Austria Flashcards
What kind of wines and on what grape varities is Austria know for ?
- Dry white wines from their Grüner Veltliner, as well as from Riesling.
- Red wines on local varieties as Zweigelt and Blaufränkisch
- Sweet botrytised wines made from Welschriesling.
What is the climate like in Austria ?
- cool continental climate, short summers and very harsh winters. Less annual weather variation than in Northern Europe.
- the western parts of Austria are covered by the Alps, so all ine production takes place in the eastern part.
- the most northernly parts can experience cooling northerly winds
- the most eastern parts are warmed by easterly winds from Hungary.
Which white grape is the most widely planted in Austria ?
Grüner Veltliner
Describe a typical premium wine made from Grüner Veltliner
when grown with care, GV can produce
- full-bodied
- concentrated
- naturally high acidity
Most are fermented and stored in stainless steel, old oak casks are also commonly used.
Some producers may mature a proportion of their best wines in new oak barriques.
Describe the typical flavours of a young versus an aged Grüner Veltliner
Young: citrus, stone fruit, sometimes hints of white pepper
Aged: Honey, toast
Which black grape is the most widely planted variety in Austria ?
Zweigelt (Blaufränkisch x St Laurent)
Which is the second most planted white variety in Austria ?
Welschriesling
Where in Austria is Riesling most widely planted ?
Wachau
Kamptal
Kremstal
Describe the typical differences between Welschriesling and Riesling from Austria
WR: fresh, simple, citrus, green apple, high acidity
R: medium-fullbodied, ripe peachy primary fruit
Apart from Welschriesling and Riesling, what other white varities are widely planted in Austria ?
Chardonnay
Müller-Thurgau
Sauvignon Blanc (Steiermark)
Describe the typical wine made from Zweigelt
Deeply coloured
soft tannins
bramble fruit
Describe a typical wine made from Blaufränkisch
medium tannins
high acidity
peppery, sour cherry flavour
Which of the black grape varieties is the most highly regarded in Austria ?
Blaufränkisch
What are the quality levels of Austrian wine ?
Wein - no geographical indication
Landwein - PGI wines
Qualitätswein/DAC - PDO
Which are the 4 federal states (and 16 smaller areas) of Austria that are allowed to label their wines with Qualitätswein ?
Niederösterreich
Burgenland
Steiermark
Wien
What are the rules for producing Qualitätswein in Austria ?
- the wine must be produced in one of the 4 authorised federal states or 16 smaller areas
- the wine must be made from 35 permitted grape varieties
- the wines can be made in any style
What are the rules for labelling a wine Prädikatswein in Austria ?
a Qualitätswein can also be labelled Prädikatswein
- the Prädikat system is like the one used in Germany
- however, in Austria these terms are mainly reserved for medium-sweet and sweet wines
- and the Austrian Prädikat system has an additional 2 Prädikate: Ausbruch and Strohwein
What is Ausbruch ?
An Austrian Prädikat that doesn’t exist in the German Prädikat system
It is a classification between Beerenauslese (BA) and Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA).
What is Strohwein ?
also known as Schilfwein, made from bunches of grapes laid out on beds of straw or reeds during winter to concentrate sugars.
What is DAC ?
Districtus Austriae Controllatus
Nine of the smaller wine regions have been awarded DAC status.
The producers in a region must agree on a grape variety (or varieties) and a style of wine that they think is representative of their area, to be awarded DAC status.
Only the wines that conform with these principle can be labelled as DAC.
Which is the largest wine region of Austria ?
Niederösterreich, both in terms of production and exports.
Where is the majority of the vineyards in Niederösterreich found ?
On the banks of the river Danube and further north towards the Slovak border.
How many subregions are found in Niederösterreich and which one is the most important ?
Niederösterreich has 8 subregions of which Wachau is the most important, renowned for high-quality white wines on Grüner Veltliner and Riesling.
What are the natural conditions of Wachau that makes it possible for Grüner Veltliner and Riesling to develop highly concentrated flavours ?
Steep, often terraced south-facing vineyards next to the Danube maximise exposure to the sun and allow GV and R to develop highly concentrated flavours.
What is Weinwirtel DAC ?
Austria’s first DAC and the largest wine-growing area.
The wines can only be made from Grüner Veltliner.
There are 2 levels of quality:
Klassik that are dry wines that must be made in a light, fresh and fruity style with no discernible oak flavours and Reserve that may be oak matured and have a higher minimum level of alcohol.
What wine styles are produced in Burgenland ?
Burgenland in the eastern part of Austria near the Hungarian border, is known for producing top-quality sweet wines (many on Welschrielsing) and red wines (many on Zweigelt, but also Blaufränkisch, St. Laurent and international varieties like Pinot Noir, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon).
Also dry white wines on grapes like Pinot Blanc, Welschriesling, Grüner Veltliner and Chardonnay are made.
What is the role of the lake Neusiedlersee in the production of high-quality sweet wines in Burgenland ?
The vineyards are situated on the low-lying ground near the lake and benefit from the autumn mists that comes from the lake and the wetland regions on its margins.
These are ideal conditions for botrytis, which can almost be guaranteed every year.
What is the DAC grape variety in Neusiedlersee ?
Zweigelt
