With the WienWein Winemakers in Vienna in the Heurigen Drinking Gemischter Satz Wine

Pictures: Christian G.E.Schiller with Fritz Wieninger (above)and the WienWein Group (below) at the Heurigen Mayer am Pfarrplatz in Vienna. From left to right: Georg Koenigsbauer (Cellar Master Weingut Coblenzl), Gerhard J. Lobner (General manager Weingut Mayer am Pfarrplatz), Alexander Skoff (Cellar Master Weingut Zahel), Fritz Wieninger (Owner and Cellar Master Weingut Wieninger), Wolfgang Krinninger (Sales Manager Weingut Zahel), Rainer Christ (Owner and Cellar Master Weingut Christ).

The participants of the European Wine Bloggers Conference 2010 (EWBC 2010) in Vienna had a very enjoyable evening at the Heurigen Mayer am Pfarrplatz in Heiligenstadt, Vienna. The WienWein group - an association of 6 innovative Viennese winemakers, whose objective is to promote the Viennese wines and in particular Viennese Gemischter Satz wines – had invited.

Vienna and Wine

That any wine comes from Vienna seems strange on the face of it. Great urban centers are not known for their vineyards, beyond a novelty vineyard here and there. But the capital of Austria is different. Around 500 vintners grow vine on around 700 hectares, all within the city limits. Indeed, Vienna has its own appellation and is one of Austria’s 4 major wine regions, with Niederoesterreich, Burgenland and Steiermark, though by far the smallest. Viennese viticulture stretches back centuries to Celtic and Roman settlements. White wine accounts for 80 percent of the production, mainly Grüner Veltliner, but also Riesling and Pinot Blanc. As for red wine, Zweigelt is the leading grape variety, followed by Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and St. Laurent.

Heurigen

Most of the Viennese wine is consumed in Vienna’s wine taverns - the about 100 Wiener Heurigen. The word “Heurige” means “the wine of the current year” – and this is what you drink there: the Heurigen owner’s wine of the last vintage, often coming in a jar.

Pictures: The Heurigen am Pfarrplatz

The Heurigen have been around for many centuries. They got a boost in 1784, when Emperor Joseph II formalized by decree the right of every winegrower to sell and serve home-made food and wine throughout the year at his premise. The best-known districts with large numbers of Heurige in Vienna are Grinzing, Heiligenstadt, Jedlersdorf, Mauer and Nussdorf. Although the Viennes Heurigen are the most famous in the world, you find them in all Austrian (and German) wine regions.

Gemischter Satz Wine

The most special and also most popular wine in the Heurigen is the Gemischter Satz wine. Gemischter Satz wine is made from a blend of grapes that are grown together in the field and then picked and fermented at the same time. Not too long ago, this age-old Austrian tradition was about to die, threatened by the mania for single varietal bottling. But luckily, the tradition was maintained and the grapes remained planted in mixed vineyards of Gruener Veltliner, Riesling, Muscat, Ottonel, and other grapes.

Field blends are different from more typical blended wines – cuvees - like Bordeaux, where the various grapes are grown separately and vinified separately. Many famous wines are blended wines. Red Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes. Another blend is Edelzwicker, which I discussed in my “in the glass" column on November 5, 2009. See here. In the past, blending was the norm in Alsace, and these blends were called Zwicker. Edelzwicker (noble-blend) is a Zwicker made only from grapes considered to be noble.

Some people argue that Gemischter Satz is the true terroir wine. They say that winemakers can resort today to all sorts of tricks if the wine does not come out the way they want it. They can add acid if necessary, or tannins, or color, compensating in the wine cellar for what they did not get from nature in the vineyard. In the old days before the advanced techniques of today became available, they had to think ahead about what their vineyard give them. One could say that in the way they planted the vineyard you could see their vision of what would make the most complete wine.

Indeed, the Gemischter Satz practice was common throughout Central Europe in a time when most growers had very small vineyards. To reduce the risk of having no grapes - and no income - at all, they planted many varieties. It also was viewed as an approach that produces over the years a wine with consistent quality. To achieve this, they mixed varieties with a different ripening time and with different acidity levels, with a view of minimizing risk and ensuring a consistent quality of wine.

Wiener Gemischter Satz Wine

The WienWein group is clearly one of the driving forces behind the revival of the Gemischter Satz wines in Vienna. The Wien Wein group has established strict regulations for its members’ Gemischter Satz wines:

• The classic Viennese Gemischter Satz is from one or more vineyards in the Vienna wine-growing area, and is made of at least three varieties growing together in those vineyards. The wine is fermented in steel tanks in order to maintain the vividness of the fruit, and does not contain more than 12.5% alcohol. The WienWein logo must appear on the bottle capsule. Taste definition: fresh; typically “Viennese”; vivid; natural; spicy, and even rich in contrasts.

Picture: The Wines of the WienWein Group

• The site-specific Gemischter Satz originates from a single site, which must be named on the bottle label. The vines, which are planted together and feature a minimum of three grape varieties, are at least 20 years old. This wine, which can be matured in the traditional large wooden barrel (but not in barrique), must have an alcohol content of 12.5 % or more, and display the WienWein logo on the bottle capsule. Taste definition: multi-layered; expresses typicity of region and soils; complex; exciting; mineralic; elegant, terroir-rich; exudes an interplay of aromas, and is a versatile food partner.

The WienWein Winemakers

The WienWein group was founded in early 2006 by vintners from Vienna: Rainer Christ from Jedlersdorf, Michael Edlmoser from Mauer, Fritz Wieninger from Stammersdorf, and Richard Zahel from Mauer. With the presentation of the 2009 vintage, two new members have joined: Weingut Cobenzl (Grinzing) and Weingut Mayer am Pfarrplatz (Heiligenstadt).

Picture: Wolfgang Krinninger from Weingut Zahel in front of WienWein Group Poster in Vienna

Overall, Vienna accounts for only 1 percent of Austria’s wine production. At the same time, demand for its wines in the Heurigen of Vienna has always been strong , fuelde by its own citizens and folks from around the country and the world. It is easy to see why there was more emphasis on mass wine than on quality wine, and to a certain extent still is. Against this background, the goal of Wienwein is to extract high-quality wines from Vienna’s terroir and establish new (and higher) quality standards for Viennese wine. Here are the 6 members.

Weingut Christ

A Weingut with 6 hectares of vineyard land and around 400 years of family tradition. Owner Rainer Christ says that (1) winemaking firmly grounded in nature and (2) an innovative esprit in the vineyard and the wine cellar are the 2 cornerstones for wine making at Weingut Christ.

Amtsstrasse 10-14, 1210 wien, tel +43-1-292 51 52, fax +43-1-292 51 52
weingut.christ@aon.at, www.weingut-christ.at

Picture: Rainer Christ

Weingut Edlmoser

Weingut Edlmoser is located in Vienna’s 23rd district, Liesing. The family has been making wine here since 1347. The estate has been run since 1998 by Michael Edlmoser, who studied also at Hall Crest Vineyards in Santa Cruz (California). The vineyard area totals 9 hectares.

Maurer Lange Gasse 123, 1230 Wien, tel +43-1-889 86 80, fax +43-1-889 86 80
office@edlmoser.at, www.edlmoser.at

Weingut Wieninger

The internationally renowned vintner Fritz Wieninger is one of the pioneers of the Vienna wine boom. Until Fritz took over the approximately 100-year-old winery from his parents in Stammersdorf in 1980, it had been run purely as a Heurigen, producing mass wines for the wine tavern. Right from the start he shifted to quality and premium wines, experimented with new varieties and new approaches in the cellar such as temperature-controlled fermentation and barrique-aging. For two decades, he was alone in extracting high quality wines from Vienna’s soils. Today, few would dispute that Fritz Wieninger has been the seminal figure in Vienna’s transformation and his wines continue to be benchmarks. He has 40 hectares of vineyard land.

Stammersdorfer strasse 80, 1210 Wien, tel +43-1-290 10 12, fax +43-1-290 103
weingut@wieninger.at, www.wieninger.at

Picture: Fritz Wieninger

Weingut Zahel

Weingut Zahel has 20 hectares of vineyard land and buys fruit from another 5 hectares. In 2003 Richard Zahel was the first to market the "Wiener” Gemischter Satz. Today, Zahel’s Gemischter Satz is offered in 4 different styles. With 40% of total production, red wine is very important for Weingut Zahel. Indeed, Zahel’s flagship wine Antares was the first Viennese red wine to get more than 90 points in Falstaff, Austria’s leading wine guide.

Maurer Hauptplatz 9, 1230 Wien, tel +43-1-889 13 18, fax +43-1-889 13 18-10
winery@zahel.at, www.zahel.at

Pictures: Alexander Skoff (above) and Wolfgang Krinninger (below) from Weingut Zahel with Christian G.E.Schiller in Vienna

Weingut Cobenzl

Weingut Cobenzl is located in the suburb of Grinzing in the north-west of Vienna. 70% of the vineyards is planted with the white varieties. Weingut Cobenzl is one of the two WienWein newcomers. It is named after Count Cobenzl, who owned the estate in the 1700. After various ownership changes, the City of Vienna bought Weingut Cobenzl in the early 1900s. With 48 hectares of vineyard land, Weingut Cobenzl is one of the largest wineries in Vienna.

Weingut Cobenzl
Am Cobenzl 96, 1190 Wien, tel. +43 1320 5805, fax +43 1328 2286
www.weingutcobenzl.at

Weingut Mayer am Pfarrplatz

Weingut Mayer am Pfarrplatz has been making wine since 1683 in Nussdorf. The estate is rather large, with 55 hectares of vineyard land. The former owner, Ing. Franz Mayer, is considered as the leading doyen of the wine scene in Vienna. The winery was sold to advertising entrepreneur Hans Schmid in 2006. More than a third of the annual production is exported, around half the production, mainly the light, dry wines, is served on-premise.

Weingut Mayer am Pfarrplatz
Pfarrplatz 2, 1190 Wien, tel. +43 1 3703361, fax +43 1 3704714
www.pfarrplatz.at

Picture: Gerhard J. Lobner from Weingut Mayer am Pfarrplatz

Wining, Dining and Partying In the Heurigen Mayer am Pfarrplatz

The WienWein group had invited us to one of its members’ premise, the romantic landmark-protected Mayer am Pfarrplatz. Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) lived there in 1817 (therefore it is called Beethovenhaus) and the building has remained totally unchanged since then. The Mayer am Pfarrplatz is a full-fledged winery and a Heurigen at the same time, where the Mayer am Pfarrhaus wines are served.

Picture: Uli Macenka from Weingut Cobenzl and Rainer Christ from Weingut Christ at the WienWein Party at the Mayer am Pfarrplatz

We had a great time with Gemischter Satz wines and hearty Viennese food. I enjoyed very much the possibility to talk with the WienWein winemakers, taste their wines and enjoy sausages, meat, salad - and of course Wiener Schnitzel. Later that evening, we changed the venue and moved one floor down in the party room of the winery where in a cheerful round not only glasses but also dance legs were swinging. What did we dance? Wiener Waltzer - Vienna Waltz, of course.

It was an extraordinary evening.



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Pictures: Christian G.E.Schiller with Ewald Gruber jun. and Chef Martin Weiler

Ewald Gruber from Weingut Ewald Gruber invited me and other Wine Bloggers to his Restaurant and Wine Store “Weinquartier” in Retz for lunch with a view of showcasing how well Gruener Veltliner goes with a variety of international food. The lunch was delicious, prepared by Martin Weiler, Chef/Owner of Gasthaus Weiler in Laa an der Thaya.

Chef Martin Weiler from Gasthaus Weiler

Ewald Gruber had brought in Martin Weiler for the event. He is well known for both his regional cuisine as well as for the experimenting going on in the kitchen. I can only say that the 4-course lunch Chef Weiler prepared for us to go with Gruener Veltliner was quite an experience.

Gasthaus Martin Weiler
2136 Laa/Thaya, Staatsbahnstr. 60
Tel: 02522/2379

Weinviertel

Austria’s vineyard area is divided into 4 main regions, of which Niederoesterreich (Lower Austria) is the most northern. Within Lower Austria, the Weinviertel is by far the largest district. Situated to the south of the Thaya river, between the Manhartsberg mountain to the west and the Marchauen to the east, the Weinviertel extends southwards right to the gates of Vienna. The fertile region with its rolling hills is one of Central Europe’s oldest agricultural site. The region derives its name from viticulture: Weinviertel means winedistrict.

Gruener Veltliner

The Grüner Veltliner is the characteristic wine of the region. It covers 50 % of the vineyards in the Weinviertel and makes up around one third of the vineyards of Austria. It is a highly versatile variety but is rarely grown in any other wine regions, and as such remains Austria's real point of difference. Cool nights are important for Grüner Veltliner in order to achieve perfect acidity and aromatic expression. The grapes ripen fairly late, and therefore benefit from the warm summer and autumn days that Austria's continental climate offers. Grüner Veltliner is known for its spicy, smoky character with a distinctive white pepper and tobacco bouquet. Fruit character can range from citrusy to rich, peachy flavors, and there is always an excellent dose of balancing acidity.

Weinviertel DAC

Austria’s main wine classification system is based, like the German one, on the amount of sugar in the grapes at harvest, and includes categories like Qualitaetswein, Kabinett and Spaetlese. Recently, there have been efforts to supplement this ripeness-based with a terroir-based classification system. Accordingly, in the Weinviertel, the Weinviertel Districtus Austriae Controllatus (DAC) was introduced. The new system tries to group wines typical for their region together; DAC wines always have a clear taste profile.

In the Weinviertel, a DAC wine is always a Grüner Veltliner, easily recognizable by its lighter yellow to darker greenish-yellow color and its fine peppery, spicy-fruity taste. It has to be dry, with a maximum residual sugar of 6g/l. It must not display woody or botrytis-like notes and its alcoholic strength should be at least 12 % by vol. The basic control for the Weinviertel DAC is identical to that of any quality wine, because the Weinviertel DAC too has to fulfils all the criteria of a Qualitaetswein. Weinviertel DAC bottles can be recognized by their uniform cap bearing a stylized map of the Weinviertel region.

With the 2009 vintage, the DAC Reserve category has been added to the Weinviertel DAC system. As with the Weinviertel DAC wine, the Weinviertel DAC Reserve wine must demonstrate a clear, region-typical taste profile – it must be a peppery Grüner Veltliner from the Weinviertel. But it also must have other distinguishing features: a dense structure; a long finish and a robust style. Subtle Botrytis and wood tones are acceptable in the DAC Reserve. The alcohol content must be at least 13 %.

The Lunch

Here is what we ate and drank - a Spanisch, a French, an Austrian and an Asian course. The Austrian course was Wiener Schnitzel …delicious!

Picture: The Wines

Spain/Spanien

Gebackenes Ei, mit Serranoschinken Oliventapenade & Paprika-Bohnensalat, Ciabatta & Kürbiskernciabatta

Baked egg with Serrano ham, olive pesto, pepper and bean salad

2009er Greener DIEM, Weingut Gerald und Andrea Diem



France/Frankreich

Dorade Royal Filet mit Safran, Lauch & Erdäpfelpüree

Roasted fillet of gilthead with saffron, leek & mashed potatoes

2009er Weinviertel DAC, Weingut Hagn
2009er Weinviertel DAC Fuchsenberg, Weingut Hebenstreit



Austria/Österreich

Wiener Schnitzel vom Kalb mit Erdäpfel-Vogerlsalat & Preiselbeeren

Viennes Schnitzel of veal with potatoe-lettuce salad & cranberries

2009er Grüner Veltliner Tenn, Weingut Taubenschuss
2008er Radikal,Weingut Zillinger



Asia/Asien

Ente “aus dem Wok” mit Kürbis, Paprika & Eiernudeln

Asian duck with pumkin, pepper % egg noodles

2008er Grüner Veltliner Alte Reben Weingut Weinrieder
2008er Grüner Veltliner “8000″ Weingut Setzer




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Pictures: Christian G.E.Schiller picking and tasting Gruener Veltliner with Ewald Gruber sen. and Ewald Gruber jun.

As part of the EWBC 2010 in Vienna, I picked Gruener Veltliner in the vineyards of Weingut Ewald Gruber in Roeschitz in the Weinviertel with my EWBC 2010 fellow participants and the Gruber family. The grapes will be used to produce a EWBC 2010 wine. This was my first time out in the vineyard to pick grapes.

Weinviertel

Austria’s vineyard area is divided into 4 main regions, of which Niederoesterreich (Lower Austria) is the most northern. Within Lower Austria, the Weinviertel is by far the largest district. Situated to the south of the Thaya river, between the Manhartsberg mountain to the west and the Marchauen to the east, the Weinviertel extends southwards right to the gates of Vienna. The fertile region with its rolling hills is one of Central Europe’s oldest agricultural site. The region derives its name from viticulture: Weinviertel means winedistrict.

Picture: Austria's Wine Regions

Gruener Veltliner

The Grüner Veltliner is the characteristic wine of the region. It covers 50 % of the vineyards in the Weinviertel and makes up around one third of the vineyards of Austria.

It is a highly versatile variety but is rarely grown in any other wine regions, and as such remains Austria's real point of difference. Cool nights are important for Grüner Veltliner in order to achieve perfect acidity and aromatic expression. The grapes ripen fairly late, and therefore benefit from the warm summer and autumn days that Austria's continental climate offers.

Picture: The Gruener Veltliner Harvested by the EWBC 2010 Participants

Grüner Veltliner is known for its spicy, smoky character with a distinctive white pepper and tobacco bouquet. Fruit character can range from citrussy to rich, peachy flavours, and there is always an excellent dose of balancing acidity.

Weinviertel DAC

Austria’s main wine classification system is based, like the German one, on the amount of sugar in the grapes at harvest, and includes categories like Qualitaetswein, Kabinett and Spaetlese. Recently, there have been efforts to supplement this ripeness-based with a terroir-based classification system. Accordingly, in the Weinviertel, the Weinviertel Districtus Austriae Controllatus (DAC) was introduced. The new system tries to group wines typical for their region together; DAC wines always have a clear taste profile.

In the Weinviertel, a DAC wine is always a Grüner Veltliner, easily recognizable by its lighter yellow to darker greenish-yellow color and its fine peppery, spicy-fruity taste. It has to be dry, with a maximum residual sugar of 6g/l. It must not display woody or botrytis-like notes and its alcoholic strength should be at least 12 % by vol. The basic control for the Weinviertel DAC is identical to that of any quality wine, because the Weinviertel DAC too has to fulfils all the criteria of a Qualitaetswein. Weinviertel DAC bottles can be recognized by their uniform cap bearing a stylized map of the Weinviertel region.

Picture: The Participating EWBC Wine Bloggers

With the 2009 vintage, the DAC Reserve category has been added to the Weinviertel DAC system. As with the Weinviertel DAC wine, the Weinviertel DAC Reserve wine must demonstrate a clear, region-typical taste profile – it must be a peppery Grüner Veltliner from the Weinviertel. But it also must have other distinguishing features: a dense structure; a long finish and a robust style. Subtle Botrytis and wood tones are acceptable in the DAC Reserve. The alcohol content must be at least 13 %.

The Weinviertel winemakers are very optimistic that the new DAC system will help boost exports. I doubt it and I am with Terry Theise here, one of the leading exporters of Austrian wine into the US, who has been very critical of the DAC system and has not even bothered to explain it to his customers in his catalogue. In my view, it will take a long time to achieve recognition and acceptance of the DAC system.

Ewald Gruber Estate and Wines

The Ewald Gruber Estate is located in Röschitz in the west of the Weinviertel wine-growing region in Lower Austria. It has been owned by the family since 1724. The Estate also includes Weingut Schloss Maissau (7 hectares) and Weingut Stift Altenburg (6 hectares). In total, the Grubers own 80 hectares of vineyard land and purchase fruit equivalent to 50 hectares. All wines are fermented, aged and filled in their main winery in Roeschitz.

The Ewald Gruber Estate has remained a family enterprise despite its size of 70 hectares. This is possible, because 3 of the 6 children of Hermine and Ewald Gruber - Ewald jun., Maria and Johann – are fully involved in the business. Notably Ewald jun. , who completed his oenological studies at the Klosterneuburg college before gaining practical experience in Australia and New Zealand, is responsible for the cellar, while Ewald sen. concentrates on the vineyard work.

70% of the area is planted with the white varieties Grüner Veltliner (main variety with 50%), Riesling, Welschriesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc, the remaining 30% is planted with the red varieties Zweigelt, Blauburger, Pinot Noir, Blauer Portugieser and St. Laurent. Gruber’s philosophy is sustained integrated vineyard practices, including natural fertilizing, careful soil treatment, no use of herbicides, and encouraging naturally useful insects, by planting appropriate plants and trees on the borders of the vineyards. The top wines are marketed in the “Selektion der Einzellagen” and “Alte Reben” categories. The wine portfolio also includes the Frizzante „Punkt Genau” (perlé wine).

Picture: The Gruber Team

Today, Ewald Gruber is one of the leading Weinviertel Estates and one of the driving force in terms of the Weinviertel’s marketing efforts. In this vein, Ewald Gruber sen. established the “Weinquartier” in Retz, a stylish restaurant cum wine store, where you find 300 wines from all over the Weinviertel.

Picking and Tasting Gruener Veltliner in the Im Hinterholz

It was a lot of fun to harvest the Gruener Veltliner in the Im Hinterholz vineyard. First, the whole group was carried on a truck from the winery to the vineyard, through the narrow streets of Roeschnitz. Then we were provided with scissors and bugs. The instruction was to cut out all the botrytized grapes and only put healthy, green grapes in the bucket. In fact, this was quite a tedious work as many grapes did not meet the quality criteria, at least not my quality criteria. In an hour we harvested enough grapes to produce about 500 liters of wine. This is gonna be the 2010 EWBC wine.

At the end, we tasted two Gruener Veltliner in the im Hinterholz vineyard.


2009 Gruener Veltliner, Weinviertel DAC: Nutty aromas with hints of smoke and peachy notes, good structure, lovely stone-fruit and mango flavors on the palate.

2009 Gruener Veltliner, Weinviertel DAC Reserve: Picked one month later that the DAC, very low yield, 15% in new oak, ripe apricots, smoky on the nose, creamy texture, caramelly notes on the finish.

Postscriptum: The 2010 EWBC Gruener Veltliner

Ewald Gruber keeps us in the loop in terms of what is happening with the EWBC 2010 Gruener Veltliner. Here is a picture from the pressing of the grapes, a couple of days after we had visited the Ewald Gruber Estate.

Picture: Pressing the EWBC 2010 Gruener Veltliner Grapes

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Pictures: Willi Klinger leads Wine Tasting of Austria’s Undiscovered Stars in Vienna at EWBC 2010

The 2010 European Wine Bloggers Conference (EWBC) took place in Vienna at Schloss Schoenbrunn earlier this year. A main sponsor of the EWBC was the Austrian Marketing Board which used the event to showcase wine producer Austria to the 200 wine bloggers from around the world. This was done, inter alia, in an impressive way by a tasting of Austria’s Undiscoved Stars, led by the Austria Marketing Board’s boss Willi Klinger.

Wines from Austria

Austria has about 50.000 hectares of vineyard, equivalent to about half of Germany’s total vineyard area and one fifth of France’s vineyard area. Almost all of it in the east of the country. “In the west we ski, in the east we make wine”, says Willing Klinger, head of Austrian Marketing Board. About 70 % of the production is white wine and 30% red wine. About 75 percent of Austria’s production is consumed in Austria and 25 percent is exported.

Austrian wine culture is ancient; people have been producing wine in Austria for 4000 years. But everything changed in 1985, when Austria was rocked by the “antifreeze wine scandal”. Some vintners were caught illicitly sweetening their products with glycol. As a result, the market for Austrian wine, especially the semi-sweet styles then in favor, evaporated overnight. Yet the scandal initiated a revolution that has propelled Austrian wines on to the world stage. It led to a broad rethink, with an emphasis on higher-quality production and innovation that soon became noticed. Young winemakers, drawn by the new emphasis on quality over quantity, brought cutting-edge techniques and farsightedness to vineyards and cellars, revolutionizing both.

The Tasting: Austrian Undiscovered Stars

Willi Klinger knows his stuff, his English is beautiful and he is fun to listen to. “The Austrians are very good in terms of marketing” he said, “we were able to make the World believe that van Beethoven as an Austrian and Hitler a German”. Willi is also a very good jazz singer, but the EWBC participants could unfortunately not benefit from this asset of Willi.

Picture: Austria and its Wine Regions

The other special thing about this tasting was that the EWBC participants were to identify their favorite and that favorite would then be put on the web site of Naked Wines, a UK wine importer, for sale in the UK. All the wines we tasted came from winemakers that are not yet present in the UK market. As a minimum, 1000 bottles needed to be available for sale in the UK.

The notes below are my observations merged with Willi Klinger’s comments. We tasted the undiscovered stars in 3 flights plus a noble-sweet wine.

First Flight

Herbert Zillinger, Ebenthaler Lagen, Grüner Veltliner, 2009, Weinviertel DAC: Typical Gruener Veltliner Weinviertel DAC, fresh and crisp, some green flavors and notes of grapefruit on the nose, good acidiy.

Martin & Anna Arndorfer, Reserve Strasser Weinberge, Grüner Veltliner, 2009, Kamptal DAC: A Gruener Veltliner with a bit more alcohol than the first one from a young shooting star, creamier, complexer, more powerful than the first one, more aging potential, no wood.

Walter Buchegger, Gebling, Riesling, 2009, Kremstal DAC: Riesling accounts only for 5% of Austria’s wine production, some of the greatest Rieslings are from the Danuber valley, harvested 2 weeks later than the Gruener Veltliner, peaches and mango on the nose, good acidity, lingering finish.

Winner: My favorite was the Martin & Anna Arndorfer, Reserve Strasser Weinberge, Grüner Veltliner, 2009, Kamptal DAC, but the crowd’s favorite was: Walter Buchegger, Gebling, Riesling, 2009, Kremstal DAC

Second Flight

Birgit Braunstein & Martin Pasler, vom Leithaberg, Chardonnay, 2009 Leithaberg DAC: Very talented winemakesr, working towards biodynamic principles, non-traditional grape variety Leithaberg is the most Burgundian wine region in Austria when comes to white wines, some wood, well composed, nice structure.

Mayer am Pfarrplatz & Rotes Haus, Wiener Gemischter Satz Nussberg, 2009: Field blend from the Nussberg, where in 1683 the Turks were decisively beaten by the Austrians, supported by their European allies, fresh and crisp, easy on the tounge, dry.

Walter Skoff, Obegg, Sauvignon Blanc, 2008 Südsteiermark: Suedsteiermark is the Tuscany of Austria, attack of peaches and mango on the nose, good acidity, noticeable residual sweetness on the palate.

Winner: My favorite of the second flight was Mayer am Pfarrplatz & Rotes Haus, Wiener Gemischter Satz Nussberg, 2009 and this was also the crowd’s favorite.

Third Flight

Artner, Rubin Carnuntum, Zweigelt, 2009 Carnutum: Red wine production in Austria took off in the 1980s, 11 months in new and old wood, not too much oak, blue and dark berries combined with vanilla on the nose, fruit driven, a hint of bitterness on the palate.

Bauer-Pöltl, Reserve, Blaufränkisch, 2008, Mittelburgenland DAC: Bio-dynamic producer, Burgenland is stronghold for Blaufraenkisch, which is called Lemberger in Germany, fine nose, concentrated, racy acidity, lots of tannins, spicy, tobacco, bitter chocolate.

Schneider, Reserve, St. Laurent, 2008 Thermenregion: St. Lauent is an Austrian version of Pinot Noir, very dark in the glass, red berries on the nose, good tannins, nice touch of wood, good structure.

Zull, Pinot Noir, 2008 Niederösterreich: Very transparent in the glass, notes of wet stone and red berries on the nose, austere and lean on the palate, a fragile wine.

Winner: My favorite was the Artner, Rubin Carnuntum, Zweigelt, 2009 Carnuntum, but he overall winner of third flight was Schneider, Reserve, St. Laurent, 2008 Thermenregion.

Last Wine: Ausbruch

Moser Hans, Ausbruch Aus den Rieden, Cuvée, 2007 (noble-sweet) Burgenland: Austria produces noble-sweet wines in all regions, if conditions permit, a cuvee of Chardonnay, Weissburgunder and Sauvignon Blanc, not too sweet, but I would have liked some more acids.

Overall Winner as Selected by Wine Bloggers of the EWBC 2010

The participants’ favorite was: Mayer am Pfarrplatz & Rotes Haus, Wiener Gemischter Satz Nussberg, 2009. In just a matter of hours after being selected in the tasting, the wine became available on the web site of Naked Wines.

And here is how Naked Wines advertised the wine: “The wines is a blend of 13 grape varieties, dominated by Gruner Veltliner. The vines are grown on a hill with the most incredible views overlooking Vienna. Perfect with sushi, Thai green curry or as a Sunday lunchtime kick-starter.” 6 bottles cost BP 58.80.

Schiller Wine - Related Postings

Austria's 13 Top Zweigelt Wines - The 2009/2010 Falstaff Selection

Austria's 17 Best Zweigelt Wines - The 2010 Wein.pur List

German Wine makers in the World: A. Schlumberger, Austria

Wine ratings: Austria's best red wines - 2010

Wine ratings: Austria - Falstaff Top Red Wines 2009/2010

Welcome to America: Franz and Christine Netzl Estate, Carnuntum, Austria

The 2010 European Wine Bloggers Conference (EWBC) in Vienna

Wine Producer Austria - Not Only Gruener Veltliner

Wine Producer Austria - Not Only Gruener Veltliner

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller with Michael Hoeffken, Assistant Winemaker at Weingut Leo Hillinger

I participated in the 2010 European Wine Bloggers Conference (EWBC) that took place in Vienna earlier this year. The main sponsor of the EWBC was the Austrian Marketing Board that used the event to showcase wine producer Austria to the 200 wine bloggers from around the world.

Austria has about 50.000 hectares of vineyard, equivalent to about half of Germany’s total vineyard area and one fifth of France’s vineyard area. Almost all of it in the east of the country. “In the west we ski, in the east we make wine”, says Willi Klinger, head of Austrian Marketing Board. About 70 % of the production is white wine and 30% red wine. About 75 percent of Austria’s production is consumed in Austria and 25 percent is exported.

The Wine Scandal of 1985

Austrian wine culture is ancient; people have been producing wine in Austria for 4000 years. But everything changed in 1985, when Austria was rocked by the “antifreeze wine scandal”. Some vintners were caught illicitly sweetening their products with glycol. As a result, the market for Austrian wine, especially the semi-sweet styles then in favor, evaporated overnight. Yet the scandal initiated a revolution that has propelled Austrian wines on to the world stage. It led to a broad rethink, with an emphasis on higher-quality production and innovation that soon became noticed. Young winemakers, drawn by the new emphasis on quality over quantity, brought cutting-edge techniques and farsightedness to vineyards and cellars, revolutionizing both.

The Austrian Wine Marketing Board was created in 1986 as a response to the scandal, and Austria's membership of the European Union has prompted further revisions of her wine laws, notably the new DAC system of geographical appellations launched in 2002. The Austrian Wine Marketing Board is now ably led by Willi Klinger. “The Austrians are very good in terms of marketing” he says, “we were able to make the World believe that van Beethoven was an Austrian and Hitler a German”.

Wine Classification

At present there are three systems of wine classification: the traditional system based on the German scheme, a different classification used only in the Wachau, and a new system of regional appellations called DACs that is being introduced now.

Picture: Julia Sevenich, America-born Wine Journalist in Austria

First, Austria’s traditional wine classification system is similar to the one in Germany. It is based on the Klosterneuberger Mostwaage (KMW), which measures the sugar content of the grapes at harvest in a way similar to the Öchsle scale, where 1°KMW is about 5°Oechsle. Accordingly, there is Tafelwein (can come from more than one region), Landwein (a Tafelwein that comes from just one region), Qualitätswein (that can - as Tafelwein and Landwein - be chaptalised to 19°KMW for whites, 20°KMW for reds), Kabinett (no chaptalisation allowed and no addition of sterilized juice allowed - in contrast to Germany), Spätlese ( >19°KMW), Auslese ( >21°KMW), Beerenauslese ( >25°KMW), Ausbruch ( >27°KMW), and Trockenbeerenauslese ( >30°KMW, completely botrytised grapes), Eiswein ( >25°KMW, concentrated by being harvested and pressed when frozen), Strohwein or Schilfwein (>25°KMW, made from grapes dried on straw mats).

Second, the Vinea Wachau Nobilis Districtus of the Wachau region has three categories, all for dry wines, with an increasing level of alcohol in the wine: Steinfeder, Federspiel and Smaragd.

Picture: Christian G.E.Schiller with Ewald Gruber jun., Weingut Ewald Gruber

Finally, the new Districtus Austriae Controllatus (DAC) system tries to group wines typical for their region together. DAC wines always have a clear taste profile. There are now 7 DACs: Weinviertel DAC (Grüner Veltliner), Mittelburgenland DAC (Blaufränkisch), Traisental DAC (Riesling and Grüner Veltliner), Kremstal DAC (Riesling and Grüner Veltliner), Kamptal DAC (Riesling and Grüner Veltliner), Leithaberg DAC (Grüner Veltliner, Weißburgunder, Chardonnay, Neuburger and Blaufränkisch), Eisenberg DAC (Blaufränkisch).

Grape Varieties

Austria is known for making excellent dry white wines, in particular from Grüner Veltliner. But Austria is not only Grüner Veltliner from the Weinviertel, it is a country with a range of different wine regions producing a diversity of wine styles, including some great noble-sweet wines and increasingly serious red wines.

Grüner Veltliner: Austria’s own variety, which is capable of making full flavoured, spicy whites often with a distinctive white flower and cracked pepper edge to them. It is a particularly food-friendly wine. Grüner Veltliner accounts for about 1/3 of Austria’s wine production. Most of it is grown in the northeast of the country, along the Danube to the west of Vienna, in Wachau, Kremstal and Kamptal. In the deeper clay soils in the Weinviertel to the northeast of Vienna, Grüner Veltliner develops more of a spicy, peppery character.

Riesling: Riesling performs very well but accounts only for 3% of Austria’s vineyard area.

Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc): Makes lovely gently aromatic dry white wines in southern regions such as Südsteiermark.

Welschriesling: Austria’s second most planted white grape and not related to the true Riesling. Fresh, simple fruity dry whites are the norm. The Welschriesling is also used in the noble rot dessert wines of the Neusiedlersee.

Picture: Wiener Schnitzel

It is the whites that get most of the attention, but the reds have quietly been improving. Like in Germany, in Austria there has been a revolution going on in terms of red wines in recent years. In both countries, red wine now accounts for about 1/3 of the wine production.

Zweigelt: The most abundant red grape. Bred at Klosterneuburg in the 1920s and now accounting for nearly half of Austria's red wine. Zweigelt makes good wines ranging from simple cherry fruit gluggers to more substantial reds destined for ageing.

Blaufränkisch: Common in the Burgenland. Blaucfraenkisch makes spicy, sturdy, berry fruited reds which can have some tannic structure. Probably Austria’s best red grape.

Portugieser: This red grape makes soft, approachable, juicy wines mainly for early consumption. The most widely planted red grape but not for top quality wines.

St Laurent: Came from France in the mid-19th century, and seems to have substantial Pinot Noir parentage. Makes soft, slight herby, expressive reds; it’s a bit like Pinot Noir.

Gemischter Satz

A Gemischter Satz wine is made from a blend of grapes that are grown together in the field, and then picked and fermented at the same time. Not too long ago, this age-old Austrian tradition was about to die, threatened by the mania for "single varietal" bottling. But luckily, the tradition was maintained, the grapes remained planted in mixed vineyards of Gruener Veltliner, Riesling, Muscat, Ottonel, and other grapes.

Picture: In a Heurigen with WienWein

Typically, Gemischter Satz wines do not specify the grapes within. Field blends are different from more typical blended wines – cuvees - like Bordeaux, where the various grapes are grown separately and vinified separately. The favorite of the EWBC 2010 participants in a tasting of Austrian wines was a Gemischter Satz wine from Vienna.

Wine Regions

Austria is divided into 4 main wine regions - Niederösterreich (Lower Austria) with 30.000 hectares, Burgenland with 15.000 hectares, Steirerland (Styria) with 4.000 hectares and Wien (Vienna) with 600 hectares, which are split into 16 districts. All of Austria’s wines are grown in the eastern part.

Niederoesterreich (Lower Austria)

Lower Austria, the pre-eminent wine zone, has these regions: Wachau, Kremstal, Kamptal, Traisental, Wagram (formerly Donauland), Weinviertel, Carnuntum and Thermenregion. In the West of Vienna, Wachau (the narrow valley of the Danube around Melk), Kremstal (downstream of the Wachau, centred on the town of Krems) and Kamptal (to the north of Krems lies Langenlois, which is the main town of Kamptal, the valley of the river Kamp) are well known for Grüner Veltliner and Riesling. Most of the country’s leading dry whites come from here. The Weinviertel lies in the northeast corner of Austria, between the Danube and the Czech and Slovak borders. The biggest single wine region in Austria is home to half the Grüner Veltliner in the country. I like very much the red wines from Netzl, Markowitsch and Glatzer in the Carnuntum, which is south-east of Vienna.

Burgenland

Burgenland encompasses four subregions: Neusiedlersee (Lake Neusiedl), Neusiedlersee-Hügelland, and Middle and South Burgenland. Burgenland is famous for its noble-sweet wines from the Neusiedlersee. The shallow Neusiedler See (Lake Neusiedl) is one of the few places on earth where noble rot attacks grapes reliably every year. Increasingly, Austria’ top red wines tend to come from the Burgenland.

Picture: Christian G.E.Schiller with Silvia Prieler, Weingut Prieler, Burgenland

Vienna

Vines have been grown within the city walls of Vienna since the Middle Ages. Field blends known as Gemischter Satz are common here, and most wine is drunk young in the city's wine taverns (Heurigen).

Styria

Steiermark is an amalgam of South, Southeast and West Steiermark. The Suedsteiermark is lovely and many call it the Tuscany of Austria. It is best known for aromatic, savoury white wines from Weissburgunder, Morillon (Chardonnay) and Sauvignon Blanc; when I used to live in Croatia, I would always stop in the Suedsteiermark and have a couple of glasses of wine, before crossing the Slovenian border.

Picture: Christian G.E.Schiller with Gottfried Lamprecht from Herrenhof, Steiermark

Austria’s Top Wine Makers

When visiting Austria, you will find a huge number of top wine makers. And that not only in the top wine regions, but throughout Austria.

The Fallstaff 2010 Wine Guide has singled out the following wine producers and has awarded them 5 stars.

Weingut Bründlmayer, Langenlois, Kramptal
Weingut Gesellmann, Deutschkreutz, Burgenland
Weingut Gernot und Heike Heinrich, Gols, Burgenland
Weingut Franz Hirtzberger, Spitz an d. Donau, Wachau
Weingut Knoll, Unterloiben, Wachau
Weingut Kollwentz, Großhöflein, Neusiedlersee, Burgenland
Weinlaubenhof Kracher, Illmitz, Neusiedlersee, Burgenland
Weingut F.X. Pichler, Oberloiben, Wachau
Weingut Poeckle, Moenchhof, Burgenland
Weingut Prager, Weissenkirchen, Wachau
Weingut Tement, Berghausen, Südsteiermark

In terms of regional distribution of Austria’s top winemakers, 5 of the 11 top winemakers come from the tiny Wachau and Kramptal regions in the north, 5 from the Burgenland and 1 from the Steiermark in the south.

Sparkling Wine in Austria

Sparkling wine in Austria is called Sekt, as in Germany. Austria’s leading Sekt Estate is Schlumberger, which was established in 1842 in Vienna by Robert Schlumberger. Schlumberger was born in Germany, worked in Reims in a champagne house and married an Austrian, who brought him to the capital of Austria. There, he rose quickly and became the “father” of the Austrian Sekt industry. For over 150 years Schlumberger has been producing their Sekts in the méthode champenoise.

At the same time, like in Germany, there is an increasing number of ambitious winemakers, who have complemented their still wine portfolio with Sekts. Those Sekts are essentially all made in the méthode champenoise with the Welschriesling and Grüner Veltliner grapes giving the wine a golden hue color. Sparkling roses are made from the Blaufränkische grape. Many of the winemakers also producing Sekt are in the Kamptal, like Bründelmayer and Lenz Moser.




Schiller Wine - Related Postings

Austria's 13 Top Zweigelt Wines - The 2009/2010 Falstaff Selection

Austria's 17 Best Zweigelt Wines - The 2010 Wein.pur List

German Wine makers in the World: A. Schlumberger, Austria

Wine ratings: Austria's best red wines - 2010

Wine ratings: Austria - Falstaff Top Red Wines 2009/2010

Welcome to America: Franz and Christine Netzl Estate, Carnuntum, Austria

The 2010 European Wine Bloggers Conference (EWBC) in Vienna

Gruener Veltliner - Falstaff Grand Prix 2010

Picture: Falstaff 05/2010 Cover

Gruener Veltliner

Grüner Veltliner is a grape variety - grown primarily in Austria - which has become very popular in the US recently. It is a particularly food-friendly wine. A lot of it is consumed in the Wine Taverns of Vienna (Heuriger) in the year or the following year, when the wine was made. Grüner Veltliner accounts for about 1/3 of Austria’s wine production. Most of it is grown in the northeast of the country, along the Danube to the west of Vienna, in Wachau, Kremstal and Kamptal. In the deeper clay soils in the Weinviertel to the northeast of Vienna Grüner Veltliner develops more of a spicy, peppery character.

Also, the Czech Republic, particularly Southern Moravia close to the Austrian border, produces some Grüner Veltliners of notable quality. Grüner Veltliner accounts for approximately 11% of Czech wine.

Wine producer Austria

Austria has about 50.000 hectares of vineyard, equivalent to about half of Germany’s total vineyard area. Almost all of it in the east of the country. Austria can be divided into 4 main wine regions, which are split into 16 districts. The 4 main wine regions are Niederösterreich (Lower Austria) with 30.000 hectares, Burgenland with 15.000 hectares, Steirerland (Styria) with 4.000 hectares and Wien (Vienna) with 600 hectares.

Picture: The Wine Regions of Austria

There are currently more than 30 varieties of grape admissible for the production of quality and "Prädikatswein" in Austria. In terms of white grapes, Grüner Veltliner is the dominant grape in Austria, producing generally dry wines ranging from short-lived Heuriger wines to Spätleses capable of long life. The ancient Welschriesling variety is used in the noble rot dessert wines of the Neusiedlersee; it also makes undistinguished dry wines for drinking young, as does Müller-Thurgau (Rivaner).

Zweigelt and Blauburger were bred at Klosterneuburg in the 1920s and now account for nearly half of Austria's red wine. Blaufränkisch and Portugieser are the traditional red grapes of the region. Saint Laurent came from France in the mid-19th century, and seems to have substantial Pinot Noir parentage.

Falstaff Grüner Veltliner Grand Prix 2010

Falstaff, the leading Austrian wine journal, has released the results of its Falstaff Gruener Veltliner Grand Prix 2010. The Falstaff jury considered only wines (1) with not more than 13 percent alcohol, (2) that were dry, i.e. with not more than 4 grams remaining sugar per liter, (3) that were not aged in oak and (4) that did not show any signs of the noble rot, botrytis. Here are the 3 winners and all winemakers that received a gold medal.

The 3 Top Wines

1. Place: 2009 Achleiten, Gruener Veltliner, Weingut Karl Holzapfel, Wachau

The 1. Place goes to Karl Holzapflel from the Weingut Holzapfel in Jochingen the Wachau. The Wauchau is the part of the Danube valley around the Melk Abbey, with steep terraces that produce world-class Grüner Veltliner and Riesling wines.

The Holzapfel winery is in the “Lesehof” , an architectural jewel build 700 years ago, when most of the vineyards in the Wachau region belonged to the church; the Lesehof was the grape pressing center for the whole area. The Holzapfel Estate vineyard area totals 14 hectares, situated in several outstanding sites, including Achleiten, Vorderseiber, Weitenberg, Klaus and Kollmitz.

Euro 9.50

weingut@holzapfel.at
www.holzapfel.at

2. Place: 2009 Frauengrund, Gruener Veltliner, Weingut Josef Dockner, Kremstal

The Winzerhof Dockner of Josef Dockner is located in the Kremstal area, also in Lower Austria. Th Kremstal region lies downstream of the Wachau region, centred aound the town of Krems. The valley opens out a little bit and the climate is a bit warmer allowing more red wine to be produced, but otherwise Kremstal is quite similar to the Wachau.

The total vineyard area of the Winzerhof Dockner is 42 hectares, including parcels of sites such as Frauengrund, Lusthausberg, Oberfeld and Rosengarten. 60% of the vineyard area is planted with white varieties. Josef Dockner also produces noble sweet wines, such as ice wine and straw wine.

Euro 6.00

www.dockner.at

3. Place: 2009 engelreich, Weingut Ludwig Neumayer, Traisental

Weingut Neumayer is located in Inzersdorf ob der Traisen in the Traisental. The Traisental with its center Herzogenburg, south of Krems, was designated as a wine district only in 1995. Mostly Grüner Veltliner is grown here.

Weingut Ludwig Neumayer is the leading wine producer in the region, with clients including Alain Ducasse. The vineyard area totals 9 hectares, most of this in small terraced parcels in the Engelreich, Gießgraben, Hendlgraben, Rafasetzen, Rothenbart, Seigarten, Spielberg and Zwirch sites, which are spread around like a mosaic.

Euro 9.80

www.weinvomstein.at

Gruener Veltliner Wines With 5 Stars

The Falstaff print edition of 05/2010 contains a list of the other 80 or so wines that were awarded 5,4,3 and 2 stars, with background Information, including tasting notes. Here are those wines that were in the 5 star group.

Gruener Veltliner Classic, Weingut Daschuetz, Euro 4.50
www.daschuetz.at

Gruener Veltliner Kremstal DAC Hoher Rain, Weingut Geyerhof, Euro 7.60
www.geyerhof.at

Gruener Veltliner Federspiel Loibner Gaerten, Weingut Schmelz, Euo 7.80
www.schmelzweine.at

Gruener Veltliner Kremstal DAC Gebling, Weingut Walter Buchegger, Euro 8
www.buchegger.at

Gruener Veltliner Federspiel Point, Weingut Johann Donabaum, Euro 8.50
www.weingut-donabaum.at

Gruener Veltliner Selection, Weingut Jaeger, Euro 8.50

Gruener Veltliner Federspiel Kaiserberg, Domaene Wachau, Euro 8.70
www.domaene-wachau.at

Gruener Veltliner Traisental DAC Obere Steigen, Weingut Markus Huber, Euro 9
www.weingut-huber.at

Gruener Veltliner Kremstal DAC Senftenberger Piri, Weingut Nigl, Euro 9.50
www.weingutnigl.at

Gruener Veltliner Fass 4, Weingut Bernhard Ott, Euro 10.20
www.ott.at




Schiller Wine - Related Postings

Austria's 13 Top Zweigelt Wines - The 2009/2010 Falstaff Selection

Austria's 17 Best Zweigelt Wines - The 2010 Wein.pur List

German Wine makers in the World: A. Schlumberger, Austria

Wine ratings: Austria's best red wines - 2010

Wine ratings: Austria - Falstaff Top Red Wines 2009/2010

Welcome to America: Franz and Christine Netzl Estate, Carnuntum, Austria