Austria Flashcards
What style of wine is Austria best known for?
Dry, high acid white wines made from Gruner and Riesling
What are the two key black grape varieties in Austria?
Zweigelt & Blaufrankisch
Who helped build the terraced vineyards of Wachau?
Cistercian monks bringing with them Burgundian wine culture in the 10-12 centuries
When were the Austrian wine laws created?
Early 1900’s
What was discovered in 1985?
That some large volume producers where adding diethylene glycol (an antifreeze agent) to their wines to increase volumes and to simulate sweetness.
What did the 1985 discovery do for Austrian wine exports?
Exports dropped from almost 30
Million litres in 1985 to under 5 million litres in 1986
Where are the favourable grape growing areas in Austria?
To the east of the country as the Alps flatten towards the Pannonian plain and along the Danube.
The vineyards to the north are influenced by what?
Cool northerly winds
The vineyards to the south are influenced by what?
The Adriatic Sea
What are the two major soil types in Austria?
Thin soils over rock (granite or gneiss, crystalline bedrock material known as Urgestein)
And
Richer soils such as loess
What was the main training method used in the 80s in Austria?
Lenz Moser system
What total planting percentage is Gruner Veltliner?
32 percent of all plantings in Austria
What soils is Gruner best suited for?
Better suited to clay and loess soils, which can retain higher levels of water.
What is the chemical compound found in the skins of Gruner and what is the aroma it gives off?
Rotundone
Gives a peppery aroma
What are the style of wine made from Gruner?
Typically not Oaked.
Range from simple wines with citrus and green fruit aromas (acceptable to good)
To pronounced citrus and peach and great complexity. Can bottle age. (Very good to outstanding)
What is the most planted black grape in Austria?
Zweigelt
What is zweigelt crossed from?
Sankt Laurent & Blaufrankisch
Wines made from Zweigelt usually display what characteristics?
Medium (+) level of acidity with medium tannin.
Red fruit dominate, cherry.
Easy drinking, light bodied to full bodied, oaked styles with ageing potential.
Why is Zweigelt the most planted black grape in Austria?
It ripens early and relatively easily and can be high yielding
Is Welschriesling related to Riesling?
No
What is the second most planted white grape in Austria?
Welschriesling
What are the characteristics of wine made with Welschriesling?
Fresh, neutral, unoaked, dry wines of acceptable to good quality.
What styles of wine is Welschriesling suited for?
High quality sweet wines with pronounced tropical and dried fruit aromas, ability to age in the bottle.
Sekt production due to neutral aromatics