Austria & Switzerland Flashcards
What is the first record of Trockenbeerenauslese?
1526 in Austria.
Who developed the wire trellising system?
Dr. Lenz Moser in the 1950s.
What does the antifreeze scandal in 1985 refer to?
Diethylene glycol, a colorless, odorless, poisonous chemical was added to the light wines for added texture.
What are the 4 major wine growing regions (weinbaugebiete) in Austria from north to south?
- Niederosterreich.
- Wien
- Burgenland
- Styria (Steiermark)
Give 2 synonyms for Chardonnay in Austria.
Morillon and Feinburgunder.
Parents of Zweigelt.
Blaufrankisch x St. Laurent
Parents of Blauburger.
Blauer Portugieser x Blaufrankisch.
What are the levels of quality for wine in Austria?
- Wein
- Landwein
- Qualitatswein
What are the requirements for Qualitatswein in Austria?
- sourced from one of the Weinbaugebiete
- made from one or more of the 36 permitted grapes
- must pass a tasting panel
- undergoes chemical analysis
- Prufnummer (State Control Number)
- inclusion of red and white banderole on the capsule
- max yield 67.5 hl (9000kg/ha)
- min 9 % alcohol (5 % for Pradikatswein)
What are the requirements for Landwein in Austria?
- production is restricted to the 36 permitted grapes
- labeled with one of the 3 broad geographic areas (Weinbauregionen)
1. Weinland (Niederosterreich + Wien + Burgenland)
2. Steierland (Steiermark)
3. Bergland (500 hectares of mountainous countryside) - max yield 75 hl
- min 8.5 % alcohol
What are the requirements for Wein in Austria?
- vintage dated
- may carry varietal on the label
- the sole origin permitted on the label is Osterreich
- max yield 67.5 hl
- min 8.5 % alcohol
What does the term “Bergwein” means on an Austrian wine label?
It means that the fruit is coming from hillside vineyards with more than 26% slope.
What does the term “Heuriger” means in Austria.
The wine from the last (or most recent) vintage. Often consumed in taverns.
What are the requirements for Kabinett wines in Austria?
- min must weight 17 KMW
- no chaptalisation allowed
- max 9 gr/L RS
- max 13% alcohol
- no addition of sussreserve
What is Ausbruch?
A sweet wine produced in a similar way with Tokaji coming from the city of Rust in Neusiedlersee with Trockenbeerenauslese ripeness level min 30 KMW.
What do “trocken”, “halbtrocken” and “lieblich” mean on an Austrian wine label?
- trocken = dry; 4 gr/l RS or max 9 gr/l RS if TA is not lower than 2 gr/l below this value.
- halbtrocken = off-dry; max 18 gr/l RS if TA is no less than 10 gr/l below this value.
- lieblich = medium-sweet; max 45 gr/l RS
- sweet 45 gr/l RS ++
What is the minimum alcohol content for wines with Pradikat in Austria?
5%.
List all DACs in Austria.
- Weinviertel
- Mittelburgenland
- Traisental
- Kremstal
- Kamptal
- Leithaberg
- Eisenberg
- Neusiedlersee
- Wiener Gemischter Satz
- Rosalia
- Vulkanland Steiermark
- Sudsteiermark
- Weststeiermark
- Carnuntum
- Ruster Ausbruch
- Wachau
- Wagram
- Thermenregion
What are the 4 DACs added in 2018?
- Rosalia
- Vulkanland Steiermark
- Sudsteiermark
- Weststeiermark
What are the DACs of Burgenland?
- Eisenberg
- Leithaberg
- Neusiedlersee
- Rosalia
- Mittleburgenland
- Ruster Ausbruch
What are the DACs of Niederosterreich?
- Wachau
- Kremstal
- Kamptal
- Traisental
- Wagram
- Weinviertel
- Carnuntum
- Thermenregion
What are the DACs or Steiermark?
- Vulkanland Steiermark
- Sudsteiermark
- Weststeiermark
What are the categories of Austrian Sekt?
- Klassik
- Reserve
- Grose Reserve
Requirements for Klassik Sekt in Austria?
- grapes harvested in a single Austrian federal state
- both fermentations conducted in Austria
- area of origin - federal state
- not sold before 22nd October 1st year after the harvest
- any method of production
- max 12.5 % alcohol
- min 9 months on lees
- all sweetness levels permitted
Requirements for Sekt Austria Reserve PDO ( gU - geschützte Ursprungsbezeichnung)?
- Grapes harvested and pressed within a single federal state
- Made exclusively from varieties approved for the production of Qualitätswein
- Made exclusively using traditional bottle fermentation
- At least 18 months of maturation on the lees
- Exclusively brut, extra brut or brut nature, and/or a residual sugar content of at most 12 g/l
- Municipalities may be indicated but other geographical information may not
- Juice yield not exceeding 60% (juice from the volume of grapes)
- Mandatory hand-picking (max. container unloading height 35 cm)
- Whole-bunch pressing
Requirements for Sekt Austria Grosse Reserve PDO? (gU = geschützte Ursprungsbezeichnung)
- Grapes harvested and pressed in a single municipality
- Made exclusively from varieties approved for the production of Qualitätswein
- Made exclusively using traditional bottle fermentation
- At least 36 months of maturation on the lees
- Exclusively brut, extra brut or brut nature and/or a residual sugar content of at most 12 g/l
- Mandatory indication of an Austrian federal state and a municipality (or a specific part of a municipality). The additional indication of the Grosslage (large collective vineyard site) or Ried (single vineyard) is permitted.
- Juice yield not exceeding 50% (juice from the volume of grapes)
- Mandatory hand-picking (max. container unloading height 35 cm)
- Whole-bunch pressing
What does the term “Hauersekt” mean in Austria?
“Grower’s sparkling wine” – made with estate fruit and estate produced. Tirage, disgorgement and expedition performed by the grape grower. (like RM in champagne)
Sugar levels designation and RS for Sekt?
- Brut nature / Brut Zero -> 0 - 3 g/l
- Extra Brut / Extra Herb -> 0 - 6 g/l
- Brut / Herb -> 0 - 12 g/l
- Extra Dry / Extra Trocken -> 12 - 17 g/l
- Dry / Trocken -> 17 - 32 g/l
- Demi-sec / Halbtrocken -> 32-50 g/l
- Doux / Sweet -> 50+ g/l
What do the words “Geschutzter Usprung, geprufte Qualitat” mean on the official seal on an Austrian Sekt with PDO?
“Protected designation of origin and certified quality” to differentiate it from the normal Austrian Sekt.
In Austria, which regions are entitled to use Erste Lage (single vineyard designation) on the label? Which grapes are allowed?
Members of the Austrian Association of Traditional Vintners (ÖTW) from Kamptal, Kremstal, Traisental, Wagram, Wien and Carnuntum.
Kamptal, Kremstal, Traisental and Wagram - Riesling and Gruner Veltliner.
Wien - Wiener Gemischter Satz, Grüner Veltliner, Riesling & Weissburgunder
Carnuntum - Zweigelt & Blaufränkisch
Which grape is allowed for DAC wines from Weinviertel?
Gruner Veltliner.
- Klassik is min 12% alc - no botrytis or wood notes
- Reserve is min 13% alc - may have botrytis or wood notes
Which grapes are allowed for DAC wines from Kamptal, Kremstal and Traisental?
Riesling
Gruner Veltliner
- Klassik is min 12% alc - no botrytis or wood notes
- Reserve is min 13% alc - may have botrytis or wood notes
Name 2 tributaries of the Danube in Niederosterreich.
Krems and Kamp.
What does the word “Ried” indicate on an Austrian wine label?
It indicates a top site. (single vineyard)
What is the climate in Wachau?
Continental with cold winters and hot summers. The rivers Melk, Krems and the Danube moderate the severe continental climate.
Which region in Austria makes some of the most age worthy wines?
Wachau, due to its climate, soil (loess and gfohler gneiss with alluvial sands) and aspect (terraced slopes on the north bank of the river).
What is the classification in Wachau?
Steinfeder - min 15 KMW; max 11.5%
Federspiel - min 17 KMW; 11.5% - 12.5%
Smaragd - min 19 KMW; min 12.5%
*all 3 categories must be dry
Name 3 producers in Wachau.
FX Pichler
Prager
Emmerich Knoll
Domaene Wachau
What is Vinea Wachau?
An organisation of estates in Wachau founded in 1983 dedicated to natural winemaking.
Codex Wachau: no additives (chaptalization), no aromatization (new oak) and no fractionation (de-alcoholization).
What is Roter Veltliner?
A pink skinned grape produced as a white wine, specialty of Wagram.
Name two rare white grapes found particularly in Thermenregion.
Rotgipfler and Zierfandler. Labelled as “Spatrot-Rotgipfler” if blended together.
What is the most common red grape in Carnuntum?
Zweigelt.
What is the climate in Burgenland?
Hot continental due to the Pannonian plain moderated by the lake Neusiedlersee.
What is the grape allowed in Mittelburgenland DAC?
Blaufrankisch - can be sold March 1st the year after the harvest with min 12.5% alc.
- Reserve - additional year of ageing and min 13% alc.
Which DACs in Austria allows both white and red wines?
- Leithaberg DAC in Burgenland.
Whites: Gruner Veltliner, Chardonnay, Neuburger, Weissburgunder
Reds: min 85% Blaufrankisch - Carnuntum DAC in Niederosterreich
Whites: Grüner Veltliner, Weissburgunder, Chardonnay
Reds: Zweigelt, Blaufränkisch
What is the grape allowed in Eisenberg DAC?
Blaufrankisch.
Give two synonyms for Blaufrankisch.
Kekfrankos (Hungary)
Lemberger (Germany)
Name two other red grapes cultivated in Burgenland apart from Blaufrankisch.
Zweigelt, St. Laurent.
What is the grape used in Neusiedlersee DAC?
Zweigelt.
Which varieties and wines does Rosalia DAC allow? When did Rosalia become a DAC?
- reds from min 85% Zweigelt or Blaufrankisch with min 12% alc and max 4 g/l RS.
- dry rose wines made from one or more of the Qualitatswein grapes
- 2018 but wines can be released as DAC retroactively with the 2017 vintage
Where is Alois Kracher based and what is he famous for?
Village of Illmitz in Neusiedlersee, famous for Eiswein, BA and TBA wines.
What is the most planted grape in Styria?
Welshriesling.
Which variety performs very well in Sudsteiermark?
Sauvignon Blanc. Manfred Tement is a leading producer.
Which DAC within Weststeiermark existed for the 2017 vintage only?
Schilcherland DAC for racy roses from Blauer Wildbacher grape. Got absorbed by Weststeiermark DAC in 2018.
Which varieties perform well in Vulkanland Steiermark DAC?
Weissburgunder and Traminer.
Name one DAC in Vienna.
Gemischter Satz DAC
- made from minimum 3 grapes
- no grape can account for more than 50%
- each variety must make up at least 10%
- min 12.5 % for single vineyards
- single vineyards released only after 1st March next year
What is “Sturm”?
Fresh, half fermented sparkling grape juice usually accompanying harvest meals.
What is the most cultivated white grape in Switzerland?
Chasselas.
What is the synonym for Sylvaner in Valais, Switzerland?
Johannisberg.
Which are the most important 3 red grapes in Switzerland?
Pinot Noir, Gamay and Merlot.
What are the climatic characteristics in Valais?
- located along the banks of the Rhone river
- sheltered by the Apls -> driest region in Switzerland
- ample sun exposure
- the dry wind Foehn that accelerates the maturation
What is the synonym for Chasselas in Valais?
Fendant.