Spring 2009 - A Good Time to Get to Know Austrian Wines

In 1985 the Austrian wine industry met with a nasty shock: millions of gallons of wine was found to be contaminated with what amounted to anti-freeze. Turns out that anti-freeze, in addition to making the wine toxic made the wine taste sweeter, and at that time in the Germanic world sweeter wines commanded higher prices. The scandal resulted from lax regulation, a glut of marginal Austrian wine on the market and unscrupulous middle men selling the wine, who were to blame for the adulteration. As a result the Austrian wine industry changed its ways, focusing on producing drier, finer wines under stricter supervision.

But the damage had been done.

An entire American generation (mine) grew up completely ignorant of Austrian wine. It simply wasn't available in most wine shops. It wasn't spoken of besides occasional references to the scandal. There was no market for these wines, so they dropped off most American wine drinker's radars. This was a shame, because we were oblivious to just how good Austrian wines in general were becoming. Over the last couple years many of us have gotten our first tastes of these wines. They vary from structured wines suitable for aging to fresh tasting lighter wines for drinking young. The ones I can afford (under $30 a bottle retail) are in the latter camp. Young, fresh and fruity has never been my preference in wine (especially reds), but the way they do it in Austria has won me over. It might do the same for you.

Let's look at some of the varietals used to make these wines:

Grüner Veltliner - This grape is used to make the white wines that have acted as the ambassadors of new Austrian wine making. These wines can vary from inexpensive light summer quaffers sold in liter bottles for under $15 to crisp elegance, displaying varying degrees of citrus, floral notes and minerality. They can be bone dry, but often have just a hint of residual sugar. They've been appearing on wine lists and in retail stores over the last two years, and I only expect to see more of them when the weather warms up. Three years ago it seemed like everyone was drinking rosé wines, this summer I expect it to be Grüner Veltliner.

The more affordable Austrian reds (I have yet to find an inexpensive one) have a tendency toward the lighter side of medium-body, with fresh fruit up front and varying degrees of spice on the finish. On the nose they often display what I can only describe as a barnyard aroma, which can be quite a shock to one accustomed to French or Italian wines. The noses of these wines can fool you into expecting them to be fuller and funkier than many actually are. Fans of young Pino Noir may have some reference points for appreciating these wines, but they're likely to be new stylistic ground for most of us. In good examples under $30 a bottle "fresh" ought to be the operative word.

Blaufränkisch - This is a traditional Austrian red wine grape. Blau means blue, and this wine is indeed bluish in color, sometimes almost inky. Look for refreshing fruit up front with a pepper bite on the finish. These wines can be very light bodied.

St Laurent - That's the name of the grape, supposedly because the fruit ripens on the feast of St Laurent. It was brought from France in the 1800's, and definitely descended from Pino Noir (which is also grown in Austria). It's a thin skinned grape that prefers higher elevations, and like Pino it has a reputation for being a challenge for the wine maker. St Laurent wines are getting easier to find, and worth the effort for fans of Pino - a well made St Laurent is a wonderful wine that manages to be Pino-like and it's own thing simultaneously.

Zweigelt - This is the most popular red wine grape in Austria, and it's a cross of Blaufränkisch and St Laurent. The result is a wine that's fuller bodied than Blaufränkisch and spicier than St Laurent. I'm looking for a nice one under $15. I'm sure it exists, and when I find it I'll write about it in an upcoming Vin Ordinaire column.

I hope this is enough for those unfamiliar with these wines to start exploring. The reds tend to be priced at what I consider splurge levels ($17-$30 a bottle), but for most of us they'll be something new and exciting, which makes for a nice splurge.