Reviews in leading Newspapers and Journals
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John Gilchrist, Off the Menu, Calgary Herald, October 12, 2003
"Rocky Mountain Festival - Wine and Food Lovers can have a Heyday"
"The Austrians are Coming! The Austrians are Coming! No its not another equestrian event at Spruce Meadows or an Alphorn concert in the mountains. Its the winners of the Western Canada Wine Awards, wines that will be showcased at next weekend's Rocky Mountain Wine & Food Festival."
"The Two Top Gold Medals for white wine in the competition went to Austrian wines. An Austrian Riesling (2002 Weingut Leopold Riesling Alte Reben) won in the $15 to $30 category, while an Austrian Gruner Veltliner (2002 Wimmer Czerny Gruner Veltliner Felser Berg) prevailed in the over - $30 section."
"They beat out French Sancerres, Australian Chardonnays and Okanagan Gewutztraminers to become the Overall Winners in their categories."
Gruner Veltliner? Its a popular grape in Austria...It has a white pepper and cooked lentil nose with slight pear tones in taste. It goes well with food, especially the spicier cuisines. We haven't seen much of it in North America, but lately its been knocking the stuffing out of competition in wine events around the globe."
Make it to the festival...And then you can say you've tried a Gruner Veltliner".
Geoff Last, Wine & Spirits, Calgary Herald, October 12, 2003
"There is no question that Chardonnay is still the world's most popular white wine, but people are now looking for alternatives after years of Chardonnay over-saturation.
"The biggest problem I have with Chardonnay is that unless its exceptional - which usually translates to expensive - it often doesn't cut it as a food wine.
"If I had to pick a single white varietal that has the potential to be the next big thing, I would have to go with Gruner Veltliner. The best examples of this native Austrian varietal can be spectacular, often displaying notes of white pepper, minerals, peaches and apricots".
"The wine is typically fermented dry and has a lively acidity, making it a Terrific food wine."
"As the wine ages, it can take on some Burgundian - like flavours and it is quickly gaining a loyal following among sommeliers in many of North America's top restaurants."
Rick VanSickle, Sunday Wine, Calgary Sun, October 12, 2003
"Wines with personality and style - AWESOME AUSTRIA"
"I'm so excited. And I just can't hide it. I'm about to lose control and I think I like it. I'm no Pointer Sisters fan but those lyrics speak loudly to my feelings toward Austrian white wines after a recent private tasting at Catch restaurant."
"These new Austrian wines...so interesting an personable that the "anything but chardonnay (ABC) crowd should take note and get on board this bandwagon".
"I'm hard-pressed to even describe many of the Austrian wines I have tasted because they are so complex and so unlike most white wines I am used to. At our tasting, debate raged when describing each wine with very little absolute consensus other than WE WERE ALL IMPRESSED".
Kevin McLean, Fast Forward Weekly, October 9, 2003
"Austria's sleek and impressive wines - after being frozen out of the market, country returns to wake up the world"
Austria "has 14 recognized wine regions that can be grouped (for simplicity) into three major zones...The Wachau, Kremstal and Kamptal regions lie in the northwest corner along the river Donau (Danube). Their steep slopes of loess and gravel provide the ideal growing conditions for riesling and the local grape gruner veltliner. These high quality (and generally dry) white wines deliver terroir with pinpoint precision, rivalling the very finest wines of Germany or Alsace."
In Alberta, we are fortunate to have an extensive selection from Austria's finest producers. The wines start at around $19, so they may not be your everyday tipple, but don't forget these Gems when looking for a perfect match for fresh fish".
Geoff Last, Wine & Spirits Columnist, Calgary Herald, July 13, 2003
"It should come as no surprise to discover the Austrians make great beer, but until now they have been absent from our market. New to Alberta is Edelweiss Weissbier.
The term weissbier can mean either "white" or "wheat" beer; the two terms seem to be interchangeable. In this case the term refers to a top-fermented wheat beer brewed in Hofbrau Kaltenhausen, Salzburg's oldest brewery. The Edelweiss comes across as very yeasty with notes of bananas and orange rind. As a bottle conditioned beer, the yeast sediment in the bottle is normal. Cheers!"
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A golden age for Edelweiss lovers July7, .2002
Hofbräu Kaltenhausen and Edelweiss succeeded in doing a remarkable double:
- Gold for Edelweiss Dunkel in the Dark Weizenbier / Dark Weissbier category.
- Gold for Edelweiss Gamsbock in the Weizenbier Bock category.
Whats more Edelweiss picked up these treasured titles from right under the noses of its Bavarian competitors.
This is the second time since 1996, that Austria's number one weissbier is entitled to call itself a World Beer Champion. An honour received during one of the worlds most respected quality competitions, which with its competent assessments, defines beer standards for the years ahead. A future that looks very rosy indeed for Edelweiss!
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Austrias Great Wines around the World
(AWMB, May 2003) - Austrian producers are proud to look back on five excellent successive vintages. The wines harvested during this period have received international acclaim for their expression of terroir and for the fruit-driven character of indigenous varieties such as Grüner Veltliner and Zweigelt.
Austrian wineries will present their delicacies from Austrias wine regions to the International wine trade, gastronomy and press at different International Fairs:
London International Wine & Spirits Fair, London, May 20 22, 2003
ExCel, Stands E50 & E62
Vino & Destilaty Prague, Prague, May 19 21, 2003
Exhibition Grounds, Industrial Palace, Central Hall, Stand 20
Vinexpo, Bordeaux, June 22 26, 2003
Hall 3 Stand GH 353
May, 2003
Austrian Wine Marketing Board/ Susanne Staggl
Prinz-Eugen-Straße 34/7, A-1040 Vienna
Fon: +43/1/5039267, Fax: +43/1/5039268
s.staggl@winesfromaustria.com
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Vienna's waltz
Britain's 'cork dorks' have voted Austrian whites the best in the world. Tim Atkin isn't surprised
Sunday January 26, 2003
The Observer
Have you ever discovered a restaurant, holiday destination or country pub that was so good you didn't want to tell anyone else about it? I feel that way about Austrian white wines. Like sherry and Loire Valley stickies, these are undervalued, comparatively undiscovered wines. Booze hacks pass bottles of Knoll, Prager, Hirtzberger and Bründlmayer from hand to hand like samizdat literature in the old Soviet Union.
Other people seem to be catching on, however, especially in the United States. It's often said that Alsatian wines are what 'the trade drinks at home', but this is a fib. Increasingly, we cork dorks drink Austrian Riesling and Grüner Veltliner. But after the results of a recent blind tasting, I fear our cover is blown.
At the end of last year I received a phone call from a Swedish fine wine importer who wanted to set up a blind tasting in London, pitting a line-up of Austrian wines against some of the world's best Chardonnays. Would I help? Is the Pope the supreme pontiff? Jancis Robinson and I then called in wines from the likes of Etienne Sauzet, Domaine Leflaive, Ramonet, Dauvissat, Gaja, Kumeu River, Petaluma, Mondavi and Hamilton Russell and assembled a sponge (the appropriate collective noun) of the UK's best tasters. We assessed 36 wines in all, divided equally between Austria and the rest of the world.
I don't want to be over-dramatic about this, but the results put a bomb under the established white-wine order. Austria took seven of the first 10 places, including the top four spots. The 1990 Knoll Grüner Veltliner Smaragd, Vinothekfüllung was the victor ludorum, followed by the 1997 Bründlmayer Grüner Veltliner, Ried Lamm and the 1997 Velich Tiglat Chardonnay, a Burgenland white which beat every single white Burgundy and New World Chardonnay. In its way, this tasting was as revolutionary as the so-called Judgement of Paris in 1976, when a group of French experts rated a bunch of unknown Californian wines above the best of Burgundy and Bordeaux. I am more convinced than ever that, alongside Germany and France, Austria is one of the three great white-wine producing countries on the planet.
The problem with buying Austrian white wines is twofold: access and price. It's almost impossible to find a bottle in a British supermarket or off licence. As a result, Austria doesn't have a presence in the middle market, although the excellent Freie Weingärtner in the Wachau is attempting to change this.
The best Austrian wines, imported by independent merchants - such as Richards Walford (01780 460 451), Ben Ellis (01737 842 160), Morris & Verdin (020 7921 5300), Bacchus Wines (01234 711 140) and Noël Young (01223 844 744) - or sold through restaurants, tend to be fairly expensive, especially when set against some of the bargain-basement offerings from Germany.
Austria is never going to produce great wines at £4.99, but if you're willing to spend £10 or more, you're in for a treat. And if you're nice to me, I'll tell you about my favourite country pub some time.
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The First DAC Wine comes from the Weinviertel
DAC: The New Key to Austrias Wines
(AWMB, April 2003)
With the introduction of the DAC system, Austrian wines will, of the first time in the countrys history, privilege a wines origin over its grape varietal. The Weinviertel, Austrias largest wine growing area is blazing a trail with the Weinviertel DAC, a typical Grüner Veltliner with a clear profile.
The introduction of DAC (Districtus Austria Controllatus) wines is designed to combine a denomination of origin with a clear profile of taste and other characteristics. Consumers especially will be aided in making their choice by being able to rely on unambiguous information. Only if consumers can get an idea of the taste of the wine by looking at the label will we get a competitive advantage in the long run, says Michael Thurner, Wine MBA, Director of the Austrian Wine Marketing Board. Restaurants will also profit from the new initiative, as their guests will be able to choose Austrian wines more easily.
Strategic Improvement of Exports
Export markets will benefit most from the new system. Until now, Austrias exports suffered from the bewildering range of varietals, crus, and regions, as well as the small structure of individual wine growing areas, a situation that made competitions with larger wine exporting regions almost impossible. Moreover, due to their small production size, few Austrian producers can guarantee a regular annual supply of wines to foreign dealers. The appellation of origin will create a firm link between a wine type and a region, making it easier for dealers to satisfy customer demand reliably by marketing entire regions. In the medium term, this will result in a significant improvement of export numbers. We are convinced, tells Thurner, that we will be able to double export numbers within a few years.
Clear Profiles in International Context
With its DAC initiative, Austria is joining the ranks of great wine growing countries already operating such a system, such as Italy (DOC), France (AOC), and Spain (DO). Here, names of individual regions have become clearly identifiable brands, e.g. Chianti, Rioja, and Chablis, while the importance of grape varietal has decreased. Regions with appellations of controlled origin have therefore created a profile for themselves which cannot be copied elsewhere, as it is linked to geographical origin. Grape varietals are transportable, but not appellations, illustrates Michael Thurner.
The Weinviertel Takes the Lead
Austrias first DAC wines are already on the market. More than 400 producers from the countrys largest wine growing area, the Weinviertel (north of Vienna), now offer wines with the denomination Weinviertel DAC. These wines are made of the Austrian flagship varietal Grüner Veltliner (which covers 50% of vineyards in the area). They are characterized by their peppery spice, its delicate fruit, and its light yellow or greenish yellow colour. The wines must conform to the legal definition of Qualitätswein (quality wine) and are selected by a process of rigorous blind tasting, ensuring not only a high wine quality, but also a uniform character comprising regional and varietal typicity, at least 12% alcohol (displayed on the label), no discernable wood on the palate, and without marked alcoholic character.
Regional Committees Define DAC Type
The introduction of the DAC system in other Austrian wine growing regions is preceded by the establishment of regional committees, in which producers and dealers together determine marketing and production strategies. The goal is to establish clearly the profile of the wine growing region and its wines, which are then marketed as Wine Growing Region + DAC. The next DAC to be declared will probably be Mittelburgenland, which plans to introduce the system with the 2003 vintage. Favourite for the status is the Austrian red varietal Blaufränkisch, a powerful, dense and long-lived red wine with typical, regional character. Other areas will follow suit as the international face of Austrian wines is about to be transformed.
Press Information/April 4, 2003
Austrian Wine Marketing Board/ Susanne Staggl
Prinz-Eugen-Straße 34/7, A-1040 Vienna
Fon: +43/1/5039267, Fax: +43/1/5039268
s.staggl@winesfromaustria.com
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Grüner Veltliner - in a class of its own
(AWM - June 2002) - Top Austrian winemakers proudly continue to make world class Grüner Veltliner, resisting the temptation to jump on the international grape variety bandwagon. The quality revolution in the winelands of Austria over the past fifteen years has brought with it the most innovative winemaking techniques from around the world, leading to experimentation with various international grape varieties. Despite these global influences, Austrian winemakers find that the quality achieved with Grüner Veltliner in Austria is hard to beat.
Grüner Veltliner makes up around one third of the vineyards of Austria. It is a highly versatile variety but is rarely grown in any other wine regions, and as such remains Austria's real point of difference.
The origins of Grüner Veltliner are a little uncertain, and although the name "Veltliner" comes from the village of Veltlin in the South Tyrol, there is no trace of the variety in the vicinity today. It would seem that the grape originally hails from the northern part of Lower Austria. Grüner Veltliner can be traced back to medieval times when it was part of the "mixed plantings" found in vineyards at the time. It was not until the 1930s when more individual grape varieties started to be planted separately that it was really recognised as a quality grape variety in its own right.
Genetic research into the variety's origins is currently underway in Austria and it seems fairly certain that the Grüner Veltliner is a direct descendant of the Traminer grape variety. Grüner Veltliner is probably also related to Roter Veltliner, a speciality of the Donauland, which also counts Zierfandler, Rotgipfler and Neuburger (unique to the Thermenregion) in its genetic family. The exact genetic connection between Grüner Veltliner and Roter Veltliner, however, is yet to be established.
Grüner Veltliner responded extremely well to the "Hochkultur" method of vine training developed in Lower Austria by Lenz Moser in the 1930s. At that time Lower Austria was planted primarily with Sylvaner, but Grüner Veltliner responded so well to the microclimate, terroir and vine training method, that it soon took precedence over Sylvaner. Plantings of Sylvaner dwindled dramatically, and there is virtually none present today, Grüner Veltliner reigning supreme. Even today excellent results can be achieved with the "Hochkultur" method as long as the yield is limited.
Cool nights are important for Grüner Veltliner in order to achieve perfect acidity and aromatic expression, the grapes ripen fairly late, and therefore benefit from the warm summer and autumn days that Austria's continental climate offers.
While perhaps at its best on primary rock, covered with a fertile top soil of either loess or shale, Grüner Veltliner is exceptionally versatile and works well on a variety of soils, including chalk. In general, Grüner Veltliner prefers soils with good drainage, so that the roots remain fairly dry, and a relatively dry climate (annual rainfall in Lower Austria is 500mm on average).
Grüner Veltliner wines are usually an excellent expression of their terroir, but a "classic" Grüner Veltliner is known for its spicy, smoky character with a distinctive white pepper and tobacco bouquet. Fruit character can range from citrussy to rich, peachy flavours, and there is always an excellent dose of balancing acidity.
The most prominent characteristic of this grape variety, is its fantastic suitability to accompany food. Where other grape varieties above all in their youth - have too much of a dominant, pointed or one-dimensional effect, the Grüner Veltliner harmonically adapts. With advanced maturity the wine reveals the potential of these characteristics. GV matures extremely well but it is hard to get wines older than a view years as Austrians like to drink it very young - even the late harvested qualities .
For further information please contact:
Austrian Wine Marketing Board
T +43/1/5039267 F +43/1/5039268
info@winesfromaustria.com
sales@delanceydirect.com