Austria & Switzerland Flashcards
When did winemaking in Austria first begin?
Roman Era
Who helped the development of vines and winemaking in Austria during the 12th and 13th centuries?
Charlemagne and the Cistercian Monks
What is the main river historically used for wine trade in Austria?
Danube River
When was the first Austrian TBA first recorded?
1526
Where and when was viticultural research first started in Austria?
Klosterneuburg in 1860
What scandal negatively impacted Austrian wine in the 1980s?
The anti-freeze scandal:
- a harmful substance which was diluting wines
- customers cancelled orders and stop buying Austrian wine
Where are the majority of Austrian vineyards located?
Eastern half of the country
What are the 4 major regions of Austria?
Niederosterreich (Lower Austria)
Wien (Vienna)
Burgenland
Steiermark (Styria)
Which 2 Austrian regions contain 90% of Austrias vineyard plantings?
Niederosterreich
Burgenland
Which grape variety occupies 31% of Austrian plantings?
Gruner Veltliner
Other than Gruner Veltliner, what are the 5 main white grapes of Austria?
Welschriesling
Muller-Thurgau
Weissburgunder
Riesling
Chardonnay
Other than Gruner Veltliner, what are the 5 main white grapes of Austria?
Welschriesling
Muller-Thurgau
Weissburgunder
Riesling
Chardonnay
What are the red grapes of Austria?
Zweigelt
Blaufrankisch
Blauer Portugieser
Blauburger
What are the 2 parent grapes of Zweigelt?
Blaufrankisch x St.Laurent
What are the 3 quality tiers of Austrian wine?
Wein
Landwein
Qualitatswein
What is a weinbaugebiet?
A wine region
How many varieties can Austrian Qualitatswein be produced from?
40
What quality level of Austrian wine is Wein?
Table wine, low quality
Which 3 regions must Landwein wines come from?
Weinland (covers Niederosterreich, Burgenland, Wien)
Steierland
Bergland
Which categories can Qualitatswein be divided into?
Pradikatswein almost identical to that in Germany
DAC (Districtus Austriae Controllatus)
What is the minimum alcohol for Austrian pradikat wine?
5%
In Austria, are Kabinett wines part of the Qualitatswein designation of Pradikatswein designation?
Qualitatswein
What is Austrian strohwein?
Dried grape wine with a minimum sweetness of beerenauslese level
Where do Austria’s best sweet wines come from?
Around the lake of Neusiedlersee
How many DACs does Austria have?
18
What year was the Austrian Sekt Committee formed?
2013
What are the 3 Austrian Sekt PDOs?
Sekt Austria
Sekt Austria Reserve
Sekt Austria Grosse Reserve
Which winemaking method can be used for Sekt Austria?
Tank method, transfer method or traditional method can be used
What winemaking method must be used for Sekt Austria Reserve?
Traditional method
For Sekt Austria Reserve, how long must be the wine spend on the lees and what sweetness levels are allowed?
18 months on lees
Brut, Extra Brut, or Brut Nature permitted
Where must grapes come from for Sekt Austria Grosse Reserve?
Singe villages or vineyards
How long must Sekt Austria Grosse Reserve be on the lees for, and what are the permitted sweetness levels?
36 months on the lees
Brut, Extra Brut, Brut Nature
Where is Niederosterreich located?
Lower Austria on the border with Hungary
What is the Ponnonian Plain in Niederosterreich?
A former seabed with loess soils
What is the climate of Niederosterreich?
Continental
What is the main river which flows through Niederosterreich?
Danube River
How many DACs does Niederosterreich have?
8
What are the requirements for DAC wines from Weinviertal ?
Must be made from Gruner Veltliner
Must have 12% ABV
Must be approved by a tasting panel, with the wines showing a distinct peppery notes with no obvious wood or botrytis notes
What are the requirements for Reserve DAC wines from Weinviertal?
Must be Gruner Veltliner
Minimum 13% ABV
May reveal subtle hints of botrytis or wood
What is the largest subzone of Niederosterreich?
Weinviertal
Where is Weinviertal located with Niederosterreich?
North of the Danube River
What are the requirements for DAC wines from Traisental, Kremstal, and Kamptal?
Wines can be made from Gruner Veltliner or Riesling as Klassik or Reserve wine
Minimum 12% ABV for Klassik and 13% for Reserve
Tasting panel approval with no obvious wood or botrytis for Klassik wine
Where are Kremstal and Kamptal located?
Along the Krems and Kamp rivers which are tributaries to the Danube in Niederosterreich
How do many Austrian producers indicate single village or vineyard wines?
With the word Ried, replacing the word village and indicating a top site
What is the Osterreichische Traditionsweinguter?
An Austrian organisation of wine producers
As of 2019, how many Erste Lages are within Traisental, Kamptal, and Kremstal?
81
Where is Wachau?
The westernmost subregion of Niederosterreich
What terroir are the best Wachau vineyards found on?
Steep terraced slopes on the north bank of the Danube River with a combination of loess and gneiss soils
What are the grapes of Wachau?
Gruner Veltliner and Riesling
What is the 3 tier quality hierarchy of Wachau?
Gebietsweine (regional) from 17 grape varieties
Ortsweine (village) from 9 permitted varieties
Riedenweine (single vineyard) from Gruner Veltliner or Riesling
What 3 stylistic categories were created within Wachau in the 1980s?
Steinfeder
Federspiel
Smaragd
Where is Wagram located?
West of Wachau within Niederosterreich
When was Wagram awarded DAC status?
2022
What is the main white and red grape of Wagram?
White - Gruner Veltliner
Red - Roter Veltliner
Where are Carnuntim and Thermenrgion located?
Subregions in the south of Vienna not near the Danube River
What type of wines are Burgenland known for?
High quality red and sweet wines
Which country does Burgenland border?
Hungary
What is the climate of Burgenland?
Hot continental, with temperatures tempered by the Neusiedlersee lake
What are the 6 DACs of Burgenland?
Mittelburgenland
Leithaberg
Eisenberg
Neusiedlersee
Rosalia
Rust
What is the main grape of Mittelburgenland?
Blaufrankisch
How must red wines from Mittelburgenland be aged?
Must use large casks or used wood barriques
Cannot be released before August 1st year after harvest
What is special about Leithaberg?
It’s the first DAC zone to allow for red and white wine?
What are the main grapes for Leithaberg?
Whites:
- Gruner Veltliner
- Chardonnay
- Weissburgunder
Red:
- Blaufrankisch
What wines does Esienberg produce?
Reds based off Blaufrankisch
What grapes are the red wines of Neusiedlersee based off?
Zweigelt
What grapes are utilised in wines from Rosalia?
Blaufrankisch and Zweigelt
What style of wine is Rust DAC famous for?
Ausbruch, a traditional sweet wine
Which other sweet wine region is the production of Rust sweet wine similar to?
Tokaj
Where is Styria (Steiermark) located?
In the Alpine mountains south of Burgenland
What are the 3 subregions of Styria?
Sudsteiermark
Weststeiermark
Bulkanland Steiermark
What is the most cultivated grape variety of Steiermark?
Sauvignon Blanc
What are the 4 languages of Switzerland?
French
German
Italian
Romansch
What are the 4 most cultivated white grapes of Switzerland?
Chasselas
Muller-Thurgau
Chardonnay
Sylvaner
What are the 3 most cultivated red grapes of Switzerland?
Pinot Noir
Gamay
Merlot
How much of Switzerland wine production is consumed domestically?
90%
What are the 2 main wine regions of Switzerland?
Valais and Vaud
Where is Valais located?
Near the source of the Rhone River. It is the river’s northernmost appellation
What is the climate of Valais?
Continental
What are the main grapes of Valais?
Chasselas
Pinot Noir
Gamay
What is Vin des Glacier?
A rare old Swiss wine produced from the old indigenous grapes of Reze. The wine is madeirised and stored in high altitude soleras
Where is Vaud located?
The shores of Lake Geneva bordering Jura in France
What is the main grape of Vaud?
Chasselas
What are the 2 grand cru villages of Vaud?
Dezaley and Calamin
