Austria & Switzerland Flashcards
What is the name of the compound that was added to Austrian wines to give them texture leading to a scandal that would forever scar the national wine industry there? What year was this?
Diethylene glycol
1985
What are the four major wine growing regions of Austria from North to South? Which two account for 90% of the country’s vineyards?
Niederösterreich
Wien (Vienna)
Burgenland
Styra (Steiermark)
Niederösterreich & Burgenland account for 90%
What are the 6 major white grapes of Austria in decreasing order of acreage under vine?
Grüner Veltliner Welschriesling Müller Thurgau Weissburgunder Riesling Chardonnay
What are the two synonyms for Chardonnay in Austria?
Morillon
Feinburgunder
What two grapes were crossed to create Zweigelt?
Blaufränkisch x St. Laurent
What two grapes were crossed to create Blauburger?
Blaufränkisch x Blauer Portugieser
What are the four major red grapes of Austria in decreasing order of acreage under vine?
Zweigelt
Blaufränkisch
Blauer Portugieser
Blauburger
What are the three broad tiers of wine quality in Austria starting from the top?
Qualitätswein
Landwein
Wein
Qualitätswein is subdivided into what two categories?
Prädikatswein
Districtus Austriae Controllatus (DAC)
What does DAC stand for?
Disctrictus Austriae Controllatus
What two additional categories exist in Prädikatswein that do not exist in the German Prädikat system?
Strohwein
Ausbruch
What is strohwein and what level of ripeness is it equivalent to in the ladder of Prädikatswein?
A wine produced from dried grapes and must be at least Beerenauslese in ripeness
What style of wine is the town of Rust known for?
Ausbruch
Name all of the existing DACs for Austria (9) and list them by region from North to South.
Niederösterreich (4) Weinviertel Traisental Kremstal Kamptal Wien (1) Wiener Gemischter Satz Burgenland (4) Mittelburgenland Leithaberg Eisenberg Neusiedlersee
Name the KMW values for every level of Qualitatswein and Pradikatswein.
Qualitatswein >15 KMW (can be chaptalised to 19 KMW for whites and 20 KMW for reds)
Kabinett >14 KMW (Cannot be chaptalised from this category forward)
Prädikatswein: Spätlese >19 KMW Auslese >21 KMW Beerenauslese/Eiswein/Strohwein (Schilfwein) >25 KMW Ausbruch >27 KMW Trockenbeerenauslese >30 KMW
What is the minimum alcohol % requirements for each DAC?
Kamptal/Kremstal/Traisental/Weinviertel/Eisenberg/ Neusiedlersee (12% for Classic and 13% for Reserve)
Leithaberg (12.5%)
Mittelburgenland (12.5% for Classic, 13% for Classic with Specified Site, and 13% for Reserve)
12.5% for Wines without geographic indication “Wien” and also for Single Vineyard Wines.
What are the three geographical areas (Weinbauregionen) for Landwein?
Weinland (covers the area defined as Niederösterreich)
Steierland (Steiermark)
Bergland (500ha of vineyard land scattered throughout the remainder of Austria’s mountainous countryside)
Which category replaced Tafelwein in time for the 2009 vintage? What is the most exclusive statement of origin that can exist for this category? Can it carry vintage and varietal on the label?
Wein
“Österreich”
Yes. Can carry both vintage and varietal.
Most of Austria’s lusciously sweet wines are produced around what lake? What major wine region is this located in?
Neusiedlersee
What are the 8 subzones of Niederösterreich?
Weinviertel Carnuntum Traisental Wagram Kremstal Kamptal Wachau Thermenregion
What is the name of the Niederösterreich’s largest sub zone and Austria’s first DAC?
Weinviertel
What is the name of the western-most subregion of Niederösterreich? What are the villages that represent the boundaries of this region (between which two villages)?
Wachau
Between Melk & Krems
What are the levels of classification according to must weights in Wachau? What are their KMW values and alcohol ranges? Describe the style of wine produced at each level.
Steinfeder (min 15°KMW with no more than 11.5% alcohol) Lightest and freshest style. Name of a local strain of feathery grass.
Federspiel (min 17°KMW with alcohol between 11.5-12.5%) Light and fresh but with more richness and fuller body than Steinfeder. Name derived from the local sport of Falconry.
Smaragd (min 19 °KMW with minimum alcohol of 12.5%) Richest and fullest style and invariably shows tones of botrytis. Name means “emerald”. Also the name of a local lizard that suns on the rocks there.
What is the name of the organization sworn to uphold the tenets of natural winemaking as spelled out in the Codex Wachau? What are the winemaking stipulations and/or restrictions for members? Name 3 producers who are members.
Vinea Wachau
No additives (including chaptalization)
No aromatization (including the use of new barriques)
No “fractionation” (such as dealcoholization)
All wines released by members must be bottled in the region and vinified from grapes grown in the Wachau
FX Pichler
Emmerich Knoll
Prager
Which sub zone of the Niederösterreich was known as Donauland prior to 2007?
Wagram
Which grape is a specialty of Wagram? (hint: not Gruner or Riesling)
Roter Veltliner
What is Spätrot-Rotgipfler?
Blend speciality of the Thermenregion. The grapes are Rotgipfler and Zierfandler
What is the dominant grape of Carnuntum?
Zweigelt
What is the name of the field blend that is very popular in Carnuntum and also has its own DAC in Vienna? What is the DAC called?
Gemischter Satz
Wiener Gemischter Satz
Which of the four major wine growing regions of Austria is known for producing the country’s best reds and sweet wines?
Burgenland