Austria

Question 1

What are Austria’s 4 main wine regions?

Answer 1

1. Niederösterreich
2. Wien (Vienna)
3. Burgenland
4. Styria

Question 2

What are the 3 most important subregions of Niederösterreich?

Answer 2

1. Wachau
2. Kamptal
3. Kremstal

Question 3

Austria’s easternmost winegrowing area borders what country?

Answer 3

Hungary

Question 4

Austria’s wine growing regions are in which half of the country?:

• western half
• eastern half

Answer 4

Eastern half

Question 5

What is Austria’s largest wine growing region?

Answer 5

Niederösterreich

Question 6

Why aren’t wine regions in the western half of Austria?

Answer 6

Because the Alps are too rugged and too high in elevation to support grape growing.

Question 7

What is the climate of Austria?

Answer 7

Continental

Question 8

What are the climate moderators for Austria’s wine growing regions?

Answer 8

The Danube River and its tributaries

Question 9

What is the landscape of Austria?

Answer 9

Rolling foothills, with most vineyards being planted on slopes facing the Danube.

Question 10

What are the white grapes of Austria?

Answer 10

• Grüner Veltliner
• Riesling

Question 11

What distinctive aroma can you find on most Grüner Veltliners?

Answer 11

White pepper

Question 12

What are the red grapes of Austria?

Answer 12

• Blaufränkisch
• St.-Laurent (also spelled Sankt Laurent)
• Zweigelt

Question 13

What are the parent grapes of Zweigelt?

Answer 13

• Blaufränkisch
• St.-Laurent

Question 14

Wachau is home to many of Austria’s top vineyards. These top vineyards are planted on:

• flat riverbanks of the Danube
• steep slopes overlooking the Danube

Answer 14

Steep slopes overlooking the Danube

Question 15

Grapes destined for inexpensive wines are planted where?:

• steep hills
• flatter plains

Answer 15

Flatter plains

Question 16

Austrian wine styles are typically:

• bone dry or very sweet, nothing in between
• bone dry to very sweet and everything in between

Answer 16

Bone dry or very sweet, nothing in between

Off-dry styles of wine really do not exist in Austria.

Question 17

For the most part, white wines in Austria do or do not see new oak?

What about the reds?

Answer 17

• White wines generally do not see new oak
• Red wines from Burgenland will sometimes see new oak

Question 18

Austrian wines WITHOUT geographic indication are called:

Answer 18

Wein

Question 19

Austrian wines WITH geographic indication have 4 classification levels:

Answer 19

1. Landwein (PGI)
2. Qualitätswein (PDO)
3. Districtus Austriae Controllatus (DAC)
4. Prädikatswein (PDO)

Question 20

Austrian Landwein is:

• usually exported
• seldom exported

Answer 20

Seldom exported

Landwein wines are Austrians’ everyday table wines.

Question 21

What is the DAC?

Answer 21

A subset of Qualitätswein that focuses on dry wines. It also only allows certain grapes, like Riesling and Grüner Veltliner, to be classified as DAC.

Question 22

Austrian prädikatswein focuses on what style of wine?

Answer 22

Sweet styles, such as Eiswein, BA and TBA.

Question 23

What does Niederösterreich translate to in English?

Answer 23

Lower Austria

Question 24

What wine style does Niederösterreich focus on?

Answer 24

White wines made from Riesling and Grüner Veltliner that are dry and unoaked of high quality.

Question 25

What river (and Danube tributary) flows through Kremstal?

Answer 25

The Krems River

Question 26

What river (and Danube tributary) flows through Kamptal?

Answer 26

The Kamp River

Question 27

What river flows through Wachau?

Answer 27

The Danube River

Question 28

Which Niederösterreich subregion is known for having most of the top producers and vineyards?

Answer 28

Wachau

Question 29

Wachau classifies its dry wines with its own classification system. What are those 3 classification levels?

Answer 29

1. Steinfeder (lightest) 2. Federspiel 3. Smaragd (richest)

Question 30

What is Steinfeder named after?

Answer 30

A grass that grows in Wachau's vineyards

Question 31

What is Steinfeder's maximum abv?

Answer 31

11.5% ## Footnote *This is a very light bodied wine.*

Question 32

What is Federspiel's abv range?

Answer 32

11.5% - 12.5% ## Footnote *Medium bodied wine.*

Question 33

What is Smaragd's minimum abv?

Answer 33

12.5% ## Footnote *Fullest body and richest texture of the three, intense and dry.*

Question 34

What is Smaragd wine named after?

Answer 34

A brightly colored, emerald lizard found in Wachau's vineyards.

Question 35

Smaragd wines can sometimes be affected by which rot?

Answer 35

Botrytis

Question 36

Grapes destined for Smaragd are harvested at \_\_\_\_\_ ripeness.

Answer 36

**Spätlese** ripeness

Question 37

What is the Pannonian Plain?

Answer 37

* A former seabed of loess soils stretching from eastern Austria through Hungary; * This plain ushers in hot, dry summers and severe winters.

Question 38

What is Ausbruch?

Answer 38

* A sweet wine traditionally from the village of Rust in Austria; * Grapes are botrytis-affected; * Typical grapes used are Furmint, Chardonnay, Muskateller, and Pinot Blanc.