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
What is the second most planted black grape in Austria?
Blaufrankisch
What are the characteristics of wines produced using Blaufrankisch?
Medium (+) tannin, high acidity, deep colour and black fruit flavours.
Budding and ripening of Blaufrankisch?
Buds early (vulnerable to spring frost)
Ripens late (therefore needs warm climate to fully ripen)
What are Austria’s most age-worthy red wines made from?
Blaufrankisch
Where are the prime growing regions for Blaufrankisch?
Leithberg DAC & Mittelburgenland DAC
Where is Riesling mainly planted in Austria?
Niederosterreich
What sort of sites is Diesling planted on?
Warmest sites on thin soils. Requires less water than Gruner.
What sort of wines are produced from Riesling in Austria?
Almost always dry. Can be full bodied.
Medium alcohol.
Ripe stone fruits and sometimes tropical aromas. High acidity.
Potential to improce after 10-20 years.
What classification is Wein in Austria?
Wine without geographical indication
What classification is Landwein in Austria?
Wine with protected geographical Indication (PGI)
What classification is Qualitatswein in Austria?
Wine with protected designation of origin. (PDO)
What does Klassik mean in Austrian wine?
Wines with a vintage declaration and showing varietal character.
What does Reserve mean in Austrian wine?
Dry wines with a minimum of 13% abv.
Typically harvested and released later than the standard wines.
What is the quality hierarchy in the DAC?
Regional (Gebietswein)
Village (Ortswein)
Single vineyard wines (Riedenwein)
What does the DAC seek to promote?
Regional typicity
How many DAC regions are there?
15
What are the two labelling terms outside of Austrian wine law?
Osterreichische Traditionsweinguter
&
Vinea Wachau
What does OTW on a label mean?
A group of producers, based in kamptal, kremstal, wagram, and Vienna, and other regions. Who have classified their vineyards based on soil type and climate.
What does Vinea Wachau include?
A group of quality minded producers based in Wachau that have a classification system for the wines of the region.
What are the 4 federal states that have significant viticulture?
Niederosterreich
Burgenland
Wein
Steiermark
What are the 3 different classifications of dry white wine to help indicate style and quality for producers in the Vinea Wachau?
Steinfeder
Federspiel
Smaragd
What style of wine is steinfeder and where is the classification used?
Fruity, dry wine, 11.5% max abv
Lightest style
Wachau
What style of wine is Federspiel and where is the classification used?
More concentrated, dry wine with 11.5% - 12.5% abv
What style of wine is Smaragd and where is the classification used?
Highly concentrated, dry wines , ripe fruits min 12.5% abv
What is the Vinea Wachau?
An association of producers that have classified single vineyards based on soil and climate.
How much rain on average falls in Wachau?
460mm annually
What do the stone terraces of Wachau do for the grapes?
The stone terraces retain heat during the day and radiate it back to the vine at night.
Where is Kremstal located?
To the east of Wachau. Around the town of Krems.
What is the warming influence in Kremstal?
The Pannonian plain to the east.
What is the body tannin and flavour of Sankt Laurent?
Medium(-) body
Medium tannins
Red cherry flavours
What are the most planted white grapes in Thermenregion?
Neuburger (subtle spice and floral aromas
Rotgipfler (full-bodied with peach flavours)
ziefandler (aromatic notes of peach, honey & spice)
Where is Burgenland located and what is the climate?
On the border with Hungary.
One of the flattest and warmest, warmed by air from the Pannonian plain
What is the warmest area in Austria?
Neusiedlersee
How does Neusiedlersee achieve consistent bortrytis every year?
High humidity encourages bortrytis.
Fog from the lake forms over the vineyards closed to the lake.
Warm autumn sunshine in the afternoon burns away the fog, preventing grey rot.
DAC wines in Neusiedlersee are made from what?
Red wines based on Zweigelt.
What are TBA wines generally made from in Neusiedlersee?
And what are their wine profiles?
Welschriesling.
Very sweet. Balanced by high levels of acidity. Have noble rot aromas of marmalade.
