Austria Flashcards
1
Q
A brief history of Austrian wine up early 1900s
A
- 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
2
Q
What was the Austrian wine scandal and what did they do about it?
A
- 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.
3
Q
Volume of wine exported in Austria in 1985, 1986 and 2018?
A
- 1985 30m litres (then antifreeze scandal)
- 1986 5m litres
- 2018 52.6m litres (and value tripled, as consumers pay premium price for premium quality)
4
Q
Main grapes of Austria
A
- 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
5
Q
Climate of Austria
A
- 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
6
Q
- The typical soil types in Austria
- which is used for Riesling?
- whichis used for Grüner Veltliner?
A
- 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)
7
Q
Trellising in Austria
A
- 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
8
Q
Vineyard Management in Austria
A
- 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)
9
Q
Yields in Austria
A
- Overall yields are 52hL/ha as country’s max per ha capped at 67.5hl/ha
- Evidence Austria’s focus on quality not volume
10
Q
What is Austria’s proportion of organic and sustainable vineyards and why?
A
- 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
11
Q
Viticulture of Gruner Veltliner
A
- 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
12
Q
Flavour profile of Gruner Veltliner
A
- 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.
13
Q
One slide on dry Welschriesling in Austria
A
- 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
14
Q
One slide on sweet Welschriesling in Austria
A
- 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
15
Q
white winemaking in Austria
A
- 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
