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Food & Wine

Love on the Rocks: Riesling and Grüner Veltliner

Bründlmayer, Hirsch, and Loimer are just three of the top wineries located in the hilly Kamptal district embedded between the Danube River and the Manhart Mountain. Kremstal district wines from wineries like Nigl, Sepp Moser or Salomon-Undhof come from terraced south-facing slopes that overlook the Danube. Here Grüner Veltliner and Riesling are allowed to reach full physiological ripeness and fascinating terroir characteristics appear. When the grapes are grown on primary rock and slate soils both varieties gain a distinct mineral character and an achingly clear fruit.
The legendary Heiligenstein vineyard in Kamptal is known for its fragrant, elegant Rieslings. Grüner Veltliners from loess soils and vineyards like Gaisberg or Ried Lamm are full-bodied, high in alcohol, concentrated and very spicy. The grapefruit flavor of Grüner Veltliner changes into exotic pineapple, roasted almond, and mango as it ripens. These wines have incredible aging potential (10 years or more) and sometimes benefit from partial barrel fermentation. This new wave Austrian style often has as much as 13.5% alcohol, but with just a whisper of oak and a refreshing acidity, the wines rarely appear too plump or blowsy.

Wachau is the most famous of Austria's wine districts and home to powerful wines from renowned single vineyards. The wine producers of Wachau have their own special categorization for their dry white wines identified by alcohol level and the must weight of the grapes as they arrive in the cellar: Steinfeder, Federspiel, and Smaragd in ascending order. The Smaragd wines are invariably harvested late and are the most sought-after. The Smaragd Grüner Veltliners are reminiscent of the great white Burgundies from Meursault and Puligny Montrachet , but remain refreshing and simultaneously savory. The achingly pure fruit of a Riesling from Wachau remains memorable for its incredible depth and mineral character.

As in Kamptal and Kremstal, the Guyot vine training system is preferred on the rocky terraces of Wachau. Trunks are kept low so the grapes hang close to the soil and can fully absorb the radiated heat. 6,000 vines per hectare and harvests of less than 45 hl per hectare are the norm. Loyal fans often claim they will beg, borrow or steal to get their favorite single vineyard bottlings from famous boutique wineries like F.X. Pichler, Knoll, and Hirtzberger. Freie Weingärtner Wachau is possibly one of the best wine cooperatives worldwide offering incredibly consistent wines from over 600 hectares of vineyards. Nikolaihof is Austria's leader in organic wine, proving that truly great wines can be made while adhering to controversial bio-dynamic viticultural practices.

 

 

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Fred Loimer, master of avant-garde. The modern architecture of his winery represents the clean pure style of his Riesling and GV.
Fred Loimer, master of avant-garde. The modern architecture of his winery represents the clean pure style of his Riesling and GV.