| white wines | red wines | sweet wine |
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Austria
The fresh and fruity whites, velvety dry reds and deliciously balanced sweet dessert wines
of Austria are all exceptional evocations of the country. Winemakers here discovered long
ago that their indigenous grapes such as Grüner Veltliner and St. Laurent create wines
with a unique identity. Today, the wines of Austria have a worldwide following and are
equally at home on the wine lists of both the modern eatery and the traditional schnitzel
house. VINTAGES brings you the distinct wines of Austria.
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Austria is a wine country of great individuality. With its unique grape varietals, its long history and national traditions it has evolved a wine culture unlike anywhere else in the world.
Austrian Wine: Precious Culture and Much More, 2006
The hallmarks of Austrian white wines are Grüner Veltliner, Welschriesling and Riesling. Each possesses vibrant fruitiness, racy acidity, gentle pepper spiciness, ageability and classic structure. With cellaring, these wines show impressive depth and complexity.
Grüner Veltliner
Nicknamed Gru-Vee by cool cognoscenti, Grüner Veltliner, with its fresh acidity plus green apple and mineral aromas and flavours, is fast becoming the go-to white wine for sipping, food-matching or those looking for something new to explore.
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SCHLUMBERGER SPARKLING BRUT 2006
Méthode Traditionnelle
Established in 1842, Schlumberger is the oldest sparkling wine house in Austria. Made with 100% Welschriesling, this sparkler always fits like a glove with dishes like grilled prawns, grilled herbed chicken breast, or pork chops with apple sauce.
284596 (D) 750 mL $15.95  |
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Veltliner |
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KELLERMEISTER PRIVAT GRÜNER VELTLINER KABINETT TROCKEN 2006
Kremser Goldberg, Kremstal
(Winzer Krems)
A terrific partner for Wiener schnitzel or sashimi, this Grüner features aromas of spring flowers, apricot, mineral, peapod and almond. Dry and refreshingly crisp, this wine has a good structure that will reward 1-3 years in a cellar. Its aromas and flavours will become nuttier as it matures.
738617 (XD) 750 mL $18.95  |
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New at VINTAGES
LENZ MOSER PRESTIGE GRÜNER VELTLINER TROCKEN 2006
Niederösterreich
This wine won a Gold Medal at the 2007 Decanter World Wine Awards. Niederösterreich (Lower Austria) is a large area that includes the sub-appellations Kremstal, Kamptal, Wachau, amongst others. Lenz Moser's top wines are released under the Prestige label. An excellent white wine for your cellar (3-5 years), this fresh, balanced wine is also a good choice for seafood stews, grilled salmon or chicken paprika.
071233 (XD) 750 mL $14.95 |
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DOMÄNE WACHAU RIESLING TERRASSEN FEDERSPIEL 2006
Wachau
Freie Weingärtner Wachau is considered a model cooperative. The quality of the fruit is always top-notch, and year after year they produce some of the best wines in Wachau. Kim Marcus gave the 2006 white wine vintage in Austria an overall rating of 95 calling it "one of the best in recent memory". (www.winespectator.com, Video, June 15, 2008)
TASTING NOTE: This crisp white offers concentrated peach and apple flavors, with bright lemon-lime notes that extend on the finish. Score - 88. (Kim Marcus, Wine Spectator Blog, June 15, 2008)
723908 (D) 750 mL $19.95
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New at VINTAGES
STADLMANN ZIERFANDLER CLASSIC 2006
Thermenregion
The Zierfandler grape variety was on the verge of extinction by the 1980s until producers such as Stadlmann began to champion it. A later ripener, it produces racy, spicy, fresh and full-bodied wines that keep their verve even when late harvested. These wines may show a faint pink hue derived from the natural colour of this 'white' grape. They also have tremendous ageing potential. Match it to mildly spiced prawn dishes or stuffed veal tenderloin.
TASTING NOTE: Bathers at hot springs in the Thermenregion, south of Vienna, cool off with zesty whites made from the indigenous zierfandler grape. Weingut Stadlmann's floral, dry 2006 Zierfandler Classic [is] a brisk aperitif ... (Howard G. Goldberg, The New York Times, Sept. 23, 2007)
071696 (D) 750 mL $17.95
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St. Laurent, the local wonder, is at the forefront of Austria’s red wine revolution. With slight variations depending on vineyard site and yields, these wines deliver a terrific balance of bright fruitiness, fresh acidity and ripe tannins.
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New at VINTAGES
STADLMANN ST. LAURENT 2005
Thermenregion
St. Laurent is the latest grape for wine hipsters: wilder than Pinot Noir, difficult to grow, named after the patron saint of winemakers - and those who like it, love it! Originating in Alsace, it is best known in its Austrian incarnations, although it is now being grown in Prince Edward County, Niagara and British Columbia. Be on the cutting edge of a trend and try this unique red. This St. Laurent is a fine partner for pork tenderloin or grilled salmon.
071670 (XD) 750 mL $19.95 |
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Austria continues its great
tradition of creating longlived
dessert wines with
balance and structure
that can easily rival many
of the world’s finest sweet
wines. This balance is
achieved by the near-perfect
combination of lush fruitiness
and racy acidity.
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WILLI OPITZ CUVÉE BEEERENAUSLESE 2005
Illmitz, Welschriesling/Scheurebe
... [Willi Opitz's] sweet wines are almost unique, as not even the red varieties are excused this fate! It is also notable that the method of production includes drying on reed mats resulted in the local authorities, who obviously have a sensible and pragmatic approach to such situation, adjusting the local regulations so that the exemplary wines were legally permissible under local wine laws. (Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com, May 2005) Try this delicious sweet wine with blue-veined cheeses or pecan pie.
071274 (S) 375 mL $21.95 |
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