Precious Wine ...

In the Middle Ages it was mainly the monasteries that were responsible for the cultivation of wine and for the development of the cellar technique, thereby ensuring the spread of the culture of wine making.

Austria’s grape cultivation and wine making sectors tend to be based on small-scale rural structures. The country’s vineyards total some 50,000 hectares in Lower Austria, Styria, Burgenland and Vienna and are owned by over 30,000 producers, of whom only slightly less than a third are full-time wine producers.

Austria’s wine production has a substantial impact on the landscape and culture of the wine making regions, which is manifested in the typical taverns, wine abbeys, wine inns and even wine academies. And because of their excellent quality, Austria’s wines continuously rank in top places in international competitions.

There are currently more than thirty grape varieties licensed in Austria for the production of quality and vintage wines. They include such illustrious grapes as Sauvignon blanc, muscatel, Blauer Portugieser and Zweigelt.


The best known vintage wines

Grüner Veltliner
Peppery spice, fruity, light peppery after taste, usually dry. With a share of about a third of Austria’s total viticultural area, the Grüner Veltliner is the most important variety grown in Austria. The quality spectrum of the Grüner Veltliner extends from light, effervescent wines that are best drunk young – as “Heuriger” – to Spätlese wines that are rich in extracts and alcohol and thus age particularly well.


Riesling (Rhine Riesling, Weißer Riesling)
Greenish-yellow to gold, grape-like bouquet, refreshing, refined, fruity, racy.

Müller-Thurgau
Slight Muscat flavour, round, soft. This variety owes its name to the Swiss botanist Hermann Müller from the canton of Thurgau. Müller-Thurgau wines are generally low in acidity and round with a slightly Muscat-like bouquet and mild taste.

Weißer Burgunder (Pinot Blanc)
Fine combination of fragrances, powerful, racy. If the grapes have attained full maturity, the Austrian Weissburgunder is a white wine rich in extracts with a fine almond-like taste and piquant acidity. The grape variety known internationally as Pinot Blanc usually develops very well in the bottle. Because of its discreet character it is suitable for blending with other varieties and for ageing in new, small oak barrels (en barrique).


Sauvignon Blanc
Paprika spice, vivacious, piquant. This grape variety was planted in Austria more than a hundred years ago. Its paprika-like spice is replaced over a long period of ageing by aromas of asparagus and black currants. Very fresh and stimulating with a racy acidity structure, the Sauvignon is an elegant, fruity wine of unmistakable character that also ages well in the medium term.


Chardonnay (Morillon)
Juicy fruit, concentrated, piquant. In Styria, where it results in very fresh, slightly flowery wines, it as known as the Morillon. But it is increasingly being grown in Lower Austria, Burgenland and Vienna. Its fragrance is reminiscent of white bread. Its wines are very powerful and rich in extracts and retain a pleasant acidity even after long
maturation; it improves further with bottle ageing.


Neuburger
Nutty, full-bodied, mild. According to tradition, the Danube gave Austria this special variety, exclusive to this country. Legend has it that in 1850 an unknown type of vine was washed ashore. It was planted by the wine-growers and given the name Neuburger. The Neuburger grape produces elegantly reserved white wines, sometimes somewhat neutral in fragrance and of powerful but mild manner; its fine, nutty taste is characteristic.


Blauer Zweigelt (Rotburger)
Cherry fruit, attractive, velvety. This variety was named for the Austrian plant-breeder Prof. Fritz Zweigelt, who created this successful cross of Blaufränkisch and St. Laurent. As new wine the Zweigelt has a pronounced fruity bouquet that becomes
rounder and finer with ageing. It ranges in quality from a light table wine to be enjoyed in its youth to powerful wines for ageing. The sturdy Zweigelt vine produces good results in all of the domestic red-wine areas and is thus considered Austria’s
great red-wine prospect.


Blaufränkisch
Dark berry notes, astringent-spicy, medium tannin levels. The name Blaufränkisch (literally “blue Franconian”) probably dates from the time of Charlemagne, when all high-quality varieties were classified as “Franconian” (fränkisch).. In its youth this Austrian speciality is an impetuous, deeply fruity red wine, which with ageing becomes more velvety and supple, gaining additional facets.


Blauer Portugieser
Grapey, mild, low in tannins. The Blauer Portugieser is said to have been brought by a wine merchant from Porto to Lower Austria. Because this grape variety develops very quickly, it should generally be drunk in its youth. In good years the thermal region in particular produces mild and juicy red wines with soft tannins and the
pleasant aroma of violets. But grapey and harmonious Portugieser grapes also grow on the “red-wine islands” of the Weinviertel.


St. Laurent
Fine, unmistakable aromas of sour cherries and dark berries distinguish this indigenous Austrian red-wine variety. Particularly in dry years, this grape produces very noble and supple wines in the wine-growing areas of northern Burgenland and in the thermal region. With its delicate tannins, the St. Laurent can give red-wine blends added flair.


Blauer Burgunder
Discreet bouquet, elegant, soft tannins. Despite some new vineyard planting, this grape variety, which made the red wines of Burgundy famous, is still under-represented in Austria. Its taste has lots of fruity charm and elegance.


Cabernet Sauvignon
Velvety red, muscat-like bouquet, mild, rich in extract, usually high in tannins.