Austria

Ready to dive into the world of Austrian wines? You’re in the right place! This category is your gateway to exploring Austria’s unique and often underappreciated wine regions. Discover:   And so much more… Prost!

  • Wines in Kärnten - picture of a town on top of a hill
    Austria

    Wines in Kärnten

    Nestled among the Austrian states of Upper Austria, Salzburg, Tyrol, and Vorarlberg lies the wine-growing region of Bergland, where vineyards stretch across the picturesque landscape. Within this region, the state of Carinthia stands out as a burgeoning force in the world of wine. Designated as “Weinbaugebiet Kärnten” for quality wines, Carinthia is a relatively young but rapidly evolving winegrowing region.…

  • Top Grüner Veltliner Producers in Wachau - Picture of me in front of white wine glasses
    Austria

    Top Grüner Veltliner Producers in Wachau

    Grüner Veltliner is Austria’s signature grape variety, and the Wachau region is its undisputed heartland. This picturesque valley along the Danube River is home to some of the world’s most acclaimed Grüner Veltliner producers, including: These producers are known for their unwavering commitment to quality and their ability to produce wines that are both expressive of their terroir and incredibly…

  • The Best Wachau Grüner Veltliner Food Pairings - picture of wiener schnitzel
    Austria

    The Best Wachau Grüner Veltliner Food Pairings

    Welcome to a tasty adventure led by Grüner Veltliner, a grape that makes dining awesome! Today, we’re talking about Grüner Veltliner from Wachau, Austria. These grapes soak up the Austrian sun, creating wines known for their zingy acidity and versatile flavors. Remember : when it comes to pairing food and wine, it’s all about personal taste—what delights one palate might…

  • Unique characteristics of Grüner Veltliner wine from Wachau - a glass of white wine beside a bouquet of flowers
    Austria,  Uncategorized

    Unique characteristics of Grüner Veltliner wine from Wachau

    If you’ve been following this blog for a while, the main grape varieties in Austria that come to mind are Grüner Veltliner and Riesling for the whites and Zweigelt, Blaufränkisch and Saint-Laurent for the reds. Indeed, Austria is best known for its wines made from indigenous grape varieties, Grüner Veltliner being the most widely planted. Even though Grüner Veltliner can…

  • A beginner's guide to Grüner Veltliner - picture of white grapes and a glass of wine beside it
    Austria

    A Beginner’s Guide to Grüner Veltliner from Wachau

    Welcome to Wachau, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the cozy home of Grüner Veltliner, Austria‘s special white wine grape. It’s been chilling in the beautiful Danube Valley for ages, creating wines that go from light and zesty to rich and fancy. They all have this cool mix of lively acidity and tasty fruit flavors. Grüner Veltliner wines are like…

  • What is Pinot Noir called in Austria - two bottles of red wines, one labeled Pinot Noir and one labeled Blauburgunder
    Austria

    What is Pinot Noir called in Austria?

    Austria has a lot of local grape varieties and focuses mainly on growing these. However, in order to increase sales, it is also good to produce wines from international grape varieties known from the everyday drinker (ie client). However, as nothing is simple in Austria, Pinot Noir isn’t called Pinot Noir…. So what is Pinot Noir called in Austria? Pinot…

  • What is Smaragd wine - bottle of white wine
    Austria

    What is Smaragd wine?

    In the Wachau region, there was no DAC for quite some time but top-growers created Vinea Wachau Nobilis Districtus (abbr Vinea Wachau). It started in 2018 with 24 members and has a three-tier system. Quick reminder on what a DAC is. If you want to know more, feel free to check out my post on Austria’s DAC. A DAC (Districtus…

  • What is Austria’s signature red grape - a bunch of red grapes
    Austria

    What is Austria’s signature red grape?

    Austria is best known for the quality of its white wines, made from both native Grüner Veltliner and Riesling. However, it also produces excellent red wines from local grape varieties such as Zweigelt and Blaufränkisch, as well as dessert wines made from welschriesling. In Austria, grape varieties don’t respect political boarders. If you want to know why, check out my…

  • Is Blaufränkisch Pinot Noir - two bottles of red wine side by side with a quesion mark in between
    Austria

    Is Blaufränkisch Pinot Noir?

    While Austria is renowned for its high-quality white wines made from native Grüner Veltliner and Riesling grapes, it also boasts exceptional red wines from indigenous grape varieties. They are named Zweigelt, Blaufränkisch and Saint Laurent. I usually compare Saint-Laurent to Pinot Noir, but following several discussions with friends and tastings, some have compared Blaufränkisch to Pinot Noir. So, is Blaufränkisch…