Category Archives:  Resources

I love Vinaria magazine and more about Austrian sweet wine

Vinaria is an Austrian wine magazine, that I’ve never seen in the States. Of course, it’s written in German which somewhat limits its appeal here. A one-year subscription to the paper copy would cost me 49Euro, a hefty price, but at least for the time being, it is available free electronically on the iPad platform. […]

Tag Cloud

Here’s a visual representation of the words in this blog. There’s a certain theme going on here, isn’t there. I’m glad to see that my vocabulary isn’t too limited, but I’m sure there’s room for improvement. I posted a previous version here, but this is a bit more up-to-date, and a bit sexier, don’t you […]

Understanding the vineyards and wines of Austria

It seems every wine region in the world feels the need to classify, and stratify, their vineyards. In the best wine regions of France, vineyards can be designated as premier cru or grand cru vineyards. In neighboring Germany, some very special vineyards may be labeled Erste Lage. But a great vineyard doesn’t necessarily mean a […]

Catalog of Wines from Weingut Peter Schandl (German)

I forgot to post the complete list of wines, but I’ve included it here. This PDF file also contains descriptions of the wines as supplied by the winery (German/Deutsch). Catalog 2012

World Map

Remember the old celestial maps, when the earth was at the center of the universe, and the sun went around us? This map is like that, except the center of the universe is this particular blog. I’ll try to update this in a few weeks, and we’ll see what changes. In the meantime, if you […]

Which Austrian Wine Grape?

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.

Great Discovery #2
Terry Theise Austrian Wine Catalog

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).

Great Discovery #1
Wine Routes of Lower Austria

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.

Wine Routes of Lower Austria (English)

Weinstraße Niederösterreich (Deutsch)