Ch. 12 – Austria Flashcards
History of winemaking in Austria
Cistercian monks 10-12th century brought Burgundian wine culture and helped establish terraced hills in Wachau
1900 first law was established (prohibiting hybrids)
1970’ scadal - antifreeze agent to increase alcohol and sweetness
Exports dropped by 30%
Re-establish reputation for premium wines
Climate
Cool continental
Cool northerly winds (northern vineyards)
Warm Adriatic influence (Steiemark)
Pannonian climate (Burgenland -east)
Cool breezes from Alps (vineyards on Danube - west)
Spring frost issues
Hail in Steiemark
Soil Austria
2 main types:
Thin soil over rock (granite or gneiss - crystaline bedrock material known as Urgestein) - Riesling
Richer soils such as loess (Gruner)
Some volcanic material around Steiemark and Kamptal
Traditional training system for high production
Lenz Moser
Cordon trained to hight of 1.4m (wider rows to avoid shading)
allows for mechanization and little maintenance
Replaced by Guyot (single or double) with VSP
Irrigation
May be required in some drier regions such as Niederosterreich
Low disease pressure
Rainfall
Low disease pressure
Between 450 and 850
Irrigation may be required in some places
Maximum yield through Austria
67.5 hl/ha
average 52 hl7ha
Gruner Veltliner
31% of plantings
Does not thrive on dry soils
Suitable on clay or loess
Vigorious (required good canopy management)
Thick skins (can be very phenolic after skin contact)
Med+ (high) acidity
Typically unoaked
Citrus, green fruit, peach, pepper
Suitable for ageing
Welchriesling
Not related to Riesling
High acidity
Neutral aromatics, no oak
Usually made into fresh wine for early drinking
Thin skins suitable for desset wines
Pronounced tropical fruit aroma and high acidity with ability to develop in bottle
Also used for Sekt
Riesling
only over 4%
mainly Niederosterreich
Warm sites on thin soils
Almost always full bodied with med alcohol, ripe stone fruit, high acidity
Becoming nutty, honeyed, petrol notes
Zweigelt
Most planted black variety (14%)
Crossing of Sankt Laurent and Blaurankisch (ripens earlier and more easily, can be high yielding)
Vigorous
Potassium defficiency can lead to withenig of grapes before they ripen - loss of crop
Not susceptible to frost or rot
Med+ (high) tannins Red fruit (cherry)
Blaufrankisch
Med+ (high) tannins
Deep colour
Black fruit
Ageworthy
Buds early (vulnerable to frost) Ripens late (needs warmth)
Thick skin - not prone to rot
Can overproduce (green aromas)
Burgenland (Leithaberg DAC, Mittelburgenland DAC)
Sankt Laurent
deep ruby colour
Medium tannins
Red cherry
White winemaking
Mostly to preserve primary fruit
short period of skin contact (aroma)
Ferment in neutral vessel
Temperature control
Gruner and Riesling usually do not go through malo
Stored in old wood or steel
Leaving on fine lees for six months or longer (texture)
Dry styles
Red winemaking
Large open-top with punch down or pump overs
Stored in stainless or old oak 300-600L or larger to soften tannins without extracting oak
Some aged in barriques
Some use acacia (oxygenation without vanilla flavours)
Lots of experimenting
Austrian wine law
Mix of Germanic and Romanic system linked to origin (DAC - Districtus Austriae Controlatus)
EU rules (PDO and PGI)
- Taffelwein - without GI
- Landwein - with PGI
- Qualitatswein (including Pradikatswein) - PDO (undergoes govenment inspection)
Tafelwein and Landwein only 12%
Within Qualitatswein
- Klassik (vintage declared, showing varietal character)
- Reserve (dry, min 13%, typically harvested and released later)
Pradikatswein (based on must weight and time of harvest)
- Kabinet is not included in Austria
- Spatlese
- Auslese
- Beerenauslese
- Trockenbeerenauslese
- TBA in Rust - labelled Ausbruch
- Eiswein
Ausbruch
Trockenbeerenauslese in Rust
Pradikatswein in Austria
Kabinet is not included in Austria
- Spatlese
- Auslese
- Beerenauslese
- Trockenbeerenauslese
- TBA in Rust - labelled Ausbruch
- Eiswein