January 13, 2014
Overlooked Austria

Sometimes there’s an inverse relationship between the weather wine is grown in and the weather it’s suited for drinking in. Austria, a relatively cold, central European country with 62 percent of its landmass covered by Alps, makes wines that are so zippy and refreshing that you’ll want them by your side all summer long. Grapes are finicky creatures: they need enough sunlight to ripen and develop sugars, but if they ripen too fast, the wine will taste like Kool-aid. A cooler, slower, longer growing season allows the grapes to develop acidity as they ripen, and this translates to structure and backbone in wine.

With a host of indigenous grapes and a reputation for racing acidity, Austrian wine is food-friendly, unique, and, sadly, often overlooked. Despite its long vinous tradition dating back at least to the Celtic era, Austrian wine is still somewhat of an outlier on the American table. We are here to address this dearth with some beautiful, summer-friendly wines that are sophisticated, complex, and undeniably refreshing.

In Lower Austria, Emmerich Knoll is a leader in one of the country’s most famed wine regions, the Wachau. The estate has been run by the Knoll family for generations with the current man in charge being Emmerich Knoll III. He uses a decidedly gentle touch with his wines. He considers his wines late bloomers, and indeed some of them can age and drink well for up to 25 years. His Smargard wines from the Loienberg Vineyard are creamy, intense, and round, showing tobacco and exotic fruit flavors. This style of wine is among the longest lasting, most sophisticated that Austria has to offer. They are made only in years when there’s enough sunshine and conditions are extremely good. Knoll’s Federspiel wine serves as its light and refreshing counterpoint, with bone-dry acidity and delicate fruits. The Gruner Veltliner wine abounds with peaches and minerality, and is most definitely seafood-friendly.

Thirty minutes south of Vienna, in historic Thermenrgion, brothers Hannes, Christian, and Michael Reinisch (of J. Reinisch) are devoted to unique, indigenous varietals. The white Rotgipfler and Zierfandler grapes grown on their organic estate reflect a slowly dwindling regional tradition; there are only 247 acres of these grapes remaining across the country. Rotgipfler expresses both elegance and power with exotic fruits such as banana on the nose. It has vivacious acid and a long, vibrant finish. In addition to these white grapes, J. Reinisch produces beautiful and focused Pinot Noir, Zweigelt and St. Laurent.

When you’re sitting poolside this summer, or planning your next fish fry, think Austria. Let these exuberant wines cut through the summer heat and transport you to their mountainous homeland.