This blog is based on the Spirits of New Mexico radio show that aired on May 15, 2021. We do on-air tasting of one or two wines to illustrate what is available in a particular wine region, or as a contrast of what influence a wine region has on a grape or blend. We use suitable glasses for the type of wine and do a double-decant of red wines to insure they have opened sufficiently for accurate judging.
We first covered Austrian wines two years ago, focused on their Riesling wines. This time we are featuring Austria’s most popular white wine; Gruner Veltliner. The Gruner wines are also more popular in the US and many winemakers are producing them, even in New Mexico.
Austria is an old wine country, going back over 9,000 years. Once again the Benedictine Monks are credited with bringing the vineyards to life, discovering the most suitable grapes, passing on orally or documenting their findings. The influence and respect for these monks is evident when talking to the present winemakers.
Vienna has several thousand acres of vines around the city and they’ve been there for two thousand years. In fact Vienna has its own wine region, Wien and the only major city to have one. Central Park, NYC is not a wine region. Wolfgang Puck said, “People think of Austria as the Sound of Music or a Strauss waltz or the Blue Danube, but to me the Danube is famous because of its wine. Austria is one of the greatest white wine countries.”
Both red and white grapes thrive here with a bit more alcohol than many German wine regions. A very good website to learn all about Austrian wine is www.austrianwine.com.
The short video from which Puck’s comment originated provides sweeping vistas of the Danube, grape growers and winemakers describing the terroir along the river and on the plateaus. There is a lot of granite and limestone here with a thin top crust of loess and silt, which forces the vine’s roots to probe deeply and bring up the wonderful minerality of its wines. The Pannonian effect which brings warm dry winds from the central plains of Europe is another factor. Organic farming is also a significant trend.
Austrian wine grapes
There are 36 recognized grapes in Austria; the most popular are listed here.
Gruner Veltliner plantings are over 25%. This is a very popular white wine grape done in many styles. Those labeled “klassic” are lighter and more peppery. Reserve versions are more fruit-driven with tropical flavors.
Zweigelt is the most planted red variety, a cross between a Pinot Noir type grape and the more robust Blaufrankisch. Some compare it to Merlot with cherry notes and mellow tannin.
Welschriesling is the next most planted white wine grape. Its origin is in Northern Italy, where it’s called Riesling Italico. It has a range of styles and quality levels, particularly sweet wines like TBA, a merciful abbreviation of Trockenbeerenauslese. This grape should not to be confused with Riesling, which of course it will be.
Blaufrankisch is Austria’s top red wine grape with great depth and tannic structure. Earthy and spicy with tart fruit, the best vintages become velvety with aging. I was impressed with this wine at the Slate Street Café at one of their wine tasting events. It is not easy to find in New Mexico, however.
Austrian Riesling: Riesling is a late-ripening grape and a great food wine. It can be done is several styles from bone dry to unctuously sweet. The good acidity and minerality when planted in the right soil have contributed to its more recent success. The trend toward leaner, drier styles has also helped.
The remaining grapes of significance are Muller-Thurgau, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Wine regions
All of the wine regions are located in the eastern part of Austria. The federal states of Niederösterreich (boy we had fun pronouncing this one), Burgenland and Steiermark are defined as distinct wine regions, but there are 17 other wine regions, including Wien and Bergland which has five winegrowing sub-regions.
Some of the regions have a number of well-known subregions. Unfortunately many of them are long, hard to pronounce names that will have you skipping to another blog so we will focus on the region and subregions where our current wines originate. Wine map courtesy of Wine Folly and check their article on Austrian wine
Niederösterreich or Lower Austria is by far the largest region with over 60% of the plantings at 67,000 acres. It is centered around Vienna, which has its own region of Wien. Those subregions are identified as DAC, covered below. There are Qualitatswein wines that have officially designated wine styles. These include Kremstal, Kamptal and Traisental in the westernmost part and Weinviertel in the eastern portion.
Burgenland is below it and has over 32,000 acres. Steirmark is in the southeastern portion with over 10,000 acres. However our focus will be in two subregions of Niederosterreich.
Wachou
Wachau is one of Austria’s most established and notable wine regions, specializing in dry wines made from Riesling and Grüner Veltliner. Located in Lower Austria along the Danube, west of Vienna, it is one of the westernmost wine producing regions in the Niederosterreich. While most of Austria follows a wine classification systems based on ripeness and harvest must weight that parallels the German wine classification system, Wachau wines have a unique classification system. The three classification levels for Wachau wine include Steinfeder for wines up to 11.5% alcohol level, Federspiel for wines between 11.5–12.5% and Smaragd that must have a minimum of 12.5% alcohol level. Despite its renown, the Wachau is a small wine region that usually accounts for only around 3% of Austria’s wine production.
Weinviertel DAC
Austria’s largest specified winegrowing region (13,858 hectares) extends from the Danube River in the south to the Czech border in the north, from the Manhartsberg in the west to the Slovak border in the east. But the Weinviertel is not a homogeneous area. Due to a combination of various factors – especially with regard to climatic influences and geological conditions – the region can be subdivided into three parts.
In the western Weinviertel, there are two “islands”, starting in the countryside around Retz. The dry microclimate favors red wine production. For white wine lovers another island is formed from granite around Röschitz, where Grüner Veltliner and Riesling develop remarkable finesse thanks to flavor-influencing formations of primordial rock.
Despite this diversity, Grüner Veltliner remains the undisputed marquee player in the world of Weinviertel wine: almost 6,700 hectares under vines mean not only half of Austria’s entire stock inventory, but accounts for nearly half worldwide as well.
Weinviertel Veltliner is recognized by a piquant “peppery” note, the so-called “Pfefferl”. Alongside the scents of green and white – and when riper, black – pepper comes a fruit-forward bouquet and fresh acidity.
DAC (Districtus Austriae Controllatus)
Internationally, there are clear distinctions made between the Germanic and Romanic wine systems. While varietal specification is more common in the Germanic system (e.g. in Austria, Germany), the Romanic wine system (Italy, France, Spain) distinguishes a wine according to its regional typicity and origin.
For example, an Austrian consumer might be asked “Which wine did you drink yesterday?”, and the most likely answer would be the name of a variety, such as “I drank a peppery Veltliner last night”. By contrast, wine drinkers in Italy, Spain or France would probably refer to the region of origin, such as “I drank a white Burgundy.”
What we are tasting: Domaine Wachau 20__Gruner-Veltliner Federapiel Terrassen, 12.5 ABV, $18.99
Domaine Wachau makes a series of Gruner wines sourced from tiny vineyards in Wachau. Note that Federapiel refers to the alcohol level.
Acclaim
This Gruner has the tropical fruit you might be looking for, offering mangoes and papaya. Some dried lemon, too. Full-bodied with lots of fruit and fresh acidity. Flavorful finish. 92 points, James Suckling
The nose speaks subtly of green pear, lemon zest and peppery green leaves. A slender, crisp palate unites all these notions, with fine freshness and a lovely herbal zing on the dry, appetizing finish. The lemon zestiness rings long. 91 points, Anne Krebiehl, Wine Enthusiast
What we are tasting: Gruber Rosschitz 2019 Gruner Veltliner Weinvierel DAC, 12.5% ABV, $16.99
The Weinviertel region is noted for its spicy, fruity Gruner. The soils around Gruber consist mostly of loess and granite bedrock, perfect for Gruner. On the nose is pear and yellow fruit with herbal spice and a peppery feel. Gruber winery has been organic since 2013. It is family-run with three siblings; Ewald as cellar master, Christian as vineyard manager and Maria in admin and hospitality. Of course, she’d be named Maria.
Wine Enthusiast 92 points: Weinviertel, Austria -“”Vivid green apple notes pervade the ripe pear notes on the nose with total freshness. The palate holds this freshness and uses it to frame the savory, yeasty, salty core of this slender, snappy wine. It delivers tons of flavors in a compact package.”
Analysis
Both wines showed beautifully and are great under $20 wines. Like Riesling these are great wines to pair with Asian cuisine and handle spicy selections as if borne to it. Lower alcohol means you can enjoy more of it, too. I did go back to Total Wine to grab a couple more bottles of the Gruber, an easy choice at this price, even if the label is a little odd.
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