How to enjoy Austrian Wines

History:
Austrian wine growing tradition goes back to the legendary edict of the Roman emperor Probus which ordered legions stationed in Austria to drink local vintages rather than Italian ones. Since that long-ago time, Austrian winegrowing has experienced a steady increase in volume and quality. Although there was a short period during the 1960’s where commercial considerations led to an emphasis on quantity rather than quality, the timely introduction of stiff new laws controlling production has created a wine industry which can take its rightful place beside any other in Europe. Today, all of the Austrian wine-growing regions produce wines of remarkable finesse. They are bright to the eye, subtle and complex in the bouquet, and light and highly sophisticated on the palate.

The following are some of the more famous Austrian wines we will come across during our journey:

Grüner Veltliner:
This is Austria’s most popular  grape variety. This wine can be tasted young and fresh and delights with its fruity taste.It has  a delicate golden colour with just a hint of green.

Rheinriesling:
This wine is milder in taste and has a wonderful bouquet. Rheinriesling is one of the most elegant wines in Austria especially when it originates in the Wachau, the area along the Danube between Krems and Melk.

Welschriesling:
A wine with a very fine bouquet  rich in fruity aromas

Müller Thurgau:
A well-known  grape variety which produces a very mild, semi-dry wine with a flowery bouquet.

Muskat-Ottonel:
A very unique wine with a slightly nutty flavour.

Neuburger:
A  very popular and widely disseminated grape variety in Austria. This wine, while being rich in taste is still very mild.

Chardonnay:
A most sought after variety of wine in modern times. A few years ago, an Austrian vintner received the prize for the world’s best Chardonnay.

Sauvignon blanc:
The classic Sauvignon blanc is high in acidity and  has a slight taste of green peppers.  

Blauburgunder:
A very full-bodied Wein which goes wonderfully with game and red meat dishes.

Blaufränkisch:
This is an Austrian speciality, with a full body and tending towards being dry.

It is often finished in bariques which allows it to command a higher price. However, even the regular Blaufränkische wines belong to the most prestigious group of Austrian wines.

Blauer Portugieser:
This is usually just a red table wine of medium quality but an excellent buy if the price is right.

St. Laurent:
Another name for BLAUBURGUNDER

Schilcher:
A rose speciality from the Steiermark. It has spicy overtones.

"Heurigen"
No discussion of Austrian wine would be complete without a few words about the "Heurigen". The word itself means " this year’s"  and the institution of selling this wine was started by Emperor Josef II’s  1784 law which permitted vintners to sell wine and food produced on the premises.  If a Heurigen  (Buschenschank) tavern is open, it usually displays a Buschen (bow of evergreen) or a sun-shaped ring woven out of straw over its entrance along with a sign telling you its “ausg’steckt”. Nowadays, you can often find a green light bulb in the center of the straw -sun-sign. Most of these taverns are found in the former villages of Vienna’s outer suburbs to the north on the slopes of the Wienerwald and are easily accessible by public transport.

There are also a handful of Staddtheurigen taverns located close to the city center usually in the cellars of the city’s monasteries. These latter places are not real Heurigen at all, but are still great places to drink this heady white wine and eat the local cuisine.