Austria pt. 3

Question 1

What are some of the major vineyards in the Wien (Vienna) region of Austria?

Answer 1

Bisamberg|Nussberg|Kahlenberg|Georgenberg

Question 2

What are the typical sweetness levels produced by Alois Kracher and how much residual sugar is usually in each?

Answer 2

Auslese - 75-90g/L |Beerenauslese - 110-135 g/L |Trockenbeerenauslese - 140+ g/L||*Kracher also makes some dry wines now, notably, an excellent Grauburgunder, labeled Pinot Gris

Question 3

Who did Alois Kracher partner with to make sweet wine in Malaga?

Answer 3

Jorge Ordoñez from Malaga||-after an intense and fruitful business career as an importer of Spanish wines in the United States, decided to commit himself to start making his own wines. Using the autochthonous Muscat of Alexandria grape from old vines that are growing on white quartz and slate soil, the renowned Austrian winemaker Alois Kracher created these wines. Today it’s his son, Gerhard who has the technical direction. This winery is owned by the Ordoñez family and Kracher family, among other partners.

Question 4

What are the general (abv, etc..) requirements in the Wiener Gemischter Satz DAC for Single Vineyard Wines and Wines with geographic indication “Wien”?

Answer 4

Wines with geographic indication “Wien”: max. 12.5%|Single Vineyard Wines: min. 12.5%|*|Wines with geographic indication “Wiener” may not show obvious wood tones and must be trocken in style.||Single Vineyard wines may not be released prior to March 1 of the year following the harvest, and are not required to be trocken.

Question 5

Alois Kracher did a joint venture project with Sine Qua Non winemaker Manfred Krankl to produce which label?

Answer 5

Mr. K ||-*the joint venture was run between the Krankl and Kracher families “With no documents, no lawyers–ten years on a handshake. We just split all the bills and never had one issue.”

Question 6

What is Sturm and where does the name come from?

Answer 6

Sturm, or Storm in German is a partially fermented, and continuing to ferment wine enjoyed around 4%|abv. ||-It can only be sold from August 1 to December 31 from grapes of that vintage year. ||-It must be continuing to ferment! ||-Producers may stop the fermentation - but must restart it before sale. ||-The storm refers to cloudiness in the bottle.

Question 7

Describe the soil composition of the vineyards at the Alois Kracher estate and their respective attributes?

Answer 7

2/3 - gravelly soil->heat up slowly but retain heat||1/3 - sand->heat up fast but cool quickly after sunset||*area is very flat and sandy, with a gravelly subsoil. The sand goes up to four meters deep in some areas.

Question 8

Which Austrian DAC in Styria is known for Gneiss and Mica Schists soils?

Answer 8

Weststeiermark DAC|-Koralpe mountain range

Question 9

Are Single Vineyard wines in the Wiener Gemischter Satz DAC required to be trocken?

Answer 9

No||-may not be released prior to March 1 of the year following the harvest||-Wines with geographic indication “Wiener” may not show obvious wood tones and must be trocken in style.

Question 10

What was the last vintage of the Mr. K joint venture between Alois Kracher and Sine Qua Non winemaker Manfred Krankl?

Answer 10

2007||The Noble Man|The Straw Man|The Ice Man||*Viognier, Marsanne, Gewurtztraminer, Chardonnay, Semillon

Question 11

Which style of Wiener Gemischter Satz DAC must be trocken, which one does not?

Answer 11

Wines with geographic indication “Wiener” may not show obvious wood tones and must be trocken in style.||Single Vineyard wines may not be released prior to March 1 of the year following the harvest, and are not required to be trocken.

Question 12

Which side of Lake Neusiedl did not have a history of making sweet wines until after World War II?

Answer 12

East side of the lake did not have a history of making sweet wines until after World War II.||-historically, the west side was more succesful because of the proximity to the rest of Austria and the west has made sweet wines (Ausbruch) for a hundred years.||-east side, where the Kracher winery is located

Question 13

What are the blending rules for the Wiener Gemischter Satz DAC?

Answer 13

-at least 3 white varieties|-no single variety may compose more than 50% |-3 varieties must make up at least 10% each

Question 14

What are the 3 most common grapes used for Gemischter Satz?

Answer 14

Grüner Veltliner|Riesling|Pinot Blanc||*no single grape exceeding 50% of the blend.

Question 15

What do the numbers on the Alois Kracher bottlings indicate?

Answer 15

The numbers indicate sweetness starting at 1 (least sweet) and go all the way up to 15 (most sweet)||-Before bottling, each vintage blend is determined by blind tasting.||-Usually blends of Chardonnay (70%) and Welschriesling (30%)

Question 16

What was the first vintage of Alois Kracher that received widespread attention?

Answer 16

1991||-Beginning in 1994, he received numerous awards for his wines. Kracher was the recipient of several prizes from various sources for best Austrian wine or winery of the year, sweet wine maker of the year and such, including “Winemaker of the Year” by the London-based Wine Journal six times.||-In 1981 he started working part-time as a winemaker in the winery of his father Alois Kracher Sr, and from 1986 this became a full-time activity for him.

Question 17

Which wines were produced through the Mr. K joint venture between Alois Kracher and Sine Qua Non winemaker Manfred Krankl?

Answer 17

The Noble Man|The Straw Man|The Ice Man||-last vintage was 2007|*Viognier, Marsanne, Gewurtztraminer, Chardonnay, Semillon

Question 18

When and how did Alois Kracher die?

Answer 18

23 February 1959 - 5 December 2007|-died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 48 in Illmitz, Burgenland, Austria. ||-He was married and had a son, Gerhard Kracher (born 1981)|-known under the nickname “Luis”

Question 19

Alois Kracher was known by what nickname?

Answer 19

Luis||-23 February 1959 - 5 December 2007|-died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 48 in Illmitz, Burgenland, Austria.

Question 20

What did Alois Kracher do before becoming a winemaker and when did he pursue winemaking fulltime?

Answer 20

First studied chemistry and worked as a chemist in the pharmaceutical industry. ||-In 1981 he started working part-time as a winemaker in the winery of his father Alois Kracher Sr, and from 1986 this became a full-time activity for him.

Question 21

What makes the soils of Vulkanland Steiermark unique?

Answer 21

Volcanic activity millions of years ago left tuff and basalt behind in this otherwise sedimentary zone.||-Traminer

Question 22

Which Austrian DAC in Styria is known for volcanic basalt, sand, loam, and weathered primary rock soils?

Answer 22

Vulkanland Steiermark DAC

Question 23

Describe some of the recent vintages for Burgenland sweet wine.

Answer 23

2015 - one of the best vintages for TBA’s in a generation|2016 - 85% of the harvest was lost to frost damage|2017/2018 - both warm vintages & very good for sweet

Question 24

Alois Kracher did a joint venture project to produce the Mr. K label of wine with which Californian producer?

Answer 24

Sine Qua Non|-Manfred Krankl||*the joint venture was run between the Krankl and Kracher families “With no documents, no lawyers–ten years on a handshake. We just split all the bills and never had one issue.”

Question 25

What was the only vintage for which Schilcherland DAC existed?

Answer 25

2018||-Schilcher Rose from Blauer Wildbacher is a specialty of Weststeiermark. ||-Now under the regional Weststeiermak DAC it must be labeled as Schilcher Klassik and can be still, frizzante, or fully sparkling.

Question 26

What is the principle soil type in the Wiener Gemischter Satz DAC?

Answer 26

Sandy loam|-with some limestone

Question 27

If grape is not indicated on a bottle of Alois Kracher what is most likely the blend?

Answer 27

Usually blends of Chardonnay (70%) and Welschriesling (30%)||-sometimes varietally labeled||-Before bottling, each vintage blend is determined by blind tasting.