5 Collages Of My Picture Perfect Wine Journey

June 2016 was super active month for Guns 2 Gewürztraminer. Before you wonder about the veracity of this claim- considering it has been more than a month since my latest post, this has been exacly the reason why! I was on a whirlwind tour to Austria and Italy, exploring the world of wine, barely finding time to awaken the mobile screen to capture the beautiful but fleeting moments. Moments that I am now well equipped to share in subsequent posts. As a start, I endeavour to give you a bird's eye view  of this wine journey through a route map and five collages coupled with summary description of what I call " a picture perfect wine journey'.

Ciao and stay tuned!

Charting the journey key points: Vienna- Udine- Florence- Siena- Montalcino- Verona- Vienna

1. VieVinum 2016

This grand Austrian wine fair happened in it's 10th edition between 4-6 June 2016 with exclusive pre-event engagements for invitees. The fair has grown rapidly over the years and it showcases a mammoth range of Austrian wines along with some international presence. Organised under the aegis of the Austrian Wine Marketing Board (AWMB) it aims to promote Austrian wine industry in a focussed manner. Apart from tasting a 1000++ wines, the icing on the cake for me was to converse one-on-one with Mr. Wilhelm (Willi) Klinger, Managing Director Austrian Wine Marketing Board (see bottom right photo of the collage). The interview will appear shortly in print, as well as in this space.

2. Visiting Weingut Elfenhof, Rust, Burgenland

The picturesque town of Rust in Burgenland, Austria can easily be called a storybook quartier, replete with its floral promenades, a 315 km²  lake Neusiedl and expansive vineyards peppered all across . Weingut Elfenhof is a 17th century winery of the region that produces a diverse range of quality wines. Ernst Holler, the current generation owner (seen in the collage with me) was kind enough to pick me up from Vienna and host me in his town for a day full of vineyard and winery action. The time flew just too fast...

3. Friuli- the under reported wine region of Italy 

Even the folks in Friuli were pleasantly surprised that I chose the region for an elaborate itinerary when in general, the whole world  thinks of Tuscany as their first choice of exploring the Italian wine country. But let me tell you- if you have not explored, wines like Ribolla Gialla, Friulano (earlier known as Tocai Friulano), Refosco, Tazzelanghe, Picolit, 'Orange Wines' and several others, it would be a good idea to do so at the earliest- as there is a whole wide world of enchanting wines lying out there. As for Tuscany, it was my next stop quite logically......

4.  Banfi and Piccini- the Tuscan racehorses

The names need no introduction. Banfi- for their groundbreaking research on the Sangiovese vine to produce outstanding Brunello and Super Tuscan wines and Piccini- the distinctive 'orange label' producer of Chianti wines who have innovative wines like the pan-Italian blend called 'Memoro' in their portfolio.  Oscillating between Florence, Siena and Montalcino, I was on a roll (much like the Tuscan slopes) to meet the owners, visit vineyards with winemakers and sample countless wines around choicest cuisine.

5. The sophisticated charm of Allegrini 

Be it the high vineyards of the Valpolicella DOC, one of the top Amarones from the region, or a unique Brunello from their Tuscan vineyards , the house of Allegrini evokes acknowledged respect amongst winelovers. Hence it was only natural for me to visit them, given just a day's schedule in the region. Meeting and conversing with their indefatigable owner Marilisa Allegrini in this short duration was nothing less than a stroke of luck!

Summarising the three Austrian wine Masterclasses in India

Last year was the year of impetus for Austrian wines in India. With three masterclasses spread over 8 months, the Austrians treated the Indian palate to a finish that is bound to linger for a long time. I was privileged to be a part of all the three masterclasses and the regulars with Guns to Gewürztraminer would recall my coverage of these. If this sounds alien, and you can spare some time, please go through the individual  links given within this post. If not, then this post is  just right for you.

Labels that stood out during the masterclasses.
To read tasting notes, visit the individual stories given as links as under:
Masterclass #1          Masterclass #2          Masterclass #3

Recently I wrote an overview of all three of these masterclasses for vino india. The aim was to give a bird's eye view of  what the Austrians achieved and what are their further plans. To ascertain the details, I got in touch with the stakeholders on the Austrian side  and found that they are mighty pleased at the outcome. It should suffice to say that  Indian wine lovers can expect to find lot many Austrian wines to explore in the coming times. 

Here is a fast track account of all the masterclasses and an insight into the road ahead:

Masterclass # 1

The first Austrian wines masterclass in progress

Aim: Introduction of wines from different regions of Austria.

Wine statistics: 58 wines from 13 wineries. 14 wines in the masterclass, the rest were available at the walk-around tasting.

Flying in from Austria: Rudolf Trischler from Sunny Grapes, the marketing agency for the wines represented.

About the session: An emphasis on the terroir, typical grape varietals and pronunciation. Departing from the conventional ‘Whites first, Reds after’, the wines were presented region-wise. This allowed a better understanding of the Loess (calcerous clay and silt soil with fossil fragments) influenced minerally wines from Lower Austria and the ripe full bodied reds as well as the noble rot driven sweet wines from the sunny and marshy Burgenland.

Wine regions of Austria

For details on the session # 1 click here to read my earlier post

Masterclass # 2

A sea of glasses at the tasting

(L-R) Christian Dworan, Shanay Hubmann, Sommelier Gurjit Singh Barry and Dr. Wolfram Moritz

Aim: Showcasing the entire Austrian quality pyramid.

Wine statistics: 81 wines from 12 wineries. 17 wines in the masterclass, the rest were available at the walk-around tasting.

Flying in from Austria: Christian Dworan, Marketing Manager from the Austrian Wine Marketing Board

About the session: The wines presented a good mix of international as well as Austrian native varietals. The aim of showcasing the Austrian wine classification system was well served by enabling sampling in a vertical graduation of the quality pyramid starting from a Kabinett, Spätlese and finishing with a Trockenbeerenauslese.

For details on the session # 2 click here to read my earlier post

Masterclass # 3

A stall for walkaround tasting

Aim: Summing up the three master classes and highlighting DAC (Districtus Austriae Controllatus).

Wine statistics: 63 wines from 8 wineries. 17 wines in the masterclass, the rest were available at the walk-around tasting.

Flying in from Austria: Michael Thurner, former Director of the Austrian Wine Marketing Board could not arrive from Singapore due to a cancelled flight. Represented by the Austrian Trade Commissioner, Dr Wolfram Moritz.

About the session:  A diverse range of wines were included in the familiar but fine tuned format. The highlight of the session was a deep insight into the DAC – the  specified quality wines producing regions of Austria, similar to the French AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée). Austria has eight specific districts that permit wine to be produced only from the specified varietal(s). These are:

1. Eisenberg (Bläufrankisch)

2. Kamptal (Grüner Veltliner, Riesling)

3. Kremstal (Grüner Veltliner, Riesling)

4. Leithaberg (Grüner Veltliner, Weissburgunder, Chardonnay, Neuberger, Bläufrankisch)

5. Mittelburgenland (Bläufrankisch)

6. Neusiedlersee (Zweigelt)

7. Traisental (Grüner Veltliner, Riesling)

8. Weinviertel (Grüner Veltliner)

I was able to evaluate similar wines from different regions, draw comparisons between native Austrian and international varietals and taste wine verticals from the same winery. A dégustation menu by the Lemon Tree, Delhi kept the wines in good company.

For details on the session # 3 click here to read my earlier post

The Results

In conclusion, did the trilogy of master classes yield desirable results? Dr. Wolfram Moritz, Trade Commissioner & Commercial Counsellor at the Austrian Embassy in New Delhi, believes that they did. The response has been extremely positive and encouraging. “Through these events, a wide range of Austrian wines – white, red and sweet – were introduced to the relevant people in the wine business, who were pleasantly surprised with the quality of Austrian wines. We received a lot of commercial queries on bringing these wines to the market”, elaborated Dr. Moritz.

The same sentiment is echoed by Christian Dworan, who feels that the primary aim of the AWMB to connect with a lot of enthusiastic wine people and wine specialists in India was well served with these master classes. The elements of uniqueness (climate, land, grapes, culture, people & nature, value for money, food pairing) for Austrian Wine were highlighted. Mr. Dworan is also pleased with the ‘media echo’ of these events that have created the right atmosphere for awareness on Austrian wines in India.

Next Steps

Mr. Dworan shared with me that in 2015, the Austrian Wine Marketing Board would monitor the market closely to consolidate the gains already made. Dr. Moritz hopes to see more Austrian wines available in the Indian market in the near future, despite the cumbersome tax regime. The Austrian Trade Commission plans a series of smaller events to promote Austrian wines.

The Austrians are clearly in the "Exploit" phase. In the interest of getting more opportunities to explore these fascinating wines, I wish them well.

(Published in vino india)

Austrians wrap-up 2014 on a high wine note

In the Indian wine milieu, the year 2014 clearly belonged to the Austrians. With the last of their trilogy of wine events completing in November, the Austrians through well planned presentations showcased their wines for the Indian palate to explore them in ample measure. They began with the first master class in April this year and built on the splash, diving deeper with two other similar fixtures organized for different sets of audience. The third master class held in November did essentially the same — presenting a diverse range of as many as 60 wines for guiding the audience, primarily from the wine and F&B trades.

The Masterclass set to commence

It goes to the credit of the organizers that each master class had some element of freshness in terms of range of wines showcased and its focus on different wine regions of Austria. A bonus of these tastings was the congenial environs of the residence of the Austrian Trade Commissioner Dr Wolfram Moritz in the upscale and pollution-free Lutyen's Delhi zone.

Dr, Wolfram Moritz and Sommelier Magandeep Singh

Beauties Galore!

As Sommelier Magandeep Singh started the third session,I could discern the fine tuning in the serving of wines as compared to the earlier two sessions in April and September. This time around, the wines were served in clockwork tandem with the proceedings under way on the stage, which implied that we were holding the same wine whose attributes the sommelier was discussing with the audience. Not that the timing was awry in the earlier two sessions, this time the calibration was perfect to the tee. A sudden chill in Delhi’s weather caught everybody by surprise, which was also too cold for some full-bodied reds for their aromas to emerge. However, Magandeep was quick to guide the gathering on warming up the wines by cocooning the goblet in the palms, which did wonders.

Wines opening up

The Bold and the Beautiful audience

The wines that I really admired were:

Huber Riesling “Berg” 2012

As brought out by Magandeep, “Berg” here signifies a particularly notified area equivalent of a Premier Cru of France. The wine itself lived up to its status by virtue of delightful aromatics, well balanced acidity and a complex palate.

Huber Rosé Sparkling HUGO

An interesting sparkling with a petillante (lightly sparkling) palate. Classified as Extra Dry ( 12-20 gms per litre residual sugar), it appeared  like a Sec (17-35 gms per litre residual sugar) maybe because of the intense red fruit flavours.  This could be a very good wine for wine brunches.

Markowitsch Pinot Noir 2011

A pleasant and lusciously  fruity Pinot Noir with light tannins going from fiber to steel as it progressed to  the finish. This wine was easy drinking as well as gourmet capable.

Leth St. Laurent Reserve 2011

One of my favourites of the evening, this was the wine with an excellent structure and an indulgent mouthfeel. St. Laurent closely compares with Pinot Noir in characteristics, but I found that this wine had a firmer structure with all the advantages that a Pinot Noir fan would expect. 

Angerhof-Tschida Samling 88 Beerenauslese 2012

Beerenauslese implies “Berry level picking” i.e. it is ensured that all the berries for making the wine are fully ripe and hence have higher sugar and more alcohol potential. The wine had good acidity-sweetness balance which is very important for a sweet styled wine. The flavours ranged from quince, honey and white peppers. You could pair this wine with main course as well as desserts. Of course with main course it would have to be something deliberate, like a honey glazed chicken or any preparation that has a sweeter connotation.

  

My ' now customary' photo with Shanay Hubmann

As this  series of master classes came to a close, Shanay Hubmann, the Deputy Trade Commissioner at the Austrian Embassy highlighted “Our ultimate goal is to see more Austrian wine available in the Indian market – at bars, restaurants, and in people’s homes. We are aware that at the moment, Austrian wines are rare in India – partly due to typical grape varietals and partly because of their limited current availability in the country. With these tastings, we hope to create more demand for Austrian wine and to motivate importers to place orders”. Speaking about the effectiveness of these sessions, she said- “The awareness part was certainly achieved, and we hope to see the first orders coming in soon!”

Another visible advantage of these master classes was the highlighting of the major wine regions of Austria, which apart from aiding the understanding about the region specific wines might also have potential in the tourism domain. But according to the Austrian Trade Commission, it could be a while before such spin offs are actively considered. The first step to them remains creating awareness of Austrian wines, going beyond the ubiquitous Grüner Veltliner- by far the most popular varietal wine from the country. According to Shanay, an overwhelming feedback from these three tastings has created possibilities of having smaller, more personalized tastings and wine dinners, for focus groups of wine lovers.

With the Institute of Wine and Spirits Research (IWSR’s) pegging the Indian wine market growing to 73.5% from the current levels in the period 2013-17, this optimistic approach may well prove to be a watershed for Austrian wines in India.

This article  appeared in the Dec 14 issue of Spiritz Magazine

An Austrian Wine Blitzkrieg!

If you hold a glass of wine at the lawns of the Austrian Trade Commissioner residence in

Lutyen’s Delhi, chances are that bumblebees may want to befriend you. Don’t be wary though, as they come visiting for the aromas pervading the area due to the frequent wine tastings happening at the place!

Austrian wines ready for tasting at the Master Class

Metaphors apart, the Austrians have indeed unleashed a blitzkrieg of their quality wines in the Indian wine space, seeking to capture their share of the growing Indian goblet. I recently attended their second master class in New Delhi, within six months of attending the inaugural one, and both tastings- though similar in format- had distinct USPs by virtue of the diverse range of wines .

The event, aptly named so for its partly sit-down guided tasting format, was conducted by Sommelier Gurjit Singh Barry of Wi-Not, a well known beverages concern based at New Delhi. Christian Dworan, Marketing Manager from the Austrian Wine Marketing Board was specially present to highlight Austria and its wine regions as a precursor to the tasting.

(L-R) Christian Dworan, Shanay Hubmann, Gurjit Singh Barry and Dr. Wolfram Moritz(Trade Commissioner, Austria)

According to  Shanay Hubmann, the Austrian Deputy Trade Commissioner in New Delhi, the master classes are being organised to raise awareness of the quality and variety of Austrian wines in India, with a view to help Austrian wineries in entering the Indian market by stimulating their demand. Shanay also brought out that as a start, three such events were planned in Delhi- the last one in the series scheduled to take place early in November this year.

Participative, energetic tasting

A whole lot of wines across the Austrian wine quality pyramid (see Boxes 1 and 2 towards the end of this post) were available winery-wise for tasting at the stands. These ranged from international as well as Austrian native varietals representing a diverse portfolio. I found it particularly interesting to get a practical feel of the Austrian classification system by sampling the different categories in a vertical graduation, starting from a Spätlese and   finishing with a Trockenbeerenauslese.

The audience in rapt attention

 Out of 59 wines on offer, 17 were tasted on the stage and the remaining were available for the guests to explore in a walk around tasting. Here are some that I liked in particular:

Winery: Pleil

Wine: Sauvignon Blanc 2013 (white)

Tasting notes: A refreshing straw-coloured wine with grassy and white fruit aromas accompanied by spice overtones. Complex palate of white fruits and gooseberries, with a peppery finish.

Winery: Wieninger

Wine: Wiener Gemischter Satz 2013 (white)

‘Wiener’ indicates a wine from Vienna, and Gemischter Satz is the term used for a mix of grapes used for the wine.

Tasting Notes: Light golden-coloured crystal-clear wine with unmistakable aromas of tropical fruits, most prominent being lychee. A well balanced acidity accompanied by ripe fruity flavours on the palate made it refreshing yet delectable.

Winery: Weinrieder

Wine: Grüner Veltliner “Schneiderberg” 2012 (white)

Tasting Notes: Light gold colour with  a floral, honeyed and spicy nose. A complex palate, seemingly off dry due to intense fruity character that was well accompanied by the supportive acidity. A lingering spicy finish.

Winery: Kracher

Wine: Kracher Cuvée Auslese 2012 (sweet)

Auslese is a wine quality term literally meaning ‘select harvest’. This is done by picking grapes at full ripeness at the bunch level resulting in quality wines.

Tasting Notes:  A blend of Chardonnay and Welschriesling, this wine had medium gold colour with green highlights and floral and tropical fruit aromas. The palate had flavours of quince, melon and white pepper along with a long finish. A well balanced sweet wine.

Winery: Weingut Bründlmayer

Wine: Bründlmayer St. Laurent Ried Ladner 2011(red)

St Laurent is a black grape variety typical to Austria and is quite close in characteristics to Pinot Noir.

Tasting Notes:  A medium ruby colour with rounded tannins and flavours of raspberries and plums. Quite juicy on the palate, the wine had a medium spicy finish that makes it ideal with casual meals where not much planning may be required.

Winery: Wellanschitz

Wine: Wellanschitz Zweigelt Classic 2012 (red)

Tasting Notes: Made from another Austrian native grape varietal Blauer Zweigelt, it is a medium purple coloured wine with inky highlights. The nose indicated oak usage that happened to mask the other aromas, maybe because the wine was served on the colder side. The palate however had good structure and flavours of black fruits with the oak getting reaffirmed. I would like to revisit this wine sometime again with ample time on my side.

Yours truly comparing notes at the walk around tasting with Sarang Kumar from Prestige Wines and Spirits (wine importer)

Winery: Wellanschitz

Wine: Wellanschitz Cabernet Sauvignon “Rüsselgrund” 2011

Tasting Notes: A deep ruby wine with a garnet rim and appetizing pastry shop aromas (vanilla, chocolate, fruits et al). A well-structured red with flavours of blackcurrants and spice and a long finish. One of the best reds of the evening.

Considering the overall quality of wines presented at the last two tastings and the apparent response of the importers and F&B professionals at these events, Austrian wines may well be poised to delight the Indian wine lovers in a big way. It however remains to be seen as to how these wines are positioned in the price-sensitive and regulatory Indian market to fare against the competition. As for the Indian wine lover, getting spoilt for choices may well have found a new benchmark.

As for the bumblebee bit, it wasn't  entirely a metaphor!