Decantified – Austria Stronger than Germany
By Jim Ginley
Saturday, October 24, 2009 - Wines from Austria are unique in many ways but similar to those from Germany in some respects.
The Austrian climate is warmer so the grapes ripen more, which makes the wine stronger and drier than German wine. There are some descriptive terms that are common, relating to sweetness, such as Kabinett. In Austria it a subcategory of Qualitatswein-which is less than the best category, Pradikatswein, while in Germany Kabinett is first of the Qualitatswein mit Pradikat or highest category in German wines.
I won’t go any further –it is too confusing. My suggestion is to stick with the German version of these terms since there is a lot more German wine produced and consumed than in Austria, about four times as much.
Wines were first grown in Austria 4,000 years ago and Gruner Veltliner, the most popular white grape, was grown around the DanubeRiver since Roman times. Through wars and political upheaval the wine trade in Austria thrived and suffered. The Emperor Charlemagne built vineyards in the 8th century. The Church also encouraged viticulture, but invasions, taxes, and wars made it difficult to build a sustainable wine trade.
In 1784, Heurigen, or ‘new wine’, was allowed to be made by all winemakers year-round and sold at inns known as Heurigen. (In fact Green’s happens to have some Heuriger Gruner Veltliner. It is light and crisp and costs $9.99 for a liter.)
The Phylloxera aphid that wiped out Euopean vineyards in 1872 included Austria. It was after several decades that the wine industry recovered, and the Gruner Veltliner became the prominent grape.
After World War I Austria was the third-largest producer of wine in the world. But due to the by then decades-old practice of high production and low quantity of grapes, sold mostly to Germany, an incident happened in the mid 1980s that caused Austrian wine exports to collapse.
The “antifreeze scandal” revealed some wine brokers added diethylene glycol, found in antifreeze, to the wine. This gave it more sweetness and body. The scandal crippled business for several years, but resulted in the revision of existing wine laws to a modern and stricter code that helped the industry. Lower yields were mandated and producers moved to more red wine and a drier style of white, including the popular Gruner Veltliner. In 1986 the Austrian Wine Board was born from the scandal, and as a member of the European Union, more wine laws have been added, including a geographical appellation system in 2002.
Along with the Gruner Veltliner, the Welschriesling grape, when attacked by Noble Rot, is used in dessert wines. Other white grapes are the Muller Thurgau, which is also popular in Germany; Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay, which comprise about 6% of Austrian white production; and a small amount of Reisling.
For red grapes, the Zweigelt and Blauburger account for 50% of the red wine produced. Both are made in a light style meant to be drunk while young.
There are six DAC’s (Districtus Austriae Controllatus, latin for Controlled District of Austria), equivalent to French AOC. In 2005, there were 51,000 hectares of vineyards. A hectare (HECK tar) is 10,000 square meters, or 2.47 acres; so a 250-acre U.S. vineyard is equal to 101 hectares.
You should remember this term, because it is used almost exclusively in Europe and South America when measuring land covered by vineyards.
Riedel (say “ REE dle”) is a famous glassmaker based in Austria. Many wine aficionados believe drinking from Riedel or similar fine crystal can enhance the aroma and taste of a wine. I believe a thinner (more expensive), delicate glass brings you closer to the wine and elevates the whole experience.
Make sure the glass is clean and clear and holds at least 8 ounces (pour only half), then…. Prosit!
Jim Ginley is a 30-year veteran of the local hospitality industry and serves as the wine consultant at Green's Discount Beverages in Myrtle Beach. He can be contacted at
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