L3 - Austria Chapter 23

Question 1

Describe the climate of Austria.

Answer 1

-Wine region is located in the eastern end of country
-Cool continental climate
-Short summers and very harsh winters
-northernly regions can experience cooling winds and the hungarian border is warmed by easterly winds
-less variation in weather patterns

Question 2

Describe Gruner Veltliner in Austria

Answer 2

-A high quality grape
-produces fresh but unexciting wines if yield is too high
-When grown with care it is capable of producing full bodied, concentrated wines , naturally high acidity
-in youth, flavors of citrus, stone fruit and sometimes hints of white pepper
-Develops layers of honey and toast as wine ages
-Typically produced in stainless steel
-Old oak casks also commonly used but some proportion of the best wines are aged in new oak barriques

Question 3

Describe Welshriesling in Austria

Answer 3

-Second most planted white variety
-When produced in dry style wines are usually fresh but simple, displaying citrus and green apple flavors and high acidity
-But capable of producing high quality wines due to its susceptibility to botrytis

Question 4

Describe Riesling in Austria

Answer 4

-Less widely planted
-Best examples come from Wachau, Kamptal, and Kremstal
-Usually dry and medium to full bodied, with ripe, peachy primary fruit.
-Best examples capable of maturing in bottle

Question 5

Summarize Austrian Wine PDO and PGI labels

Answer 5

PGI - called Landwein (where no geographical location called wein)

PDO -

Qualitatswein from a generic region - wine made from a generic region - from up to 40 permitted grapes and in any style

Qualitatswein from a specified region - Districtus Austriae Controllatus (DAC)
introduced in 2002 - producers in a region agree to the grape variet(ies) they belive best define hte region and a limited number of wine styles to reflect the area. Once this happesn wines must conform to get the DAC labelling

Qualitatswein from a specified region - non DAC - can make wines from 40 permitted grape varieties in any style

Can also use the Pradikat level which tracks Pradikatswein, but includes two levels of Strohwein and Schilfwein-where grapes are laid out on reeds or straws to concentrate flavors

Question 6

What are the most important red varieties in Austria?

Answer 6

-Zweigelt (a Blaufrankisch X St Laurent cross)
-Very deeply colored reds
-Soft tannins
-Bramble fruit

-Blaufrankisch
-most highly regarded of Austrian black
varieties
-medium tannins
-high acidity
-peppery, sour cherry flavor

-St Laurent
-an Austrian speciality similar to Pinot
Noir
-Oak aging common

Question 7

Describe the Niedorosterreich (Lower Austria region)

Answer 7

This is the largest region for production and exports in Austria located on the Danube and north towards the border of Slovakia

8 sub-regions -Wachau DAC is the most renowned (high quality Gruner Veltiner and Riesling)

Steep, terraced, south facing vineyards next to the Danube maximize sun exposure and develop highly concentrated flavors

Question 8

Describe Weinviertel DAC

Answer 8

The largest vine growing area and first Austrian DAC

-wines can only be made from Gruner Veltliner

Two levels -

(1) Klassik wines -light, fresh, fruity style, no oak

(2) Reserve wines -higher minimum alc and allowed to mature in oak

Question 9

Describe the Burgenland region

Answer 9

-East Austria, along the border of Hungary
-Best known for top quality sweet wines & rd wines

-Neudsierdlersee - a vast shallow lake in the north which is key for sweet qine production –creating autumn mists for the low-lying vineyards near the lake causing botrytis. Welshriesling often used here