Austria

Question 1

A brief history of Austrian wine up early 1900s

Answer 1

• 10-12thC The Cistercian monks brought Burgundian wine culture incl terraces in Wachau today
• 15-16thC vineyard expansion to 150,000ha (3 x bigger than today)
• 17thC onwards decline due to invasion by Turkey, high taxes on wine, beer becoming popular
• Late 1800s phylloxera, powdery & downy mildew
• Late 1800s Scientific research started; early 1900s first Austrian wine laws eg forbidding hybrids

Question 2

What was the Austrian wine scandal and what did they do about it?

Answer 2

• Mid 1970s-80s scandal: large vol producers in Burgenland trying to compete on price in mass market added diethylene glycol (antifreeze) to increase volumes/ simulate sweetness.
• Discovered in 1985: exports dropped from 30m litres to under 5m in 1986
• 1986 Austrian Wine Marketing Board (AWMB) establised to change image of Austrian wine.
• Now exports are 52.6m litres, but value more than tripled - consumers pay premium prices for high quality Austrian wine.

Question 3

Volume of wine exported in Austria in 1985, 1986 and 2018?

Answer 3

• 1985 30m litres (then antifreeze scandal)
• 1986 5m litres
• 2018 52.6m litres (and value tripled, as consumers pay premium price for premium quality)

Question 4

Main grapes of Austria

Answer 4

• WHITE
• Gruner Weltliner (31% of all plantings)
• Welschriesling (second most planted white; on decrease)
• Riesling (4%, but prized)
• BLACK
• Zweigelt (14% all plantings)
• Blaufränksich (7%)
• Sankt Laurent

Question 5

Climate of Austria

Answer 5

• Generally cool continental
• North vineyards (eg Weinviertal) are influenced by cool northerly winds
• South(eg Steiermark) warmer Adriatic
• East (eg Burgenland) near Hungary by warmer Pannonian climate
• West (eg Danube) cooler breezes from Alps
• General issues: spring frosts (winter freeze damage rare), water stress (low rainfall/ free-draining soils) - irrigation, hail in Steiermark

Question 6

• The typical soil types in Austria
• which is used for Riesling?
• whichis used for Grüner Veltliner?

Answer 6

• The two major soil types are
  
  • thin soils over rock (granite or gneiss - Urgestein)
  • richer soils like loess.
• Riesling is planted on thinner soils as it doesn’t require as much water as Grüner Veltliner.
• Grüner Veltliner is planted on soils with a high water holding capacity such as loess or clay.
• Other soil types include: limestone and schist (in the Leithaberg hills), gravel and volcanic matter (in Steiermark and parts of Kamptal)

Question 7

Trellising in Austria

Answer 7

• 1980s Lenz Mosel system (high 1.2-1.4m cordon trained, wider rows to stop shading)
  
  • good for high volume, as requires little maintenance, allows mechanisation
• Now mainly single/ double Guyot (replacement cane) with VSP trellising for high quality

Question 8

Vineyard Management in Austria

Answer 8

• Guyot VSP (quality) replaced Lenz Moser (vol)
• Machine harvest on flatter lands (Weinviertel, Burgenland)
• Around Danube (Wachau, Kremstal, Kamptal) steep stone terraces. All work by hand, takes 3-5 x more time
• Little disease pressure as rainfall is moderate (450mm in Weinviertal to 850mm Steiermark)
• High (16.4%) vineyards organic/bio
• Irrigation possible (esp Niederösterreich)

Question 9

Yields in Austria

Answer 9

• Overall yields are 52hL/ha as country’s max per ha capped at 67.5hl/ha
• Evidence Austria’s focus on quality not volume

Question 10

What is Austria’s proportion of organic and sustainable vineyards and why?

Answer 10

• 16.4% organic/ biodynamique
• 3.5% certified sustainable
• high levels, because disease pressure generally low due to moderate precipitation (450mm in north to 850mm in south)
• also because emphasis on quality

Question 11

Viticulture of Gruner Veltliner

Answer 11

• 31% of all plantings in Austria
• Likes clay/ loess soils as retain more water
• V vigourous on fertile soil, so canopy management needed to produce ripe grapes
• Thick skins
  
  • chemical - characteristic peppery aroma
  • phenolic (bitter) if too much skin contact

Question 12

Flavour profile of Gruner Veltliner

Answer 12

• medium (+) to high acidity
• typically unoaked
• from simple, citrus and green fruit for early drinking of acceptable to good quality, inexpensive
• to pronounced citrus and peach fruit, great complexity of aroma and flavour, can age in bottle, very good to outstanding, premium priced.

Question 13

One slide on dry Welschriesling in Austria

Answer 13

• second most planted grape in Austria
• NOT related to Riesling
• high acidity, somewhat neutral aromatics (therefore used in Sekt)
• mainly grown in south (Steiermark)
• fresh, neutral, unoaked dry wines
• acceptable to good quality, inexpensive
• in decline as decrease in consumption of this simple, dry style

Question 14

One slide on sweet Welschriesling in Austria

Answer 14

• large plantings in Burgenland in humid Neusiedlersee
• thin-skinned, so prone to noble rot makes Beerenauslese or TBA
• high acidity, pronounced tropical fruit, dried fruit, will develop in bottle.
• v good to outstanding, premium priced
• Significant producer Alois Kracher TBA sweet

Question 15

white winemaking in Austria

Answer 15

• typical aim to preserve primary fruit and varietal characteristics
• often short skin contact to maximise aromas, flavours, then ferment in neutral vessel
• temperature control to prevent loss of delicate, volatile aromas
• Gruner & Riesling don’t usually malo because
  
  • difficult with low pH of wines
  • desire to retain acidity, varietal character (& why store in old wood, stainless steel)
• fine lees 6 mths or more to add texture

Question 16

red wine-making in Austria

Answer 16

• typically fermented in large, open-top vessels with either punch downs or pump overs
• some use ambient yeast
• stainless steel storage or matured in large old oak (300- 600L+) to soften tannins without new oak flavours
• some premium wines barriques with proportion new
• some use acacia vats over oak for maturing red & white as gives small oygenation without vanilla oak character
• some experimentation with prolonged skin contact and fermentation/ ageing in amphorae

Question 17

There are nine federal states in Austria

Name the four with significant viticulture

Answer 17

1. Niederösterreich
2. Burgenland
3. Steiermark
4. Wien

Question 18

one slide on Burgenland

Answer 18

• east Austria, borders Hungary. Flat; warm air from Pannonian plain - can reliably ripen many black varieties
• 55% of plantings black, mainly Blaufrankisch & Zweigelt
  
  • fruity, easy drinking to intense, full body, oaked
• Gruner Veltliner and Welschriesling main whites
  
  • too warm for great quality Gruner
  • Welschriesling major role in botrytised wines, some outstanding

Question 19

• Identify the three terms used for the following in Austrian wine labelling
• Austrian wine without a Geographic Indication
• Austrian wine with a PGI
• Austrian wine with a PDO

Answer 19

• No Geographic Indication = Tafelwine
• PGI = Landwein
• PDO = Qualitätswein

Question 20

Neusiedlersee and Welschriesling

Answer 20

• Neusiedlersee vineyards around eastern shores of the shallow lake of the same name - this is warmest area in Austria (lake 30^o mid summer)
• vineyards are flat, warm and mostly very humid.
• autumn air temp drops, lake still warm, at night fog forms covering vineyards close to lake, encouraging botyrtis. Afternoon sun burns away fog, preventing grey rot.
• White grape varieties planted closest to lake, particularly thin-skinned Welschriesling, as botrytis is consistent each vintage so can produce outstanding TBA wine.
• Vineyards furthest from the lake are not as humid and planted with black grape varieties (esp Zweigelt)

Question 21

Flavour profile of Zweigelt

Answer 21

• Usually have medium (+) level of acidity with medium tannin levels.
• Red fruit, particularly cherry, dominate the flavours and aromas.
• Styles range from easy drinking, fruity unoaked wines that are acceptable to good quality and inexpensive to mid-priced
• to full bodied, oaked styles that have the possibility to age. These are very good quality and can command premium prices.

Question 22

Flavour profile of Blaufränkisch

Answer 22

• Usually have medium (+) to high tannins, high levels of acidity, deep colour and black fruit flavours.
• Can produce some of Austria’s most age-worthy and intense red wines.
• The wines range from simple, fruity wines with little or no oak ageing, that are good in quality and mid-priced
• to very good to outstanding wines with pronounced black fruit, spicy oak characters and high tannins that are premium priced.

Question 23

In 2002 DAC rules were introduced in Austria to create an appellation system. What are the three levels?

Answer 23

Regional wines: Gebietswein

Village wines: Ortswein

Single vineyard wines: Riedenwein

Question 24

Austrian wine laws overview

Answer 24

• Mixture of own DAC (Districtus Austraie Controllatus) appellation system, German-based Qualitatswein system and EU, PDO and PDI terms.
• Vast majority (88%) is Qualitatswein. Tafelwein and Landwein together only 12% of all production

Question 25

Wine laws in Neusiedlersee

Answer 25

* The DAC in Neusiedlersee is for red not white (so the great Welschriesling TBAs are labelled Burgenland) * DAC Klassik must be 100% Zweigelt * DAC Reserve must be min 60% Zweigelt, the rest can be Blaufrankisch, Pinot Noir or Sankt Laurent

Question 26

Flavour profile of St Laurent

Answer 26

* Austrian black grape sometimes likened to Pinot Noir * deep ruby colour * red cherry fruit * medium (-) body * medium tannins

Question 27

Austrian wine laws - Qualitatswein

Answer 27

* 88% Austrian wine is Qualitatswein (govt inspected) * may also be labelled * Klassik - declared vintage, shows varietal character * Reserve - dry, min 13%, harvested and released later than standard * Like Germans, have Pradikatswein system, without Kabinett. So Spatlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese, Eiswein, TBA. * In addition Ausbruch = TBA from city Rust on Lake Neusieldersee

Question 28

What is the aim of the Austrian DAC system?

Answer 28

* To give an indication of typicity (rather than a guarantee of quality) of a particular region

Question 29

How does the Austrian DAC (Districtus Austriae Controllatus) system work?

Answer 29

* DACs represent regional **typicity**, with only specified permitted grapes for that region, to use the DAC * tasting panel may reject a wine for not being "typical" fo the region, so high quality wines may miss DAC status * 15 DACs (Wachau in 2020) so far * DAC wines have an optional quality heirarchy * regional *Gebiestwein* * village *Ortswein* * single vineyard *Riedenwein*

Question 30

one slide on Niederösterreich (Lower Austria)

Answer 30

* largest grape growing & export region; 2/3 white varieties, Gruner Veltliner 50% of all plantings * most of Austria's famous vineyards here * large area breaks down into 3 regions * Weinviertel in north * along Danube west of Vienna (Wachau, Kremstal, Kamptal, Traisental, Wagram) * warmer Pannonian plain in south east

Question 31

what does the Erste Lage 1ÖWT logo on a bottle represent?

Answer 31

* single vineyard wines * since 1992 OWT (Österreichischer Traditionsweingüter) group of producers from Kremstal, Kamptal, Traisental, Wagram, Vienna & Carnuntum classifying vineyards according to soil type & climate * waiting to be accepted as Austrian Wine Law * *note that Wachau has its own Vinea Wachau*

Question 32

What is Vinea Wachau?

Answer 32

* group of Wachau producers classifying vineyards based on soil and climate, with registered trademarks for 3 different _dry_, white wines to indicate style and quality: * **Steinfeder** (a grass, "light as a feather") max 11.5% fruity, dry wine, lightest style * **Federspiel** (falconry) 11.5-12.5% more concentrated * **Smaragd** (lizard) min 12.5% highly concentrated, ripe (sometimes tropical) fruit flavours, full bodied * wines must be dry: less than 9g/L RS, no oak * Gruner Veltliner or Riesling, never blended

Question 33

one slide on Wachau

Answer 33

* north bank of Danube, steep, terraced, (best) south facing vineyards for max sunlight. Stone terraces retain day heat, radiate back to vine: v ripe fruit * river moderates; also reflects heat * 460mm rain, so irrigation often necessary, but controlled * Danube humidity can cause unwanted noble rot (Vinea Wachau are dry) * Gruner on loess, Riesling on gneiss; never blended * wines here are all very good to outstanding