Austria

Question 1

History of Austrian wine?

Answer 1

Antifreeze agent discovered in large producers wines in 1985
Production dropped from 30mil L to 5mil L in a year
Rebounded, and now triple the value - premiumization

Question 2

Climate of Austria:

Answer 2

Cool continental
Spring frost
Water stress concerns

Question 3

Soils in Austria:

Answer 3

Riesling: Thin soils over rock
Gruner: Loess or clay

Question 4

Vineyard management in Austria:

Answer 4

Traditionally: Lenz Moser system - high cordon training with wide rows to avoid shading
Now: Guyot with VSP
Machine harvest where possible
14% organic
Irrigation required in certain areas
67.5hL/ha

Question 5

Describe Gruner Veltliner:

Answer 5

32% of all plantings
Very vigorous
Does well in less fertile soils with water retention
Thick skins containing rotundone (peppery)
High acidity
TYpically not oaked

Question 6

Describe Zweigelt:

Answer 6

14% of all plantings
Sankt Laurent + Blaufrankish crossing
Early ripening
High yielding
Vigorous
Potassium deficiency leads to withering before ripening
Medium tannin, med+ acid

Question 7

Describe Welschriesling:

Answer 7

No relation to Riesling
High acid
Neutral, dry, fresh
Thin skins
Can be used for sweet wines and Sekt

Question 8

Describe Blaufrankisch:

Answer 8

M+/High tannins
High acid
Deep color, dark fruit
Early budding
Late ripening
High yielding

Question 9

Winemaking in Austria:

Answer 9

Short skin contact
Neutral vessels
6+ months on lees
Acacia vats common - no vanilla but oxygenation

Question 10

Wine labeling in Austria:

Answer 10

Regulated by DAC (Districtus Austriae Controllatus)
Wein
Landwein (with PGI)
Qualitatswein (PDO - 90% of production)
Klassik - vintage + varietal character
Reserve - dry wine with min. 13% ABV

Question 11

Wine region heirarchy:

Answer 11

16 DAC wine growing regions
Gebietswein (regional)
Ortswein (village)
Riedenwein (single vineyard)
OTW: Osterreichische Traditionsweinguter - founded in 1992 to classify vineyards based on soil and climate

Question 12

Four principal wine regions in Austria:

Answer 12

Niederosterreich
Burgenland
Steiermark
Wien

Question 13

Describe Niederosterreich:

Answer 13

Lower Austria
2/3 white, predominantly Gruner
Sub-regions: Weinviertel (N), Wachau (W), Kremstal (W), Kamptal (W), Wagram (W), Pannonian plain (SE)

Question 14

Describe Wachau:

Answer 14

Riesling on gneiss soils
Gruner on loess soils
Low rainfall, controlled irrigation
Stone terraces - retain heat, radiate at night
Wachau DAC must be hand harvested
Mostly family-owned estates

Question 15

What is Vinea Wachau:

Answer 15

Producer group designating single vineyard sites
Three classifications for dry whites:
Steinfeder - fruity, light (max 11.5%)
Federspiel - more concentrated (11.5-12.5%)
Smaragd - highly concentrated and ripe (min 12.5%)

Question 16

Describe Kremstal:

Answer 16

DAC must be Riesling or Gruner
Reds (Zweigelt) labeled as Niederosterreich - 25% of production
Warmer than Wachau

Question 17

Describe Kamptal:

Answer 17

Over 50% Gruner; Zweigelt, Riesling, Pinot Noir
Less humidity with warming and cooling breezes
DAC Gruner or Riesling only

Question 18

Describe Weinviertal:

Answer 18

Dry
High diurnal range
DAC is Gruner only - most peppery style in Austria
Reserve - min. 13%, oak and/or botrytis grapes allowed (dry wine)

Question 19

Describe Burgenland:

Answer 19

Flat, warm
Blaufrankish, Zweigelt, Gruner, Welschriesling
Subregions: Neusiedlersee, Leithaberg, Mittelburgenland

Question 20

Describe Neusiedlersee:

Answer 20

Flat, warm, humid
Consistent noble rot
Welschriesling for TBA style wines
2020: Ruster Ausbruch DAC for TBA wines
Neusiedlersee DAC for red Zweigelt wines

Question 21

Describe Leithaberg:

Answer 21

Red DAC - min. 85% Blaufrankisch, oak required
White DAC - Weissburgunder, Chard, Gruner, or Neuburger

Question 22

Describe Mittelburgenland:

Answer 22

Blaufrankisch most common due to warmer climate
DAC, DAC+vineyard, DAC reserve
all min. 85% Blaufrankisch

Question 23

Describe Steiermark:

Answer 23

Steep hills with terraces
Winter freeze, spring frost, hail (netting used)
Crisp, dry whites
Welschriesling, Sauv Blanc, Weissburgunder
Large diurnal shift

Question 24

Wine business in Austria:

Answer 24

20% export - Germany most important
Austrian Wine Marketing Board handles promotion
Heurigen important (small inns/taverns for outdoor drinking)