Austria Flashcards
How much of land is planted with vines for wine production in Austria?
46,500 ha. One third of Austria’s area under vines is red varieties, they doubled in the last two decades.
What are the most important white varieties in Austria?
Grüner Veltliner (31% of all plantings), Welschriesling, Riesling (only 4% of all plantings)
What are the most important red varieties in Austria?
Zweigelt (most planted), Blaufränkisch, Sankt Laurent
Describe Grüner Veltliner wines?
Medium (+) to high acidity, typically not oaked, range from simple wines, with citrus and green fruit aromas made for early drinking to wines with pronounced citrus and peach fruit and great complexity of aroma and flavour, which can be aged in bottle. The skins are thick (can contribute a phenolic taste, or bitterness to the wine), skin also contain a chemical compound that gives a peppery aroma, characteristic of this variety.
Describe Welschriesling wines?
High levels of acidity, neutral aromatics, producing simple fresh, neutral, unoaked, dry wines, in decline. It has thin skins so can be affected by noble rot, and then used for sweet wines that have high levels of acidity, pronounced tropical fruit aromas and dried fruit, with the ability to develop in bottle.
Describe Austrian Riesling wines?
Almost always dry, can be full bodied, with medium levels of alcohol, ripe stone fruit and sometimes tropical fruit flavours, with high levels of acidity, allowing many of them to improve over 10-20 years, where they become nutty, honeyed and have petrol notes.
Describe Blaufränkisch wines?
Medium (+) to high tannins, high levels of acidity, deep colour and black fruit flavours. Need warm climate. The wines range from simple, fruity wines with little or no oak ageing to very good to outstanding wines with pronounced black fruit, spicy oak characters and high tannins.
What are Blaufränkisch synonyms?
Lemberger (Germany); Frankovka (Vojvodina).
What are the prime destinations for Blaufränkisch variety?
Leithaberg DAC and Mittelburgenland DAC are
How is in Austria called Wine without Geographic Indication?
Tafelwein.
How is in Austria called Wine with Protected Geographic Indication (PGI)?
Landwein
How is in Austria called Wine with Protected Designation of Origin (PDO)?
Qualitätswein. More than 85 per cent of production.
Name two categories within the Qualitätswein category?
Klassik (vintage declared and showing varietal character) and Reserve (dry wines with a minimum 13% abv, typically harvested and released later than the standard wines)
What is Ausbruch?
TBA wines from the city of Rust, situated on Lake Neusiedlersee, are labelled Ausbruch. Part of Leithaberg region.
What is the difference between Austrian and German Prädikatswein category?
Even though the different Prädikat levels are based on must weight at time of harvest as in Germany main difference is that Kabinett does not fall into the Prädikatswein system in Austria.
What is DAC?
Appellation system aimed to promote regional typicity. Only these wines are permitted to display their origin, such as Weinviertel or Kamptal, on the label, whereas those that do not conform to the legislation, would have to use the larger area of Niederӧsterreich on their label. DAC letters are not a guarantee of quality, but rather an indicator of typicity.
