Austrian wine production goes back hundreds of years, maybe thousands, but over the past few decades, more producers are looking to technology and innovation to make their outstanding wines standout.
Despite being the 17th largest wine producing nation, the wines of Austria are not as prominent on Asian wine lists as they deserve to be. Austria has a total annual wine production of 2.25 million hectolitres or 1.1% of the world’s total production (46,000ha of vines thrive in eastern and southeastern Austria).
Austria’s wine history is also linked to neighbouring countries like Hungary, Slovenia, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. During the era of the Iron Curtain, many links between Austria and these Soviet satellites were severed. Families we separated, trading ceased and communications were cut between communities that had lived together for centuries and often on one side of a valley from each other. If the wines of Austria struggle for recognition, those of its neighbours are hardly known outside their own country.
However, this is changing and wine connoisseurs with an open mind now have access to many new wines that have a heritage extending back several centuries.
Indigenous Varieties
There are 23,000 vine growers in the four main wine regions of Niederösterreich (Lower Austria), Steirerland (Styria), Burgenland and Vienna. Many grow vines on farms of less than five hectares and there are just a few large wine estates.
With some 20 white and 13 red grape varieties (approximately 80% of the production is white and 20% red) there is an Austrian wine style for every Asian cuisine. Local grape varieties like Grüner Veltliner, Welschriesling, Weissburgunder, Neuburger, Zweigelt, Blaufränkisch, St. Laurent and Blauburgunder are both tongue twisters and palate pleasers. However, there is also sufficient familiarity with grape varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc to ensure wine lovers feel at home with Austrian wines.
Appellation Wines
Austria has adopted an appellation system known as Districtus Austriae Controllatus (DAC). In 2003, the Weinviertel became the first Austrian wine-growing region to market typical wines of origin named after a specific region. This gave the Weinviertel DAC its pioneering role for wines with a clear identity and a typical taste profile.
Other DACs reflect regional grape characteristics – Mittelburgenland (Blaufränkisch), Leithaberg (Blaufränkisch, Neuberger, Weissburgunder, Chardonnay and Grüner Veltliner), Eisenberg (Blaufränkisch), Neusiedlersee (Zweigelt), Traisental (Grüner Veltliner and Riesling), Kremstal (Grüner Veltliner and Riesling), Kamptal (Grüner Veltliner and Riesling), Wiener Gemischter Satz (a cuvée of three white varieties grown around Vienna), Vulkanland Steiermark (various white varieties including Sauvignon Blanc and Traminer), Weststeiermark (the famous Schilcher Rosé-styled wine), Südsteiermark (Sauvignon Blanc) and Rosalia (Rosé, Blaufränkisch and Zweigelt).
Most recognise both classic and reserve DAC styles. Reserve wine is the highest quality produced by each winery. For example, Weinviertel DAC Reserve must demonstrate a clear, region-typical taste profile. It must be a peppery Grüner Veltliner but also have other distinguishing features – dry, dense structure, long finish and a robust style. Subtle botrytis and wood tones are acceptable and it must have 13% alcohol content.
Just Desserts
Austria is also recognised for sweet wine styles like auslese, beerenauslese, trockenbeerenauslese and eiswein. A sweet specialty is strohwein (‘straw wine’) made from naturally overripe grapes dried on straw mats (similar to Spanish Mistela or the French Vin de Paille).
Sweet wines produced by Hans Tschida in Illmitz have won the estate the best dessert winemaker in the world at the International Wine Challenge in London in recent years. Kracher is another leading sweet wine pioneering family based in Illmitz.
Wines for Asia
Regional wine tastings and food pairings have acknowledged Grüner Veltliner as an ideal match to many Asian food styles. They confirm they are ideal pairings with food styles as diverse as bak kuk teh and nasi lemak.
Contacts • Austrian Wine Board. Schmelz Ried Klaus Grüner Veltliner from the Wachau is imported by The Fine Wine Merchant Sdn Bhd, Damansara Utama (T: +603 7722-1808) while Schloss Gobelsburg wines are imported by Straits Wine Company. The region’s largest Austrian wine importer is Ampelia Fine Wines Pte. Ltd. in Singapore (T: +65 8133-0615). Their portfolio is extensive and includes many organic, biodynamic and natural wines from producers such as Moric, Markowitsch, Rudi Pichler, JR Reinisch, Tement, Tschida, Gut Oggau, Kracher and Weninger.
www.austrianwine.com
www.straitswines.com.my
