This is just one element that makes this a fascinating grape with huge potential to continue to impress in the world of fine wine. Much like chardonnay, grüner veltliner has a remarkable ability to reflect its terroir, with each glass vividly painting a picture of the vineyard in which it was grown. Austria’s key white grape varietiesĪustria’s most significant grape variety by far, this up-and-coming white grape has been key in getting its wine back on the map in recent years. You’ll find the usual international varieties in Austria too, but here I’ll focus only on the most important native grapes along with riesling, pinot blanc and pinot noir, which have a particularly important history in this part of the world. Thanks to the importance of grüner veltliner in particular, Austria is able to offer some seriously good fine wine alongside great styles for regular enjoyment any day. Around two thirds of plantings are of white grapes and one third of red, but it is the native grapes in particular which help to make Austria special in its wine offering. Exploring Austria’s key grape varietiesĪustria boasts a handful of brilliant indigenous grape varieties which are unique (though you will find blaufränkisch going by the name of kékfrankos over the border in Hungary). Here we’ll explore the key grapes and regions and discover what makes Austrian wine a must try, whether you’re looking for something simple and refreshing, or top-notch fine wine and everything in between. A small number of producers were determined to bring the wine industry back from the brink and through their hard work, talent and unwavering commitment to quality over the last 30 or so years, Austria is now producing some of Europe’s most consistently good-quality wines from unique indigenous grape varieties. But Austria has an incredibly long and fruitful history of winemaking, with evidence suggesting that vines were in existence in Austria more than 60 million years ago and were also cultivated by the Celts and the Romans.Īlthough Austria was the third largest producer in the world for a period in the early 20th century, a wine scandal in the 1980s caused the world to turn its back on Austrian wine and the industry was almost destroyed overnight. Watch our Artists of Austria video Explore our range of Austrian wines Austria: a best-kept secretĪustria is considered by many to be one of the best-kept wine secrets in Europe and for the last few decades it has been very much in the shadow of neighbours Germany and Italy when it comes to recognition for its wines. Austria’s wines are remarkably food friendly: grüner veltliner especially has an affinity with both classic Austrian dishes (like schnitzel and potato salad) as well as seafood, chicken, pasta dishes and lightly spiced aromatic dishes (you can see why it’s such a hit with sommeliers in London’s restaurant scene), while red wines such as blaufränkisch and zweigelt have the juicy red fruit to pair well with pizza, pasta and charcuterie.Broadly, the main winemaking regions of Austria to know are: Niederösterreich (Lower Austria) (28,145 ha), Burgenland (13,100 ha) and Steiermark (4,633 ha), with the smaller Wien (Vienna) region around the capital city (which incidentally is a great base to explore Austria’s beautiful wine regions from).The key red grapes of Austria are blaufränkisch, zweigelt and St Laurent, and the main white varieties are the aforementioned grüner veltliner and riesling.You can find delicious examples of these at entry-level price points, or expect to pay a bit more for more concentrated examples with ageing potential. Grüner veltliner is Austria’s most famous export, making delicious crisp, fresh-tasting white wines with notes of ripe apple and a characteristically intriguing twist of white pepper.For wine lovers this means you’ll find well-made artisan wines at prices representing brilliant value across the spectrum, from weekday wines to fine wines for laying down. Austrian wine is some of the most quality-focused in Europe.Pretty village in the Wachau, a UNESCO world heritage site
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