Wiener Schnitzel and Tafelspitz at Plachutta in der Wollzeile, Vienna. Plachutta is more than a Restaurant: it is a Vienna Institution - Austria 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

Austria 2023 by ombiasy WineTours took place from Sunday, May 28 - Thursday, June 08, 2023. We toured Austria for 12 days, starting and ending in Vienna.

Following a trip to the Klosterneuburg complex (visit of the monastery and palace Klosterneuburg and a tour and tasting at Weingut Kloster Neuburg), about 45 minutes away from Vienna downtown, we returned to our hotel in Vienna and went out to Plachutta in der Wollzeile for dinner. 

This is Vienna’s most famous and best place to have Austria’s signature dishes: Vienna Schnitzel and Tafelspitz at its best. Plachutta is more than a restaurant: it is a Vienna institution.

Plachutta in der Wollzeile has 12/20 Points in the Gault&Millau Österreich.  

Plachutta in der Wollzeile

offbeatbudapest.com

Plachutta, the Viennese high temple of boiled beef, hardly needs introduction. Enter this oversized downtown restaurant any time of day, and you'll find elegant local Viennese of all ages (and tourists, too) sitting around tables set with white linen. 13 cuts are available, as are helpful charts of a cow showing where each comes from. Most famous is Tafelspitz, once the favorite of Habsburg Emperor Franz Joseph, from the upper part of the rear leg of a young ox (also known as top round).

The tender meat arrives in pretty copper plates, submerged in a flavorful broth alongside bone marrow, carrots, and thin noodles. Spoon up some of the liquid, slather the marrow on toast, then settle yourself in for the main prize. Don't forget about the sides: horseradish slicked applesauce, chive-laced sour cream, and rösti (shredded and fried potatoes).

The Plachutta family owns several restaurants, but this one, in the city center, is best known.

Dinner

We all had a 3-course dinner, with soup, Tafelspitz or Wiener Schnitzel, and dessert.

The Wines

Annette ordered a 2021 Weingut Christ, Vienna, Gemischter Satz, and a 2021 Weingut Zahel, Vienna, Gemischter Satz as well as 2020 Weingut Ybi, Hortischon, Burgenland, Blaufränkisch (Selection Plachutta).

Fritatensuppe

Tafelspitz

Wiener Schnitzel

Dessert

The Kitchen

Bye-bye

Austria 2023 by ombiasy WineTours - Published and Forthcoming Postings

ombiasy WineTours: Wine Tour Schedule 2023 - Austria, Germany/East, Burgundy/ Champagne, Germany/ North

Announcement: Austria 2023 by ombiasy WineTours - 12 Days: May 28 - June 08, 2023

Summary: Austria 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

Dinner at an Iconic Beisl in Vienna: Griechenbeisl - Austria 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

Tour of the Monastery/ Palace Klosterneuburg and of the Weingut Klosterneuburg, with Wine Tasting - Austria 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

Vienna Schnitzel and Tafelspitz at Plachutta in der Wollzeile, Vienna. Plachutta is more than a Restaurant: it is a Vienna Institution - Austria 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

An After-dinner Glass of Wine at Vis-à-Vis Wine Bar in Vienna

Sightseeing in Vienna: Schönbrunn Imperial Palace and Fiaker Tour

Lunch at Restaurant Die Seejungfrau in Jois at Lake Neusiedl

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Leo Hillinger, Burgenland, with Jakob Scharner, Diplom-Sommelier

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Netzl, Carnuntum, with Franz, Christine and Christina Netzl

Lunch at Restaurant Mole West at Lake Neusiedl

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Anita and Hans Nittnaus, Burgenland, with Anita, Hans and Martin Nittnaus

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Umathum, Burgenland, with Joseph Umathum

Sekt Reception in the Court Yard and Dinner at Schloss Halbturn, Burgenland

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Steindorfer, Burgenland, with Ernst and Roland Steindorfer

Light Lunch at Gránátos Étterem at Esterházy Kástely in Fertöd, Hungary

Tour of the Liszt-Haus in Raiding

Tasting at Weingut Straka, Burgenland, with Thomas Straka

Eating and Sleeping in the Vineyard: Wohnothek am Ratschen, Deutsch-Schützen, with Chef Daniel Sulzer, Restaurant am Ratschen, 16 Points Gault-Millau

Tasting at Weingut Wachter-Wiesler, Burgenland, with Julia Wachter 

Tour, Tasting and Lunch at Weingut Jalits, Burgenland, with Mathias Jalits

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Neumeister, Steiermark, with Christoph Neumeister

Dinner with a View at Hotel Weinrefugium, Steiermark

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Sattlerhof, Steiermark, with Justė Sattler

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Wohlmuth, Steiermark

Lunch and Tasting at Buschenschank Weingut Trummer, Steiermark, with Jürgen Trummer

Tasting at Weingut Polz, Steiermark, with Sommelier Philipp Heidenbauer

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Tement, Steiermark, with Sommelier Andy Bodor

Lunch at Restaurant Magnothek/ Weingut Tement, Südsteiermark

Gustav Mahler, Sinfonie Nr.3 at Graz Opera, Steiermark

In Eisenstadt, Burgenland: Tour at Haydn House, Lunch at Restaurant Henrici, Tour at Esterhazy Castle

At Loisium Wine & Spa Resort Langenlois, Kamptal: Impromptu Steininger Sekt Reception with Eva Steininger and Klaus Wittauer

Wine-pairing Dinner at Heurigenhof Bründlmeyer with Chef Jan Pfeiffer, 15.5 Point Gault Millau

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Steininger, Kamptal, with Brigitta Steininger

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Stephanie and Alwin Jurtschitsch, Kamptal, with Alwin Jurtschitsch

Lunch at Braugasthaus zum Fiakerwirtin Langenlois, Kamptal

Tasting at Weingut Markus Huber, Traisental, with Markus Huber

2 Days in Dürnstein, Wachau, at Hotel Richard Löwenherz

Vineyard Walk and Tasting at Weingut Tebernseeerhof, Wachau, with Owner/ Winemaker Martin Mittelbach

Tour and Tasting at Domäne Wachau, Dürnstein, Wachau

Tasting and Dinner at Weingut Nigl, Kremstal, 13.5 Points Gault Millau

Tour and Tasting at Weingut F.X.Pichler, Wachau, with Lucas Pichler

Tasting at Weingut Matthias Hager, Kamptal, with Doris Hager

Lunch at Gasthaus Gutmann, Zöbing, Kamptal

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Schloss Gobelsburg, Kamptal, with Stefan Tabery

Farewell Dinner at Café Central in Vienna

Tour of the Monastery/ Palace Klosterneuburg and of the Weingut Klosterneuburg, with Wine Tasting - Austria 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

Austria 2023 by ombiasy WineTours took place from Sunday, May 28 - Thursday, June 08, 2023. We toured Austria for 12 days, starting and ending in Vienna: Wien, Wagram, Carnuntum, Burgenland, Steiermark, Wachau, Kamptal, Kremstal, Traisental, Wien. 

Klosterneuburg is an incredibly beautiful and very special place, not just in Austria, but on the planet. It has been Austria’s most important religious, cultural, and enological center for more than 900 years.  

We spent a whole afternoon there. First, we toured the monastery and palace Klosterneuburg. Then, we went to that part of the monaster/ palace where the wine making facilities are located and enjoyed a tour with the same guide. Finally, we tasted 4 wines in the wine cellar.

Weingut Stift Klosterneuburg wines are available in the USA.

Guided Tour of the Monastery and Palace Klosterneuburg

Klosterneuburg is an incredibly beautiful and very special place, not just in Austria, but on the planet. It has been Austria’s most important religious, cultural, and enological center for more than 900 years. Markgraf Leopold III laid the foundation stone in 1114. In 1133 Bishop Hartmann and thirty Augustinian Canons founded the monastery and worked fields and vineyards to sustain their living. The mighty Monastery and Palace Klosterneuburg - visible from afar - is breathtakingly beautiful: the location on the banks of the Danube river and its appearance that mostly goes back to the Baroque period. We saw the monastery as well as the famous Imperial Appartments.

Tour of Weingut Stift Klosterneuburg, Wagram

Stift Klosterneuburg is one of the oldest continuously operated wine estates of the world. Since 1133, except for four years during WWII, Augustinian monks made wine at Stift Klosterneuburg. Today Stift Klosterneuburg is Austria’s oldest and largest privately owned wine estate with 225 acres of vineyards in top sites around Klosterneuburg. In 1860 the monks founded the first enological school which still today has a stellar reputation, and most of the top winemakers in Austria studied here. Stift Kosterneuburg is also Austria’s only carbon-neutral winery. 

We did do a tour through the cellar, ending with a tasting of the Klosterneuburg wines.

Stift Kloserneuburg

Terroirwines.com

The Klosterneuburg is one of the world’s oldest wine estates, tracing its lineage back to the 12th century, when the monastery was founded by Margrave Leopold III of Babenberg (now Saint Leopold, Patron Saint of Vienna and Austria).  In 1133 the Margrave summoned the Order of St. Augustine to Klosterneuburg, where they were to spend centuries developing the monastery into a center of religious life, culture and scholarship. To this day the Augustinian Canons work in this spirit following closely the monastic Rule of Saint Augustine. In 2014 Stift Klosterneuburg Monastery celebrated its 900th anniversary, and continues to serve as Leopold’s final resting place.

The Wine Estate

Stift Klosterneuburg owns a total vineyard area of 108 hectares, making it one of the largest and most famous wineries in the country.  With nearly ten centuries of experience, Stift Klosterneuburg is dedicated to producing authentic wines of character, wines with a sense of place. Specialization in indigenous grape varieties, conscientious handling of the fruits and gentle vinification serve this goal.

The Vineyards

The legendary vineyards are the heart of the estate.  Located in Vienna, and in the villages of Klosterneuburg (Wagram), and Gumpoldskirchen and Tattendorf (both in Thermenregion), they are part of a vital ecological system and home to numerous species of flora and fauna. Sowing a diversity of plants between vine rows attracts an abundance of beneficial animals and insects. The soil is given great attention in the vineyards. Fertilization is with the estate’s own compost, and the living soil is worked entirely by hand.  Each vine is given individual attention by placing shoots and pruning leaves to ensure optimal sun exposure and ripening. The estate is currently experimenting with keeping chickens between the rows to loosen the soil, provide light fertilization and reduce weeds.

The Cellar

An extensive cellar from the Baroque period delves deep under the monastery. The vaulted cellar extends over four levels to a depth of 36 meters (118 feet). State-of- the-art technologies are put to work for the production of absolute top-quality wines in this historic venue. Prolonged, temperature-controlled white wine vinification highlights classic varietal aromas and fresh, crisp fruit. Red wines are fermented warmer for optimal extraction of color and tannin. Minimal intervention is practiced to preserve the varietal, vintage, and site character of the wines. Maturation and storage take place in the four story vaulted cellar directly under the monastery.

Carbon Neutral

Conscientious use of the natural resources has always been a central concern for Stift Klosterneuburg. The estate has been certified as the first carbon neutral winery in Austria by the environmental protection pioneer “ClimatePartner.”  Sustainable cultivation and production methods employed at the winery result in significant reductions in emissions. The deep double-walled cellar of Stift Klosterneuburg does not require any additional air-conditioning for wine storage. The warmth created during fermentation and other processes is recycled, and the estate’s own biomass power plant satisfies all heating needs and delivers surplus energy into the network. Relying on local energy providers whenever possible helps reduce transportation needs. Stift Klosterneuburg is in the process of converting all of its tractors to biofuel. Winery manager Wolfgang Hamm keeps a close on our production methods and says “Environmental protection is a permanent process in our winery.”

Tasting

We tasted 5 wines.

Austria 2023 by ombiasy WineTours - Published and Forthcoming Postings

ombiasy WineTours: Wine Tour Schedule 2023 - Austria, Germany/East, Burgundy/ Champagne, Germany/ North

Announcement: Austria 2023 by ombiasy WineTours - 12 Days: May 28 - June 08, 2023

Summary: Austria 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

Dinner at an Iconic Beisl in Vienna: Griechenbeisl - Austria 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

Tour of the Monastery/ Palace Klosterneuburg and of the Weingut Klosterneuburg, with Wine Tasting - Austria 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

Tafelspitz and Wiener Schnitzel at Plachutta in der Wollzeile, a Viennese Insitution (12/20 GaultMillau)

An After-dinner Glass of Wine at Vis-à-Vis Wine Bar in Vienna

Sightseeing in Vienna: Schönbrunn Imperial Palace and Fiaker Tour

Lunch at Restaurant Die Seejungfrau in Jois at Lake Neusiedl

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Leo Hillinger, Burgenland, with Jakob Scharner, Diplom-Sommelier

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Netzl, Carnuntum, with Franz, Christine and Christina Netzl

Lunch at Restaurant Mole West at Lake Neusiedl

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Anita and Hans Nittnaus, Burgenland, with Anita, Hans and Martin Nittnaus

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Umathum, Burgenland, with Joseph Umathum

Sekt Reception in the Court Yard and Dinner at Schloss Halbturn, Burgenland

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Steindorfer, Burgenland, with Ernst and Roland Steindorfer

Light Lunch at Gránátos Étterem at Esterházy Kástely in Fertöd, Hungary

Tour of the Liszt-Haus in Raiding

Tasting at Weingut Straka, Burgenland, with Thomas Straka

Eating and Sleeping in the Vineyard: Wohnothek am Ratschen, Deutsch-Schützen, with Chef Daniel Sulzer, Restaurant am Ratschen, 16 Points Gault-Millau

Tasting at Weingut Wachter-Wiesler, Burgenland, with Julia Wachter 

Tour, Tasting and Lunch at Weingut Jalits, Burgenland, with Mathias Jalits

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Neumeister, Steiermark, with Christoph Neumeister

Dinner with a View at Hotel Weinrefugium, Steiermark

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Sattlerhof, Steiermark, with Justė Sattler

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Wohlmuth, Steiermark

Lunch and Tasting at Buschenschank Weingut Trummer, Steiermark, with Jürgen Trummer

Tasting at Weingut Polz, Steiermark, with Sommelier Philipp Heidenbauer

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Tement, Steiermark, with Sommelier Andy Bodor

Lunch at Restaurant Magnothek/ Weingut Tement, Südsteiermark

Gustav Mahler, Sinfonie Nr.3 at Graz Opera, Steiermark

In Eisenstadt, Burgenland: Tour at Haydn House, Lunch at Restaurant Henrici, Tour at Esterhazy Castle

At Loisium Wine & Spa Resort Langenlois, Kamptal: Impromptu Steininger Sekt Reception with Eva Steininger and Klaus Wittauer

Wine-pairing Dinner at Heurigenhof Bründlmeyer with Chef Jan Pfeiffer, 15.5 Point Gault Millau

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Steininger, Kamptal, with Brigitta Steininger

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Stephanie and Alwin Jurtschitsch, Kamptal, with Alwin Jurtschitsch

Lunch at Braugasthaus zum Fiakerwirtin Langenlois, Kamptal

Tasting at Weingut Markus Huber, Traisental, with Markus Huber

2 Days in Dürnstein, Wachau, at Hotel Richard Löwenherz

Vineyard Walk and Tasting at Weingut Tebernseeerhof, Wachau, with Owner/ Winemaker Martin Mittelbach

Tour and Tasting at Domäne Wachau, Dürnstein, Wachau

Tasting and Dinner at Weingut Nigl, Kremstal, 13.5 Points Gault Millau

Tour and Tasting at Weingut F.X.Pichler, Wachau, with Lucas Pichler

Tasting at Weingut Matthias Hager, Kamptal, with Doris Hager

Lunch at Gasthaus Gutmann, Zöbing, Kamptal

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Schloss Gobelsburg, Kamptal, with Stefan Tabery

Farewell Dinner at Café Central in Vienna