Wines of Austria

The “Alpine Republic” of Austria is a true gem of the wine world, and wine has been produced in its environs since the Bronze Age. It was the Cistercian monks in the 10th century who transported Burgundian know-how to the winegrowing areas northeast of Vienna, setting the stage for Austrian wine culture. Austria’s inimitable combination of a relatively cool continental climate, a bevy of small-scale, family-run wineries, a strong sense of stewardship for the land, and an impossibly unique array of indigenous grape varieties that are the very definition of food-friendly, make Austria a special haven within the world of wine.

Small-Scale

The wine industry operates on a small-scale basis in Austria, as its wine production represents just 1% of the global total, and average vineyard area per producer clocks in at just less than 8 acres. Most quality wineries are small family-run estates where hand-harvesting and low yields and high quality are the norm.

Stewardship

The Austrian wine industry is a true world leader in green and sustainable practices. A surprisingly high 15% of all Austrian vineyards are managed according to organic farming guidelines, and 75% of Austrian vineyards are farmed according to a minimum intervention philosophy that applies a modern focus to traditional winemaking. Environmental protection, biodiversity, water purity, renewable energy, and overall sustainability, are all highly important among Austrian wine producers.

Montana Rae, Sommelier, and Heidi Schröck, Austrian Winemaker

Food + Wine

Austrian wine is often described as being linear, intense, elegant, fresh, and full of tension. And it’s these kinds of characteristics that make Austrian wines great with food – they complement and cleanse, they rarely overpower. Are you ordering wine for the table? Choose an Austrian wine and when the food arrives, you’ll look like a rock star. Austrian wines are found on the best wine lists in the world because they are supremely versatile. Austrian Riesling pairs beautifully with high-acid sauces, lighter proteins from sea and land like smoked trout salad, and with just about any dish where Riesling can stand in for that squeeze of lemon. Use Blaufränkisch like you would a Beaujolais Cru – with charcuterie, poultry, and all the duck confit you can find. St Laurent is much like Pinot Noir and can be used at the table in those same ways, with items like grilled salmon, herb-roasted chicken, or orange-glazed duck. Zweigelt wines are beloved as excellent summer wines for the grill – these are your Austrian ‘bistro-style’ red wines to go with grilled chicken wings, spiral hot dogs, or grilled beef skewers. And, of course, the marvelous Grüner Veltliner grape makes wines that are the most food-friendly in the world.

Grape Varieties

No other place in the world produces wines with such an incredible combination of intensity and freshness. There are 40 varieties authorized to be used in Austria, but a special few define Austria’s unique contribution to the wine world:

Grüner Veltliner: Austria’s flagship white grape, GV is zesty and herbaceous with racy acidity, and unforgettable flavors of stone fruit, citrus, pepper, and lentils. It can be anywhere from light and crisp to rich and intense.

Riesling: Better known as a product of Germany, the Rieslings produced in Austria are world-class; these wines are almost exclusively dry, boasting floral highlights, citrusy stone fruit, and irresistible mineral intensity.

Blaufränkisch: This red variety produces intense wines brimming with cleansing acidity, dark fruit flavors, and peppery spice; this grape was once thought to be gamay. It can be made in a variety of styles, from lighter expressions meant for early consumption to bolder styles with an affinity for new oak.

St Laurent: This variety is known for producing deeply colored and velvety red wines, many of which can resemble a powerful style of Pinot Noir. This resemblance is no stretch, as Pinot was discovered to be one of St Laurent’s parents back in 2014. Flavors of raspberry, cherry, and baking spice dominate the profile for this scarcely planted red variety.

Zweigelt: A crossing of St Laurent and Blaufrankisch, this is the most-planted red variety in Austria. The wines are usually deeply colored, with aromas and flavors of spiced cherry and raspberry. Most examples are light and fruity, rarely oaked, and best served in place of Gamay or a lighter style of Grenache.  
 
Austrian Rosé: This style of wine may be the epicenter in the world of food-friendly wine. When you combine the structure and freshness of Provencal rosé with the linear nature of Austrian wines and their uniquely-flavored red varieties, you get something that cannot help but compliment just about any meal. Rosé = food-friendly. Austrian wine = food-friendly. Austrian Rosé = food-friendliest.