Austria Study Guide Flashcards
What major river is Austria’s wine country located along? What is the major city?
Danube River
Vienna
When was Trockenbeerenauslese first produced in Austria predating Spätlese in Germany by over 200 years?
1526
Where is the most significant viticultural research institute in Austria? What was its main focus upon establishment in 1860?
Klosterneuburg abbey in Lower Austria
grape crossings and higher yields were its main focus
What Austrian is credited with the development of the wire trellising system for grapes in the 1950s?
Lenz Moser
a trellising system of training vines to twice their height
85% of all vines use this- higher quality for mechaanized harvest
What scandal in 1985 decimated Austria’s wine industry?
The “antifreeze” scandal
Diethylene glycol, a colorless, odorless, poisonous chemical was added to light wines to give them added texture. When a culpable producer tried to claim this as a wine expense on his taxes the scandal was exposed and wines tested positive for this poisonous chemical worldwide.
What positive came of the 1985 “antifreeze” scandal?
Austria responded by drafting some of the strictest wine laws in Europe and quickly refocused on quality.
What are the four major weinbaugebiete (wine regions) of Austria from North to South?
Niederösterreich
Wien (Vienna)
Burgenland
Styria
Which two weinbaugebiete of Austria collectively account for 90% of the country’s vineyards?
Niederösterreich and Burgenland
What is the most cultivated variety in Austria? What % of the nation’s total vineyard acreage does it account for?
Grüner-Veltliner
accounts for 30% of the nation’s total acreage under vine
Behind Gruner, what are the 6 most planted white grapes in decreasing order of acreage under vine?
Welschriesling Müller-Thurgau Weissburgunder Riesling Chardonnay Feinburgunder
What is the synonym for Chardonnay in Austria?
Morillon
What are the two most cultivated red grapes in Austria?
Zweigelt and Blaufränkisch
Behind Zweigelt and Blaufränkisch what are the 3 other most cultivated reds in decreasing order from most to least?
Blauer Portugieser
Blauburger
What are the crossings that produced Zweigelt and Blauburger?
Blaufränkisch x St Laurent = Zweigelt
Blaufränkisch x Blauer Portugieser = Blaubürger
Zweigelt and Blaubürger share what father?
Blaufränkisch
What percentage of Austria’s vineyards are planted to white grapes?
65%
What are the three levels of quality for Austrian wine?
Qualitätswein
Landwein
Wein (Tafelwein prior to 2009)
What is the highest level of quality for wine in Austria? What fraction of Austria’s total annual production does it account for? Where is it sourced from? Single varietal or blend? How many grapes are permitted?
Qualitätswein; accounts for 2/3 of Austria’s total production
Sourced from a single Weinbaugebiete or one of the 16 smaller wine regions and may be produced from one or more of 35 permitted grapes
meet the minimum must weight requirement of 15 degrees KMW, adhere to maximum yields of 65.7 hectoliters per hectare, and have a minimum 9% ABV (5% for Prädikatswein).
What is the Austrian equivalent of Germany’s Amtliche Prüfungsnummer (AP Number)? What does this indicate? Additionally what must be present on the cap of the bottle?
State Control Number (Prüfnummer)
Indicates that the wine has passed a tasting panel and chemical analysis.
Red and white banderole must be present on the capsule of approved bottles.
Austrian wine of Wein quality may carry a vintage date and varietal on label but what term is the exclusive term used for statement of origin?
Österreich
Bergwein” may be labeled if the vineyard slope exceeds 26%
Wein, which can include grapes from anywhere in the EU, and Österreich (the German name for Austria, also labeled as österreichischer Wein), which must be sourced from Austria onl
In regards to grapes allowed, what is permitted for the production of Austrian Landwein? How are these wines labeled in regards to geographic origin?
Same 35 as permitted for Qualitätswein
Geographic origin corresponds to one of the following three larger broad geographic areas: Weinland, Steierland, or Bergland
What are the three Weinbauregion permitted on the labels of Austrian Landwein? What areas of the country does each correspond to?
Weinland:
Covers Niederösterreich, Wien, and Burgenland
Steierland:
Refers to Steiermark
Bergland:
Refers to 500 ha of vineyard land scattered throughout the remainder of Austria’s mountainous countryside.
What is the difference between Weinbauregion and Weinbaugebiete? Name the 3 Weinbauregion and 4 Weinbaugebiete
Weinbauregion refers to the three broader delimited lands that are listed on Austrian Landwein. Weinland, Steierland, and Bergland.
Weinbaugebiete refers to the 4 more specific regions eligible for use on the labels of Qualitätswein (though the smaller 16 regions are used more frequently). Niederösterreich, Wien, Burgenland, and Styria are the four Weinbaugebiete.
All three levels of quality for Austrian wine require the same max yield. What is it? What increases for each level of quality?
67.5 hl/ha
min must weights increase with each level of quality.
Qualitätswein may be subdivided into different categories. What are they?
Kabinett,
DAC wines,
Prädikatswein (which has its own style categories),
Sekt Austria g.U.
What does DAC stand for?
Districtus Austriae Controllatus
How does Austria’s ladder of Prädikatswein differ from Germany’s?
Kabinett along with Sekt (sparkling) are considered subsets of Qualitätswein rather than a Prädikat.
Additionally along with Spätlese, Auslese, and Trockenbeerenauslese the categories of Strohwein and Ausbruch are added.
The total ladder looks like the following: Spätlese Auslese Beerenauslese Eiswein Strohwein/Schilfwein Ausbruch Trockenbeerenauslese
If a bottle of Qualitätswein in Austria is labeled by Prädikat, what is the min % of alcohol required?
Min 5%
What are the corresponding KMW values for each of the Austrian Prädikat? What are the corresponding KMW values for the two subsets of Qualitätswein that aren’t Prädikats (Kabinett and Sekt)? What is the KMW value of an Austrian basic Qualitätswein?
Spätlese (19 KMW)
Auslese (21 KMW)
Beerenauslese / Eiswein / Strohwein (25KMW)
Ausbruch/Trockenbeerenauslese (30KMW)
Kabinett (17 KMW)
Sekt (15 KMW)
Basic Qualitätswein (15 KMW)
What does KMW stand for? What is its German counterpart called?
Klosterneuberger Mostwage
Öchsle is the German counterpart
1 KMW = 5 degree Oshsle
Wines of what quality level are forbidden to chaptalize and add süssreserve to the wines?
Qualitätswein
Ausbruch is a sweet wine specialty of what area known for producing most of the country’s sweet wines?
Rust in Neusiedlersee-Hügelland (Burgenland)
sweet botrytized dessert wine that was made in a style similar to Tokaji
What three items does each DAC prescribe?
limited grape varietals
minimum alcohol content
stylistic choices
What is the largest Weinbaugebiete in Austria? What is its other name? What is the second largest Weinbaugebiete and how much smaller is it compared to the former?
Niederösterreich (Lower Austria)
Burgenland is the second largest but twice as small
What is the name of the major plain that stretches through Niederösterreich, Hungary, and many countries of the former eastern bloc? What is the main soil type of this plain?
Pannonian Plain
loess is the main soil type
What kind of climate does the Niederösterreich experience?
Strong continental
Most of the Niederösterreich’s subzones are located along the path of what river and its tributaries? What are the two exceptions?
Danube River
Weinviertel and Thermenregion are the exceptions.
What are the 8 subzones of Niederösterreich?
Weinviertel Carnuntum Traisental Wagram Kremstal Kamtal Wachau Thermenregion
What is the Niederösterreich’s largest sub zone and first DAC?
Weinviertel
What is the grape required for Weinviertel? What is the minimum alcohol % required for basic Weinnviertel DAC? Reserve? What style of wine is produced here?
Grüner-Veltliner with min alcohol of 12%, 13% for Reserve (reserve can have botrytis and wood- normal cannot)
Lighter, fresher wine due to the cooler climate.
For basic Weinviertel DAC what characteristics must the wine show? What about for Reserve? When was Reserve category created?
Must show distinct peppery note and no obvious wood or botrytis tones.
Reserve wines are fuller in body and may display hints of both botrytis and wood
(est. 2009)
What grapes are permitted for Traisental, Kamptal, and Kremstal DACs? What two categories exist for each? Describe both. What are their corresponding min abvs?
Grüner-Veltliner or Riesling
Classic (12%): no notes of wood or botrytis
Reserve (13%): may show notes of both
How does Grüner-Veltliner from Kamptal, Kremstal, and Traisental differ from those produced in Weinviertel?
More delicate spice notes, less pungent than wines from Weinviertel
What are the tributaries of the Danube that run through both Kremstal and Kamptal?
Kremstal (Krems)
Kamptal (Kamp)
What is the main village of Kamptal? What are 3 top vineyards located in this DAC?
Langenlois
Heiligenstein, Lamm, and Dechant vineyards are all highly regarded
Kamptal- less humid (less botrytis), Cooler at night, wamer during the day than the Wachau
How are single vineyard wines in Austria bottled?
With village first and name of vineyard. Often the village name is replaced with the word “Ried” indicating a top site.
What is the Austrian equivalent of the German VDP? What are the production guidelines for their wines closely aligned with? What do they call top vineyard sites? What are the only grapes permitted for this status?
(OTW) Österreichischen Traditionsweingüter, aligned closely with the DAC concept
Top vineyard sites are called Erste Lage and only Grüner-Veltliner or Riesling may be used for their production.
What is the Austrian Erste Lage logo?
A “1” with OWT interlocked
May of Austria’s best vineyards are located in this westernmost subregion of the Niederösterreich? Between what two towns is it located?
Wachau
Between Melk and Krems
What moderates the otherwise severe continental climate of the Wachau during the summer and allow the wines to retain high natural acidity?
Danube river and cool northern winds
On what bank of the Danube River are the Wachau’s best? What region in Germany does it draw comparisons to? Why?
North bank
Compared to Mosel due to the presence of steep terraced vineyards along a river.
What composes the main soil structure of Wachau?
loess combined with gföhler, or gneiss, with a proportion of alluvial sand in the lower vineyard sites near the river’s edge
What is Gneiss called in the Wachau?
gföhler
The unique climate, soil, and aspect of the Wachau’s vineyards yield what kind of wines in the pantheon of Austrian wine?
Austria’s most extracted, age worthy white wines
What are the grapes permitted for Wachau DAC?
Grüner Veltliner or Riesling
Instead of using the typical Prädikatswein hierarchy, producers in Wachau have developed their own categories of classification? What are the 3 and what are their corresponding KMW values and abvs?
Steinfeder (min 15 KMW and max 11.5% abv)
Federspiel (min 17 KMW and 11.5-12.5% abv)
Smaragd (min 19 KMW and min 12.5% abv)
Which of the Wachau categories is the equivalent of Spätlese in Germany?
Smaragd
What is the most extracted style and most likely to show inevitable tones of botrytis in the Wachu?
Smaragd
What are 5 top vineyard sites in the Wachau?
Achleiten Hochrain Loibenberg Kellerberg Kirchweg Terrasen
What are 5 top producers of Wachau?
FX Pichler Rudi Pichler Emmerich Knoll Prager Domaine Wachau
What is the Vinea Wachau? What style of winemaking does this organization champion? Who are three members?
an organization sworn to uphold the tenets of natural winemaking as spelled out in the Codex Wachau.
No additives (including chaptalization)
No aromatization (including the use of new barrique)
no “fractionation” (techniques such as dealcoholization)
All wines must be vilified from grapes grown in the Wachau.
Knoll, FX Pichler, and Prager are three members of the organization
What percentage of the Wachau’s vineyards are controlled by Vinea Wachau members?
more than 85%
Wagram was also known as what prior to 2007?
Donauland prior to 2007
What four grapes are produced under the Wagram DAC?
Grüner-Veltliner
Müller-Thurgau
Zweigelt
Roter Veltliner (red grape produced as a white)
What red grape is produced as a white wine specialty in Wagram DAC?
Roter Veltliner
How does the climate of Thermenregion compare to the rest of the Niederösterreich as the name suggests? Why is it this way?
Much warmer as its far away from the mitigating influence of the Danube
What are the rare white grapes that are grown in Thermenregion? What is the blend of them called?
Rotgipfler and Zierfandler
Called Spätrot-Rotgipfler when blended.
Carnuntum is geared toward the production of what wines red or white? What is the main grape here?
Red
Zweigelt
What is the name of the field blends popular in Carnuntum?
Gemischter Satz
Burgenland is known for producing Austria’s best styles of what wine?
Red and sweet wines
Burgenland borders Hungary and shares climatic similarities to what Hungarian wine region?
Sopron
The hot Pannonian climate of Burgenland is tempered by the cooling influences of what lake?
Neusiedlersee
What are the 5 DACs of Burgenland?
Neusiedlersee* Leithaberg* Rosalia Mittelburgenland Eisenberg
*=surrounds lake neussidlersee
north to south
What two sub zone wine regions of Burgenland are no longer considered official as of 2016?
Neusiedlersee-Hügelland
Südburgenland
What is the grape of Mittelburgenland? What is the abvs for Classic? Reserve? What is the other categories of classic and its abv?
Blaufränkisch
Classic (12.5-13%)
Classic with mention of site (13-13.5%)
Reserve (min 13%)
What are the aging requirements and release dates for Mittelburgenland DAC Classic and Reserve?
Classic (not released until August 1 following year of harvest and can be aged in stainless steel or used wood)
Reserve (not released until March 1 of second year following harvest and must be aged in oak either used or new)
What is the first DAC that allows for the production of both red and white wines? What grapes are allowed for white?
Leithaberg
White:
Single varietal or blends of Grüner-Veltliner, Chardonnay, Neuberger, or Weissburgunder.
Red:
min 85% Blaufränkisch plus Pinot Noir, St. Laurent, and/or Zweigelt
What is the grape used in the production of Eisenberg DAC wines? What are the min abv for Classic and Reserve?
Blaufränkisch
Classic (12.5%)
Reserve (13%)
What is Blaufränkish known as in Germany? Hungary?
Lemberger (Germany)
Kékfrankos (Hungary)
What village in Neusiedlersee is home to Alois Kracher and what style of wine is he know for? What grape is considered the star of these?
Illmitz
eiswein, BA and TBA bottlings
Scheurebe
What town is famous for the production of Ausbruch wines? What famous dessert wine does it draw comparisons to? Why?
Rust
Draws comparisons to Tokaji due to production method.
How is Ausbruch produced?
grapes are harvested at a minimum of 30KMW. Richly concentrated botrytis-affected must is added to less concentrated must from fruit harvested in the same vineyard and the two are fermented together then aged in barrel prior to release
What grapes were traditionally used for the production of Ausbruch? Which 7 are more commonly used today?
Furmint grapes were traditionally used but today Ausbruch is more often produced from Chardonnay, Muskateller, Pinot Blanc, Neuburger, Welschriesling, Traminer, and Pinot Gris
Neusiedlersee DAC is reserved for what style of wines?
Classic and Reserve wines based on Zweigelt
What are the 3 subregions of Steiermark/Styria? Which is DAC?
Vulkland Steiermark DAC
Südsteiermark DAC
Weststeiermark DAC
East to west
What % of Austria’s vineyards are found in Steiermark/Styria?
9%
What is the most cultivated grape in Steiermark/Styria? What are the two others?
Welschriesling is the most cultivated followed by Weissburgunder and Sauvignon Blanc
Who is the top producer of Sauvignon Blanc in Steiermark/Styria? How does he age his wines?
Manfred Tement
both in stainless steel and wood
What style of wine is Weststeiermark DAC known for? What is the main grape? What was the region formerly called?
Schilcher (rosé) made from Blauer Wildbacher
Wien is surrounded by what 4 DACs on three sides?
Thermenregion
Carnuntum
Weinviertel
Wagram
What is the only capitol city in Europe to have its own wine appellation within city limits?
Vienna (Wien)
What is the nouveau style wine that is made in Vienna? What is it and what is its DAC?
heuriger
Field blend of three varieties with one grape making up at least 50% and the other two making up a min 10%
Wiener Gemischter Setz
What is Sturm?
half-fermented, sparkling grape juice
What are the 13 DACs of Austria?
Niederosterreich: (all but Thermenregion) Wachau DAC Kremstal DAC Kamptal DAC Traisental DAC Wagram DAC Weinviertel DAC Carnuntum DAC
Burgenland: (5 DAC) Eisenberg DAC Leithaberg DAC Mittelburgenland DAC Neusiedlersee DAC Rosalia DAC
Steiermark: (3 DAC)
Südsteiermark DAC
Vulkanland Steiermark DAC
Westeiermark DAC
Wien:
Wiener Gemischter Satz DAC
Major Geographic Features of Austria
Alps–> Carpathian Mountains (forms the Eastern Border)
Pannonian Plain
Styria Basin
Lake Neusiedler
northern massif hills of the Bohemian Forest (border with Czech Republic in N)
Two most significant styles of DAC System Wines
klassik
is an unofficial term that refers to dry, unchaptalized, medium-bodied styles that are often crisp, fruity, unoaked, and moderate in alcohol
reserve
latter is an official term given to fuller styles; it requires higher must weight and minimum alcohol (13%
DAC system was meant to simplify the consumer’s understanding of a region by limiting grapes and styles to those that epitomize the location and reinforce its character
three distinct Sekt Austria PDOs
quality levels were established:
Sekt Austria g.U. (Minimum nine months on the lees for traditional method or six months in the case of tank method, All sparkling methods, dosage levels, styles, and colors )
Sekt Austria Reserve g.U.(single state Only traditional method
Minimum 18 months on the lees Hand harvesting, max 12g/l)
and Sekt Austria Grosse Reserve g.U (single village, Same methods, dosage levels permitted as for Reserve
Minimum 36 months on the lees)
2022
Levels of DAC Wines
Gebietswein (regional wines)
Ortswein (village-level)
Riedenwein (single-vineyard)
What is the OTW?
Österreichische Traditionsweingüter
Kamptal and Kremstal VDP equivilant
only OTW members can utilize the erste lage logo on the label for bottles classified as Riedenwein (single vineyards)
What is the OTW?
Österreichische Traditionsweingüter
Kamptal and Kremstal VDP equivilant
only OTW members can utilize the erste lage logo on the label for bottles classified as Riedenwein (single vineyards)
Heurigen?
“an inn which the proprietor can only serve wine and food of his own production”
current release wines + food
STK?
Steirische Terroir- und Klassikweingüter
the individuality of Styria’s higher and steeper vineyard sites
TK relies on a hierarchy that identifies Erste STK Ried (premier cru) and Grosse STK Ried (grand cru) vineyard sites.
Perlwein vs Schaumwein
Perlwein (sparkling wine)
Min. 9% ABV 1 to 2.5 ATM All methods (including added CO2)
Schaumwein (sparkling wine)
Min. 8.5% ABV 3 ATM All methods (including added CO2)
