland
What is the only capital city in Europe with vineyards within its city limits?
Wien (Vienna)
What is another name for Traminer?
Savignin
Which weinbaugebiete of Austria is known for planting Sauvignon Blanc?
Styria
Are Austrian wines usually sweet or dry?
Usually dry, unless made in dessert wine styles.
Name two producers of Austrian Gruner.
Domane Wachau, “Terrassen”, Gruner Veltliner, Smaragd, Niederosterreich
Loimer, “Langenlois Spiegel”, Gruner Veltliner, Reserve, Kamptal (BIODYNAMIC)
Name an Austrian pinot noir producer.
Schloss Gobelsburg, “Alte Haide”, Pinot Noir, Niederosterreich
Name an Austrian producer of Blaufrankisch.
J. Heinrich, “Goldberg”, Blaufrankisch, Burgenland
