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AUSTRIAN WINES COME OF
AGE - Focus on the Wachau wine region. |
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One of the world's great
wines. World-class Grüner Veltliner, Gewürztraminer, Riesling
and surprising reds. |
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Since Roman times, wine
grapes have been flourishing in picturesque Austria.
But it is not
only their wine history that Austrians can be proud of, it's
the fact that
they are producing among the
world's finest wines. I was told recently by a distinguished
wine importer in Toronto that Austrian Sauvignon Blanc is
the standard by which all others
are measured. No doubt! This got me to thinking about
all the other buzz about Austrian
wines these days. So let's take a closer look.
Modern Austria
has 51,000 hectares of vineyards, and thousands of wine
producers. The wine regions are concentrated in the East of
the country. Each region has several wine
areas. Notable wine areas in Niederösterreich include
kamptal, Kremstal, and
Wachau. These areas are famous for their Grüner Veltliner
and Riesling. Styria
(Steiermark) has made a name for itself by producing the
finest Sauvignon Blanc.
The Neusiedlersee region produces amazing sweet wines,
reminiscent of
Sauternes. Their late harvest wines show finesse and
elegance.
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Austria's Wine Regions are located in the RIGHT
section of the map,
in "Lower Austria,"
"Vienna,"
"Burgenland,"
and "Styria."
WACHAU IS JUST WEST OF VIENNA IN LOWER AUSTRIA |
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The narrow
valley that runs along the Danube river upstream from Vienna
is known as the Wachau. It is situated between the towns of
Krems and Melk. It is the land of steep terraces, noble
grapes and wines that will knock your socks off. Hang tight!
With it's natural beauty and steeped history, the area
earned the designation World Heritage
site. One of the most significant spots is the Melk
monastery... and Dürnstein,
where King Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned on his way
back from the
Crusades. He was eventually rescued by the Minesaenger
Blondell. The castle
ruins still preside over the town in a somewhat kaput yet
regal presence. |
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Let's jump right in to visiting some the key
wineries of the area.
Weingut Franz
Hirtzberger owns the legendary Singerriedel
Riesling vineyard. A picturesque terraced vineyard
with a dramatic slope on the Singerriedel mountain.
Franz is not only winemaker and business visionary
for his own winery, he also heads up the appellation
association that protects the quality of Wachau
wines with strict standards and rules.
The
Hirtzberger family estate enjoys a cool
microclimate that is affected by the Danube river
and the protection of the sloping hills in the area.
Tractors are not possible on the steep slopes. They
use traditional buckets on their backs and harvest
by hand. The ground has a lot of rocky slate and
sand. The roots travel deep for nutrients and
moisture. The cold nights are followed by warm days
as the winds sweep up from the Danube River. The
stones reflect the sunlight onto the vines and since
they are planted on a slope, the grapes get better
sunlight exposure than normal. The terroir
provides for distinct minerality in their
Rieslings and Grüner
Veltliners. These traditional Austrian
varietals thrive here as well as the Burgundian
varietal, Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc). Franz
draws upon 5 generations of grape-growing and
winemaking know how. The results are spectacular.
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Wachau is the brown area, MAP upper Left
Map by
Austrian Wine Marketing Board,
WinesFromAustria.com |
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Not far away, we come to the oldest winery
in Austria.
The Nikolaihof winery
dates to the time of
the Romans nearly 2,000 years ago. The
winery is first mentioned in a document from
about 470 A.D. during the era of St. Severin
and the Romans. Wine has been produced in
this estate since the time of the Celts.
Further mention of the winery is made in 985
and 1075.
Full history here.
See excellent video also on the history
page.
Nikolaihof is operated by the
Saahs family.
They are deeply dedicated to organic
agriculture and are regulated by the Demeter
Association. Nikolaihof uses no herbicides,
pesticides, artificial fertilizer or
synthetic sprays. Instead, they use stinging
nettle manure, valerian drops, valerian tea
and other natural preparations.
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The Saahs family work to impart as much
power and energy as possible into the wine
with as little interference with nature as
possible. The result is that you can find
stunning wines here. They are intense in
flavour with an elegance and finesse that
most winemakers can only dream of. Could it
be that their careful monitoring of the
lunar calendar gives them an edge?
Perhaps further sipping and contemplation
will help get to the core of the matter. Key
wines that we enjoyed most are their Grüner
Veltliner, Riesling and
Trockenbeerenauslese. Truly excellent! |
Wachau
wines are classified by the previously
mentioned association (Vinea Wachau Nobilis
Districtus). They fall into three categories,
Steinfeder wines are light and racy,
Federspiel wines are elegant with
body, and Smaragd wines are very ripe
and powerful. Wachau wines are highly respected
around the world and are in great demand. The
Rieslings and Grüner
Veltliners lead the charge and for good
reason. They are exceptional! |
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Nikolaihof
winery
(Click photo to enlarge) |
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The Saahs family enjoying a toast on the
Estate
(Click photo to enlarge) |
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Courtyard dining in the warm weather months,
Nikolaihof
(Click photo to enlarge) |
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Barrel cellar at Nikolaihof winery
(Click photo to enlarge) |
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| © Copyright
WineAndLeisure.com
| Images used by permission of Nikolaihof Wachau. Map &
video by Austrian
Wine Marketing Board,
WinesFromAustria.com |
