Austria Flashcards
What wines that are produced in Austria are they known for?
High acid, dry wines from Grüner Veltliner and Riesling.
It also makes sweet white wines.
Recently, a number of reds, many based on local varieties such as Zweigelt and Blaufrankisch, are also becoming better known.
What is the history of Austrian production, up until the late 1800s?
Although a relative newcomer to the world stage in wine, Austria has been making wine since the Bronze Age (3300-1200BC).
The Romans and Magyars also influenced wine production throughout the centuries.
It was the Cistercian Monks in the 10th-12th centuries, as in many other wine regions of Europe, who had perhaps the most impact. These monks brought Burgundian wine culture and helped them establish the terraced hills seen in Wachau and its neighbouring appellations today.
During the 15th and 16th centuries, there was a large expansion of the total vineyard area to 150,000 ha (three times what it is in 2018).
However, due to an invasion by Turkey, high taxes on wine and increased popularity of beer, vineyard area began to decrease from the 17th century onwards.
What is the history of production, from the late 1800s until the 1970s?
In the late 1800s, phylloxera, powdery and downy mildew caused decreases in vineyard area.
During this time, there was already a culture of scientific research into vineyard management and winemaking, which continues today.
In the early 1900s, the first Austrian wine laws were created, for example, forbidding hybrid vines.
What was the state of Austrian wine production and exports in the 1970s and 80s?
During this period, a high proportion was exported, particularly from Burgenland, and in order to compete on price with other nations, a small number of large volume producers started adding diethylene glycol, an antifreeze agent, to their wines to increase volume and stimulate sweetness.
This was discovered in 1985, and Austrian wine exports dropped from almost 30m litres in 1985 to under 5 million in 1986.
The Austrian Wine Marketing Board (AWMB) was established in 1986 to help change the international image of Austrian wine.
Exports are now at 53m litres, but the value has more than tripled since 1985, meaning consumers are now willing to pay premium prices for high quality wines.
