Ch. 12 – Austria Flashcards
Climate in Austria
Cool continental
Northern areas impacted by cool northerly winds
Southern areas impacted by warm Adriatic influence
Eastern areas influenced by warmer Pannonian climate
Western areas influenced by cool breezes from Alps
Spring frost can be an issue in many regions
Hail in Steiermark
In low-rainfall years, water stress can be an issue in areas with free-draining soil (irrigation needed)
Soil types in Austria
2 main types:
Thin soil over crystalline bedrock known as Urgestein
- Riesling
Richer soils such as loess
- Gruner (needs more water)
Traditional training system for high production in Austria
Lenz Moser
Cordon trained to high height (requires wider rows to avoid shading)
allows for mechanization and little maintenance
Replaced by Guyot (single or double) with VSP, better suited to high-quality
Rainfall in Austria
Low disease pressure due to moderate rainfall
Rainfall can be low during growing season, so irrigation may be required in some drier regions such as Niederosterreich
Maximum yield through Austria
67.5 hl/ha
average 49 hl/ha
Gruner Veltliner
Most planted variety
Does not thrive on dry soils
- Suitable on clay or loess
Vigorous (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 dessert wines
- Pronounced tropical fruit aroma and high acidity with ability to develop in bottle
Riesling in Austria
only 4% of plantings, but highly prized
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
Crossing of Sankt Laurent and Blaurankisch (ripens earlier and more easily, can be high yielding)
Vigorous (leaf removal)
Potassium defficiency can lead to withering of grapes before they ripen
Not susceptible to frost or rot
Med+ acidity
Med 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 be overproductive (green aromas)
Burgenland (Leithaberg DAC, Mittelburgenland DAC)
Sankt Laurent
Medium tannins
Red cherry
White winemaking in Austria
Mostly to preserve primary fruit
Many use a short period of skin contact
Ferment in neutral vessel w/ temperature control
Gruner and Riesling usually do not go through malo
Stored in old wood or steel
Many are left on the fine lees for six months or longer (texture)
Dry styles
Red winemaking in Austria
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 premium wines aged in new barriques
Some use acacia (oxygenation without vanilla flavours)
Austrian wine law
Mix of Germanic and Romanic system linked to origin (DAC - Districtus Austriae Controlatus)
EU rules
- Wein - without GI
- Landwein - with PGI
- Qualitatswein (including Pradikatswein) - PDO (undergoes govenment inspection)
Wein and Landwein only 10% combined
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)
- Kabinett is not included in Austria
- Spatlese
- Auslese
- Beerenauslese
- Eiswein
- Trockenbeerenauslese
- TBA in Rust - labelled Ausbruch
Regionally typical Qualitatswein - DAC
Promoting regional typicity (not guarantee of quality)
Only wines allowed to display their origin, such as Kamptal (others would have to use the larger region, like Niederosterreich)
Only specific grapes for each DAC
Tasted by panel (untypical wines are rejected)
New-wave wines might not be eligible even though their quality is high
Optional quality hierarchy:
– Regional (Gebietswein)
– Village (Ortswein)
– Single vineyard (Riedenwein)
2 important grower associations in Austria
Osterreichische Traditionsweinguter (OTW)
- classification system modeled after Burgundy, based on climate and soil
- designates certain vineyards as Erste Lage
- dry wines from these vineyards can use 1OTW on the label
- must come from varieties permitted in that region
Vinea Wachau
Vinea Wachau
Classified single vineyards based on soil and climate
Registered trademarks for dry white wine:
- Steinfeder (lightest, up to 11.5%)
- Federspiel (more concentrated, up to 12.5%)
- Smaragd (most concentrated, ripe fruit, min 12.5%)
4 Main regions in Austria
Niederosterreich (largest)
Burgenland
Steiermark
Wien
Sub regions in Niederosterreich
North
- Weinviertel
Regions along Danube in the west
- Wachau
- Kremstal
- Kamptal
- Wagram
South (warmer)
- Thermenregion
Wachau
Along north bank of Danube
Steep stone terraces (best south facing)
- retain heat and radiate it back at night
Danube reflects sunlight
Riesling on gneiss soils, Gruner on loess soils
low rainfall
- irrigation often necessary
In some years noble rot develops (humidity from Danube)
Almost exclusively premium wines
Dominate by small estates
Notable co-op: Domaine Wachau
Expression of Vinea Wachau classified wies
citrus, stone fruit, tropical fruit (Smaragd)
Sometimes above 14% alcohol for Gruner
Medium + (high) acidity
Can improve with bottle age
Kremstal
Influenced by warm Pannonian plain
- warmer than Wachau
- allows some reds to be grown
DAC only for Gruner and Riesling
Reds (not DAC) labelled Niederosterreich from Zweigelt - fruity, easy style with minimal oak
co-op Weingut Stadt Krems
Kamptal
River Kamp flowing through
50% Gruner (then Zweigelt and Riesling)
Influenced by warm breezes from Pannonian plain and cooling air from Bohemian Massif.
Large diurnal range - high level of acidity
DAC only Gruner and Riesling (reds labelled Niederosterreich)
- Fruity, easy-drinking Zweigelt
Wagram
Both north and south of Danube on gently rolling hills.
Strong warming influence from Pannonian plain.
Dominated with loess
- Gruner Veltliner
- Also Roter Veltliner - full body, nutty with age
No DAC - Gruner in Klassik and Reserve style (subtle oak influence)
