The Wine Ladies

Austrian Wines

Dear Wine Ladies,

I really enjoyed your guest on the radio show and was fascinated to learn about some of the wines of Austria, formerly a place that never really entered my mind as a producer of great wine! How significant is Austria on the world stage?

Also one of the challenges I found while tuning in was trying to remember the names of some of the grapes which were unfamiliar to me, as well as the places they came from. Could you tell me the name of the award winning white wine Jamie Kennedy always has on his wine list? Is there also a red wine made more specific to Austria? 

Sheila

Dear Sheila,
 
The wine lovers of the world are truly missing out if they have not yet discovered the wonderful wines coming out of Austria. Although quite a small wine producing country, ranking about seventeenth in world production, quality levels are very high due to having some of the strictest wine laws in the world. Four general quality designations are recognized: Tafelwein, Landwein, Qualitatswein and Pradikatswein with approximately two-thirds of the country’s production as “Qualitatswein”. Indeed some of the names of the grapes or regions can be tongue twisters of which Gruener Veltliner, the white wine you are asking about and Blauer Zweigelt and Blaufrankisch, two red grape varieties in Austria, might qualify.
 
There is currently a promotion going on in Toronto “Wines from Austria, A Taste of Culture” in which several restaurants are serving a minimum of six Austrian wines by the glass. For more details on specific wines and participating wine bars or restaurants please call the Austrian Trade Commission at 416-967-3348 or email