Of traditions, taverns & owls

The grapes come from Kremsmünster’s own vineyards in the Wachau and Burgenland. Father Kilian, the enterprising Cellar Master, personally blesses each year’s new wine.

Heuriger: The term has two related meanings. It denotes the traditional wine taverns but also the young wine served there (its literal meaning is “this year’s”). The freshly made wine is allowed to be sold under the name “Heuriger” from November 11th (St. Martin’s Day) until the end of the following year. The earliest regulations governing wine taverns go back to the reign of Charlemagne, around 795 AD. The modern-day taverns owe their existence to a decree by Emperor Joseph II issued in 1784.

Kellergasse: This refers to a row of small wine cellars dug into the hillside on the outskirts of towns and villages. The press room is just below ground level. From here a narrow corridor leads to the storage cellars proper, where the temperature remains constant. There are many of these picturesque rows of cellars in Burgenland and Lower Austria.

G'spritzter: The Austrian term for a “spritzer”, a half-and-half mixture of dry white wine (usually a Grüner Veltliner or a Welschriesling) with soda or mineral water – a refreshing and fortifying drink for hot summer days.

Schilcher: This is the designation of a very special type of rosé wine made from Blauer Wildbacher grapes. “Schilcher” is made only in Styria. With its distinctive, pronounced acidity, it is reputed to act as a strong stimulant.

Sturm: A half-way stage between grape juice and wine, „Sturm“ is faintly effervescent and tastes sweetish.

Uhudler: In the nineteenth century the phylloxera, a pest which attacks vines, threatened to obliterate Europe’s vineyards. In an attempt to avert disaster, Burgenland’s wine makers crossed American vines with renowned European vines. “Uhudler” established itself as the generic term for a number of these composite grape varieties.
For half a century it was not officially recognised and could not be sold as wine. Today, though, “Uhudler” has come into its own right. Its relatively high level of methyl alcohol gave rise to rumours that its has adverse effects on the health, but this has been proved untrue.
The curious name derives from the word “Uhu”, meaning “owl”. The story has it that, when the Burgenland wine makers drank too much of their own produce, their wives scolded them for “looking like owls”.