Austria Growing Environment and Grapes Flashcards
Describe the wines of Austria.
Austria is known for its high acid, dry white wines made from Grüner Veltliner and Riesling. It also makes sweet white wines. Recently, a number of red wines, many based on local grape varieties such as Zweigelt and Blaufränkisch, are also becoming better known.
Who had the most impact historically on Austrian wine?
It was the Cistercian monks in the 10-12th centuries, as in many other wine regions of Europe, who had perhaps the most impact on Austrian wine. These monks brought with them Burgundian wine culture and even helped establish the terraced hills seen in Wachau and its neighbouring appellations today. During the 15th and 16th centuries, there was a large expansion of the total vineyard area to 150,000 hectares (three times the area present in 2018).
Describe the diethylene glycol episode in Austria.
In in the mid-1970s and 1980s a high proportion of wines was being exported, particularly from Burgenland, and in order to compete on price with other nations, a small number of large volume producers started adding diethylene glycol, an antifreeze agent, to their wines to increase volumes and to simulate sweetness. This was discovered in 1985, and Austrian wine exports dropped from almost 30 million litres in 1985 to under 5 million litres in 1986. However, the Austrian Wine Marketing Board (AWMB) was established in 1986 to help change the international image of Austrian wine. Austrian wine exports are now at 52.6 million litres but the value has more than tripled since 1985[1], meaning consumers are now willing to pay premium prices for high quality Austrian wine
From the 17th century onwards, Austrian vineyard areas began to decrease. Why?
Due to invasion from Turkey, high taxes on wine, and increased popularity of beer, vineyard areas continued to decrease from the 17th century onwards. In the late 1800’s phylloxera, powdery and downy mildew also caused decreases in vineyard area. During this time, there was already a culture of scientific research into vineyard management and winemaking which continues today. In the early 1900s, the first Austrian wine laws were created, for example forbidding hybrid vines.
Describe the vineyard typography of Austria.
Most of western Austria’s terrain is mountainous and not necessarily suited to commercial grape growing. However, more favourable conditions for grape growing can be found as the Alps flatten towards the Pannonian plain and along the Danube.
Describe Austrian’s climate.
Austria has a cool continental climate, however, a number of influences can affect local climate in different parts of the country. Those vineyards in the north of country, such as Weinviertel, are influenced by cool northerly winds, whereas the vineyards in the south, in Steiermark, have more influence from the Adriatic, and are therefore warmer. Vineyards in the east, such as those in Burgenland, near the Hungarian border are influenced by the warmer Pannonian climate, whereas those in the west, such as the vineyards on the Danube, may experience cooler breezes from the Alps.
Spring frosts can be an issue in many regions and in Steiermark hail can also cause damage. Winter freeze is rarely an issue; however, damage can occur in particularly cold winters. In low rainfall years water stress can be an issue in some regions, especially those with thin free draining soils (see next paragraph), and irrigation may be required.
Describe the major soil types in Austria.
Generally, there are two major soil types:
(1) thin soils over rock (granite or gneiss, crystalline bedrock material known locally as Urgestein)
(2) richer soils such as loess.
Riesling is usually planted on the thin soils as it tends to need less water than Grüner Veltliner. Due to its greater requirement for water, Grüner Veltliner is typically planted on either loess or, where it is present, clay. Other soil types include limestone and schist (such as on the Leithaberg hills) as well as gravel and volcanic material (such as in Steiermark and parts of Kamptal).
Describe the vine training systems in Austria.
In the 1980s the main training method was the Lenz Moser system in which vines are cordon trained to the height of 1.2-1.4 meters (higher than other systems and requiring wider rows to avoid shading). The system was popular for high volume production as once established it requires little maintenance and allows many vineyard tasks to be mechanised. This has largely been superseded by single or double Guyot (replacement-cane) with VSP trellising, which is better suited to high quality production.
Describe the kinds of harvesting in Austria.
Machine harvesting is more common on flatter lands in parts of Weinviertel and Burgenland, however in the vineyards around the Danube, such as Wachau, Kremstal, and Kamptal, the vines are planted on hand built, steep stone terraces that means all work is carried out by hand, adding to cost. Growers have indicated that growing vines on these terraces can take 3-5 times as many hours as those vines on flatter land.
Describe the organic and biodynamic scene in Austria.
Disease pressure is low in many parts of Austria, because of moderate precipitation – ranging from 450mm in the Weinviertel to 850mm in Steiermark. The lack of disease pressure has led to 16.4 per cent of all vineyards following organic or biodynamic practices[3] with an additional 3.5 per cent certified sustainable.[4] Rainfall can be low during the growing season, particularly in Niederӧsterreich, and so irrigation may be required.
Describe the yields in Austria.
Overall yields throughout the country are 52 hL/ha[5], as maximum yields per hectare are legally capped at 67.5 hL/ha[6]. This is in line with Austria’s modern image which is focussed on creating high quality wines, rather than wines for bulk production.
What are Austria’s two most planted grape varieties?
Austria is best known for its native grape varieties. Two-thirds of all vineyards in Austria are planted with white grape varieties, in particular Grüner Veltliner (31% overall). Zweigelt (14% overall) is the most planted black grape variety and the second most planted grape overall.
Describe Grüner Veltliner.
This variety is widely planted and accounts for 31 per cent of all plantings in Austria.[8] Unlike Riesling, it does not thrive in dry soils, and so is better suited to clay and loess soils, which can retain higher levels of water. It can be very vigorous if planted on fertile soil, and so careful canopy management is necessary in order to produce ripe grapes. The skins are thick, and if left in contact with the juice for too long, can contribute a phenolic taste, or bitterness to the wine. The skins also contain a chemical compound that gives a peppery aroma, characteristic of this variety.
The wines made from Grüner Veltliner have medium (+) to high acidity and are typically not oaked. They range from simple wines, with citrus and green fruit aromas made for early drinking, of acceptable to good quality and inexpensive price to wines with pronounced citrus and peach fruit and great complexity of aroma and flavour, which can be aged in bottle. These wines are very good to outstanding quality and premium priced.
Describe Welschriesling.
Not related to Riesling, this grape is the second most planted white grape variety in Austria. It has high levels of acidity and can have somewhat neutral aromatics. It is mainly found in Steiermark and usually made into fresh, neutral, unoaked, dry wines, of acceptable to good quality and inexpensive in price. Plantings of Welschriesling are in decline[9] partially due to a decrease in consumption of this simple, dry style.
There are also large plantings in Burgenland around the humid Neusiedlersee region. Thanks to its thin skins it can be affected by noble rot, and then used for sweet wines production, labelled as Beerenauslese or Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA). These wines have high levels of acidity, with pronounced tropical fruit aromas and dried fruit, with the ability to develop in bottle. They are very good to outstanding quality and premium prices. Because of its neutral aromatics and high acidity, Welschriesling can also be used in Sekt production.
Describe Riesling in Austria.
Riesling only accounts for just over 4 per cent[10] of all plantings in Austria, however it is one of the most prized varieties. It is mainly found in Niederӧsterreich, where it is the second most planted white grape variety, and in many instances it is planted in the warmest sites on thin soils, as it needs less water than Grüner Veltliner to thrive. The wines made from Riesling are almost always dry, can be full bodied, with medium levels of alcohol, ripe stone fruit and sometimes tropical fruit flavours, with high levels of acidity, allowing many of them to improve over 10-20 years, where they become nutty, honeyed and have petrol notes. They are typically very good to outstanding in quality and command premium prices.
