Austrian wine today is increasingly popular in the US, and knowing your Grüner from your Zweigelt is a badge of the in-crowd. Few people today remember the wine scandal of 1985 that caused a 90% drop in exports within a year and a half. This caused an important restructuring of the wine industry, and those producers that remained became strictly focused on the highest level of quality.
In terms of wine laws, Austrian wine is regulated according to the KMW scale, similar to German Oeschle. They also use the designations tafelwein and landwein as well as qualitätswein. Kabinettwein is a separate category, and the Prädikatsweine start with Spätlese, then Auslese (just like Germany).
This is followed by strohwein, from overripe, dried grapes, Eiswein and Beerenauslese. BA is followed in richness by ausbruch, made from botrytized grapes (in either a lighter or a heavier style), and the final category is Trockenbeerenauslese.
Austrian wine, however, also has three additional categories, which are much more often seen on labels in the US. Steinfeder is the lightest (roughly QbA in quality). Next is Federspiel (like a Kabinett), and finally Smaragd, which is a level of richness of about Spätlese level.
One particularity of Austrian wine is their reliance on the indigenous grape Grüner Veltliner. This makes unique, characterful wines in a variety of styles. Riesling is also very important, as is Welschriesling, which is a completely separate variety.
Although the white wine, particularly Grüner, should be considered the main event, some black varieties are also cultivated, including Blaufränkish (or Kekfrankos or Lemberger), St. Laurent and Blauer Zweigelt, which can be delicious.
 
Austria is divided into four regions, roughly concentrated in the eastern part of the country: Niederösterreich or lower Austria, Burgenland, Styria and Vienna. Most of the serious dry wine comes from Niedeösterreich, particularly from the subdistricts of Wachau (home to F.X. Pichler, who many consider the country’s best producer), Kremstal (Nigl), Kamptal (Bründlmayer and Hirsch) and Weinviertel. Other top producers to watch for include Prager and Hiedler, and good wine is also made by the co-op Freie Weingärtner Wachau.
Burgenland is known mostly for dessert wines from the lake region grouped around the main lake Neusiedl (Neusiedlersee). Botrytis flourishes in this moist microclimate, and a variety of grapes are grown in this way, including Chardonnay, Riesling and Welchriesling among others.
|
Wine Regions of the World
