It’s just a couple of weeks before the big trip, and I’m researching “everything about everything” when it comes to Austria. Some will recognize Grüner Veltliner as Austria’s signature wine grape but there are many others, both red and white, that I will be exploring on this trip.
The world of grape varieties seems almost like a modern novel – adding to the intrigue of sheer variety are questions of lineage and parentage, immigration from foreign lands, sudden rock star like popularity, and falls from grace.
Consider these red grape varieties and their pseudonyms:
Blaufränkisch (aka Lemburger, Limburger). Why is this red grape so blue (blau)? Considered by some to be the most Austrian of them all.
Zweigelt. Rock-star on the rise. Born 1922. Love child of Blaufränkisch and St. Laurent.
St. (Sankt) Laurent. Hardly a saint, and a mysterious past. May have sneaked over from France and some say descended directly from two Pinot Noir parents.
N.B., Austrian Wine USA offers a “cheat sheet” to the top Austrian red wines here: Austrian Red Cheatsheat.
Although I’m familiar with Terry Theise’s German wine catalog, I guess I must have overlooked his Austrian selections. Like the German catalog, Theise’s 2012 Austrian Catalog is packed to the gills with stories and opinions about what is simply good and what is excellent about wines from this region.
Giving credit where credit is due, I found this particular rabbit hole while reading an interview between Terry Theise and Peter Schleimer (Vinaria, 04/2012). Vinaria is an excellent Austrian wine journal which, incredibly, can be read in full if you have an iPad with “DerOnlinekiosk” installed. (Deutsche Sprache -only)
Wines from two the estates that I will be visiting, Alzinger and Bründlmayer, are imported into the U.S. by Michael Skurnik wines (Terry Theise Selections).
Published by the tourism board of Niederösterreich (Lower Austria), this web site is a treasure trove of information about travel through this region, including events, hotels, restaurants, and of course wineries, wine taverns, and wine shops.
Had I known of this resource sooner, I might have been able to schedule in this tasty looking event in the Traisental wine area:
26. October – Young Wine Presentation of the Traisen Valley Vintners
In the noble ambience of the hall of the Augustinian monastery Herzogenburg, which once appropriately served as the dining room for monks, the Traisen Valley wine makers present their new wines on Austria’s national holiday. In addition to the young Grüner Veltliner, the most popular grape in the Traisen Valley, the early Rivaner, Pinot Blanc and other varieties will be sampled. The complete programme includes a buffet with regional specialties and live music.
Planned winery visits with confirmed apppointments!
Wednesday, Oct 24, 2012. Burgenland
Winery Kracher, Illmitz
www.kracher.at
Winery Peter Schandl. Rust
www.schandlwein.com
Thursday, Oct 25, 2012. Kamptal
Winery Birgit Eichinger, Strass
www.weingut-eichinger.at
Winery Bründlmayer, Langenlois
www.bruendlmayer.at
Friday, Oct 26, 2012. Wachau
Winery F.X. Pichler, Dürnstein
www.fx-pichler.at
Winery Alzinger, Dürnstein
www.alzinger.at
More info at AustrianWine.com
