Know The Latest Amendments To The Austrian Wine Law

Barely a month back  as I attended the seminar 'Austrian Wines- 7 Elements of Uniqueness' conducted during the Austrian wine fair VieVinum 2016 in Vienna, I asked a question to Willi Klinger, Managing Director Austrian Wine Marketing Board (AWMB) who was chairing the seminar- "when would the much talked about new Austrian Wine Law be formalised?" Willi replied- "anytime now". Sure enough, even before I could embark on the trip back home, the new law that seeks to make Austrian wine simpler yet more precise, came into effect.

Willi Klinger chairing the seminar "Austrian Wine- 7 Elements of Uniqueness"

The action on these amendments was going on for sometime, and these reforms finally came into effect on 14 June 2016 in the form of an amendment to the Wine Law of 2009.  Among other matters, the amendments encompass modifications to the existing appellatives of wine-growing regions and vineyards.

So what is the fuss all about? To put things in perspective, let us first look at the generic Austrian wine classification in the image below (feel free to download and share):

The New Amendments

The overall essence of the new amendments is to represent various levels of Austrian wine unambiguously and with greater consumer-friendliness. The graphic below covers the salient aspects:

The Details

A Tailwind for the “Rieden”

The demarcation of single vineyard sites, which has been progressing according to the laid out plan in all wine-growing regions, has received new impetus from the amendment to the wine law. It has been determined that wines with a vineyard designation must bear the word “Ried” on the label before the name of the vineyard, i.e. when the word “Ried” appears before a geographic (topographic) designation, it will indicate that the wine has come from a legally defined single vineyard site. 

With this provision, wines from single vineyards become recognisable at a glance to the consumer, easily distinguished from branded wines or wines with spurious indications of origin. Growing consciousness about the importance of a clear system for indicating origins has also found expression in the regions Kamptal, Kremstal and Traisental, wherein the DAC wines of these regions have been arranged according to law in a benchmark three-tier system – “Regional-”, “Village-” or “Single Vineyard-” wine. In this structure, classification of the wines must observe a predetermined minimum alcohol content.

Modifications to indications of origin in Burgenland and Steiermark

In order to avoid unnecessary duplication, the Burgenland wine producing appellations Neusiedlersee, Neusiedlersee-Hügelland, Mittelburgenland and Südburgenland have been eliminated. In future, all Qualitätswein from Burgenland will show the generic wine-growing region “Burgenland” on the label.

Only the regionally typical DAC wines shall henceforth be permitted to bear the designation of their specific wine-growing regions – Neusiedlersee DAC, Leithaberg DAC, Mittelburgenland DAC or Eisenberg DAC.

Parallel to this, the Grosslage (large vineyard site) “Südburgenland” is being created to replace the former Grosslagen “Pinkatal” and “Geschriebenstein”.

Pursuant to the amendment, the wine-growing region “Süd-Oststeiermark” in the hilly southeast of Austria shall be renamed “Vulkanland Steiermark” – far more expressive in the conceptual sense.

Ausbruch: exclusively from the Free City of Rust

Special attention has been paid to the Austrian Prädikat wines, particularly the Ausbruch. With the changes to the wine law coming into effect, the term “Ausbruch” is defined as a Trockenbeerenauslese – and as an exclusive, protected indication of origin for Ruster Ausbruch – thus reserved for Trockenbeerenauslesen from Rust. No other wines may henceforth bear the designation “Ausbruch”.

Austrian Sekt with Protected Designation of Origin

In a process of discussions taking place over the course of several years, the Austrian Sekt Committee – together with a committee of growers conducting their own tirage, in concert with experts of the Winegrower’s Association, the Chamber of Commerce, the Austrian Wine Marketing Board and the Federal Agricultural Ministry – have developed new regulations with the goal of enhancing the position of Austrian Sekt with Protected Designation of Origin (Sekt g.U.). Building upon this, the amendment to the wine law now provides that the Minister for Agriculture and Forestry, Water and the Environment is empowered to determine and specify all details pertaining to Sekt with Protected Designation of Origin by means of an ordinance to be filed under seal at a future date.

This ministerial decree will – among other things – stipulate that Austrian Sekt with Protected Designation of Origin can be sold only when bearing the defining terms “Klassik”, “Reserve”, or “Grosse Reserve”. Hereby the sales description must be composed of the category (Österreichischer Qualitätsschaumwein or Sekt), the name of the protected designation of origin (in the cases of Klassik and Reserve, solely the name of the Austrian federal state; in the case of Grosse Reserve: federal state and municipality or part of it; in special cases also Grosslage or Ried) and the term “geschützte Ursprungsbezeichnung” (Protected Designation of Origin) or “g.U.”. Furthermore, the regulations and the conditions applying to its enactment will also establish standards with regard to methods of vinification and interval of élevage on the lees, as well as alcohol content and residual sugar content for the individual tiers

Austrian wine: Full Speed Ahead

According to the AWMB, standstill is a step backwards. Hence the Austrian authorities are currently working relentlessly to fine tune the unique and distinctive profile of Austrian wine. The evolution of wine laws is considered by them as a pre-requisite towards a successful future for Austrian wine. The latest amendments promise to be a step towards that direction.

With excerpts from a Press Release by the Austrian Wine Marketing Board.

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)

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!

Alles Liebe aus Österreich (From Austria with Love)

Austria is one of the countries privileged to be situated in the ideal wine making latitudinal band of 30-50 degrees. No wonder then, that the country has been known to cultivate vines since as long back as the Celtic era in the 5^th century B.C. But despite its long oenological  history it is only recently that the world has started taking notice of Austrian wines, partly due to the country’s belated but proactive outreach to the world and more significantly, as an outcome of the ever improving wine standards of the country, that rank today as one of the most stringent in existence.

Recently, an Austrian Wine Masterclass was conducted by Wi-Not Beverage Solutions Pvt Ltd- a beverages consultancy company based at New Delhi  and headed by sommelier Magandeep Singh  who also spearheaded the session at the residence of Dr. Wolfram Moritz, the Austrian Trade Commissioner.  In a sit down, deep dive endeavour into the world of Austrian wines, the session looked at the aspects of history, terroir and grape varietals with 12 wineries and more than 50 wines  represented.





H.E. Bernhard Wrabetz delivering the keynote address (Dr. Wolfram Moritz,  is seen second from left)

The masterclass started with a keynote address by H.E. Bernhard Wrabetz, the Ambassador of Austria in India  followed by a small presentation on Austrian wine regions and their typicalities. It is noteworthy that almost all the wine regions in Austria are situated towards the eastern side that is more conducive to grape cultivation than the western region better known for its famous skiing slopes. These  are summarized as below:





The Austrian Wine Areas

Lower Austria (Niederösterreich)

Situated in the north eastern part of Austria, this region has the river Danube flowing through, that blesses it with the prized Loess – a calcerous clay and silt soil with fossil fragments that provide good drainage and just the right amount of water for favourable vines. The region includes the largest wine area of Weinviertel  which is also a DAC (Districtus Austria Controllatus- a classified  area similar to French AOC regions).

Sub Regions: Weinviertel, Kamptal,  Thermenregion, Kremstal, Wachau, Traisental, Wagram and Carnuntum.

Wines: The region produces mostly  white Wines-   notably the famous Grüner Veltliner. Sweet and red wines too are produced here. Some of the varietals are- Welschriesling, Riesling, Müller Thurgau, Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc) , Roter Veltliner and Zweigelt.

Burgenland

Situated south of Lower Austria and bordering Hungary, this region gets the maximum sunlight in Austria and produces several full bodied reds, some great whites  and an array of noble sweet wines. The sandy and marshy region beside the lake towards the Hungarian border lends it a microclimate friendly  to ‘noble rot’ that enables production of some great sweet wines viz. Strohwein ( straw wine) and Eiswein.

Sub Regions: Neusiedlersee, Leithaberg, Mittelburgenland and Eisenberg.

Wines: Zweigelt, Bläufrankisch, St Laurent, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Welschriesling Eiswein, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc.

(Lower Austria and Bergenland are collectively called Weinland Osterreich that produces more than 90% of total Austrian Wine production)

Styria (Steiermark)

Towards further south, bordering Slovenia on the south, Styria is a mountainous viticultural area that accounts for  a very little portion (around 7%) of Austria’s total Wine production and consumes most of the Wines locally.  It is popular for its dry and fragrant style of Wines.

Sub Regions: Sud-Steiermark, Sud-Oststeiermark and Weststeiermark.

Wines: Welschriesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Klevner(Pinot Blanc), Gelber Muskateller(Muscat Blanc À Petits Grains), Morillon (Chardonnay).

Vienna (Wien)

The only capital city of the world that includes a significant wine area within its boundaries, Vienna produces some exclusive Red and White Wines consumed mainly by the locals and the tourists. Grüner Veltliner dominates here not to forget the unique Gemischter Satz – that is a wine produced by fermenting a mix of several grape varieties together.

Sub Regions: Wiener Gemischter Satz (DAC)

Wines: Grüner Veltliner, Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Gemischter Satz.

The Tasting

Taking a departure from the generally accepted ‘Whites first, Reds after’ norm Magan chose to present the wines region-wise to emphasize the terroir aspect. This in effect meant that we tasted whites and reds at random and it worked really well for the intended purpose. To bolster it further, a representative from Sunny Grapes- a marketing agency for several winemakers from Austria presented the unique aspects of each region and the respective winemakers.

Wines presented for guided tasting

Magan presented 14 wines as a headstart and encouraged the participants to try out many others  placed at the walk around tasting. It would get mundane to describe all the wines here so here are some of my favourites:

Sommelier Magandeep Singh in action

Winery: Alphart

Location: Thermenregion near Vienna (Lower Austria)

Wine: Rotgipfler vom Berg 2013 

Impression: A crystal clear light gold wine with fruity, wet leaves and spicy aromas. On the palate it was dry, light bodied with mouth watering acidity and appreciable balance. A good refreshing Wine for a tropical country like India.

Winery: Interrior

Location: Burgenland

Wine: Red Collection 2012

 Impression: A light ruby Wine having intense red fruit aromas. Light bodied and juicy on the palate, it had rounded tannins that gently conveyed the underlying structure. Good to have with entrée courses incorporating  greens, fruits, poultry and seafood.

Winery: Payr

Location: Carnuntum (Lower Austria)

Wine: Zweigelt Rubin Carnuntum

Impression: A luminescent ruby Wine with aromas of wild berries and oak. On the palate it was dry and medium bodied with medium tannins and reaffirmation of oak. Having flavours of red fruits and spice, this would be the Wine for sterner stuff like pot roasted meat and fried chicken.

Winery: Urbanihof

Location: Wagram (Lower Austria)

Wine: Grüner Veltliner Alte Reben 2013

 Impression: Alte Reben meaning ‘prized’, it lived up to its name by being a complex and delightful Wine. Having an antique gold colour with aromas of melon, quince and spice, the Wine was off dry on the palate probably due to its tropical fruit flavours. It had a great finish too!

The Pinot Noir Eiswein

Winery: Höpler

Location: Burgenland

Wine: Eiswein Pinot Noir 2009

Impression: Eiswein means Wine made from frozen berries where the water freezes out and the grape juice becomes intense and syrupy. This was my first experience of a Pinot Noir Eiswein and it turned out to be a delightful one. An intense honeyed and nutty nose with an explosion of fruit flavours on the tongue had a lingering effect that made it one of the stars of the evening.

The tasting concluded with rounds of filling snacks ensuring that no belly went back grumbling. With lots of wine for company and interesting conversations galore, the evening quite logically refused to budge from its youth.

Showcased wineries and their contact details:

Winery	Contact Person	Website
Alphart	Mr. Rudolf Trischler	www.sunnygrapes.at
Interroir		www.sunnygrapes.at
Payr		www.sunnygrapes.at
Scheiblhofer		www.sunnygrapes.at
Urbanihof		www.sunnygrapes.at
Höpler	Mr. Kerstin Raschl	www.hoepler.at
Lenz Moser	Ms. Doris Wanek	www.lenzmoser.at
Muenzenrieder	Mr. Johannes Münzenrieder	www.muenzenrieder.at
Salomon Undhof	Mr. Bertold Salomon	www.salomonwines.com
Strehn	Ms. Pia Pneisl	www.strehn.at
Tement	Mr. Armin Tement	www.tement.at
Rainer Wess	Mr. Rainer Wess	www.weingut-wess.at
Zantho	Mr. Thomas Gratzer	www.zantho.com

Raising a toast with Ms Shanay Hubmann

P.S. For putting the Austrian title on this post I requested Ms. Shanay Hubmann, the Deputy Trade Commissioner at the Austrian embassy at New Delhi to help- which most kindly she did. Cheers to that!