Quite the hike - wine from Austria
Austria's regained pride in the form of viticulture has developed extremely splendid in recent years. Hardly any quality offensive was as successful as the wine law after the winescandal in 1985. The old strengths, careful work on the vineyard and cellar as well as the awareness for the ideal natural conditions, which are available to the Austrian winegrowers for noble grape varieties, were remembered. Floodplains, valleys and hills on limestone, loess and primary rock soils, protected from the wind by the majestic Alps towering over the vineyards. This is what the crunchy and velvety grape varieties Grüner Veltliner, Zweigelt, Blaufränkisch and Riesling like. Join us on an excursion to the wine regions of Austria and discover the extraordinary quality, which for many wine lovers is often unknown.
Noble snack companion - the taste of Austrian wines
We know and love them and yet Austrians have always been somewhat different - aromatic and fresh. With their beguiling spiciness and compactness, Austrian wines are light and fluffy with a full-bodied taste. One may not resent comparisons with France or Italy - the winegrowers searched on wanderings for new methods and techniques, in order to promote the Austrian wine, which was shaken by the Glykol scandal - but one cannot deny each bottle an independent character. With the latest cellar technology, a lot of love for wine and one of the strictest wine laws in the world, the high-quality result is no wonder. Austria's wine plays in a league with the best.
Without a doubt, the list of approved grape varieties also plays an important role. 26 white and 14 red varieties line the vineyards from Styria to the wine district of Lower Austria. These include autochthonous grape varieties such as Rotgipfler, Blaufränkisch, St. Laurent and the famous Grüner Veltliner, which was sometimes responsible for the steep rise of Austrian wine.
The Emperor's fine grapes - Grüner Veltliner and Blaufränkisch
If one looks for synonyms for Austrian wine, one quickly recognizes the significance of the two grape varieties Grüner Veltliner and Blaufränkisch. They proved to be true draught horses in the attempt to pull the cart (Austrian wine industry) out of the mud (reputation after glycol scandal). The autochthonous and noble grape varieties were able to cope with this task and produced previously unimagined potential. Formerly vinified for mass wines, the Grüner Veltliner white wines are today internationally acclaimed quality wines of the highest quality, which proudly hold up the Austrian flag alongside Chardonnay, Riesling and Sauvignon blanc. The spicy and fresh aromas of the national variety Grüner Veltliner from Austria, complemented with a fine pepper note, attract worldwide attention today. It is hardly surprising that Grüner Veltliner can be found on about one third of Austria's cultivated areas.
The red wines from Blaufränkisch also receive a lot of respect. As the leading variety in southern Burgenland and central Burgenland, also called Blaufränkischland in specialist circles, the grape variety produces extremely strong and fruity red wines with a high storage potential. Blaufränkisch was the first red wine variety to achieve DAC status and enjoys a lush life on around 2,800 hectares, mainly in Burgenland.
The Austrian Quality System for Wine
The quality system for Austrian wine is considered to be one of the strictest ever and thus guarantees the highest quality for wines from the Weinland, Steirerland and Bergland. Basically, a distinction is made between wine with origin, including Landwein, Qualitätswein and DAC Wein, and wine without origin. The latter are marked as Wein aus Austria. The classification of wines is based on the origin of the grapes and the sugar content, measured using the Klosterneuburger Mostwaage (KMW) unit.
- Wein without indication of origin, formerly listed as table wine, is not subject to any regulations regarding origin, alcohol content or must weight.
- Landwein (Country wine) is the designation for wines with a protected geographical indication. The three large wine-growing regions of Bergland, Steirerland and Weinland are regarded as geographical indications for Landwein. Smaller wine regions are not permitted for wines of at least 14° KMW and at least 8.5 % vol. The acidity of the Landwein is at least 4 g/l.
- Qualitätswein (Quality wine) serves the Austrian wine industry as the highest category and indicates wines with designation of origin. For this, the wine must come from a single wine-growing region and have at least 15° KMW. In addition, a minimum alcohol value of 9.0 % vol. and a total acid content of at least 4 g/l are required. Further requirements relate to the maximum yield and that the wine must pass a sensory test. Each quality wine is marked with a national test number and a red and white striped band. The quality wine from Austria is also divided into cabinet wine, Prädikatswein, including specialities such as Beerenauslese and Eiswein, and finally the DAC wines.
- DAC Wines, short for Districtus Austriae Controllatus, fulfils the conditions laid down by ordinance for regionally typical quality wines with a profile of origin for the wine-growing region.
Buy Austrian wines online
Order Austrian wine, inexpensive and tasty, from VINELLO. We supply you with fine wines from Austria and ensure that your treasures arrive safely, climate-neutrally and well packaged. Because the wines from the wine republic of Austria should give you the same pleasure as our neighbours and inspire your enjoyment with crisp freshness and intensive aromas. Browse through our selection of quality wines from Styria, Lower Austria, Burgenland and Vienna. Buy wine from Austria cheap - now we drink, later we have Nockerl.
