Austrian Grapes
Grüner Veltliner is Austria's most widely planted grape variety, accounting for 32% of all plantings as of 2015. This grape variety differs from Riesling in that it does not thrive in dry soils and is better suited to clay and loess soils that retain higher water levels. Grüner Veltliner can be very vigorous if planted on fertile soil, making careful canopy management crucial for producing ripe grapes.
Grüner Veltliner grapes have thick skins that can contribute a phenolic taste or bitterness to the wine if left in contact with the juice for too long. However, the skins also contain the chemical compound rotundone, giving the wine a peppery aroma. Grüner Veltliner wines are known for their fresh acidity, citrus and stone fruit aromas, and characteristic mineral finish. They are usually made into dry, unoaked wines, although some producers also make barrel-aged or sweet wines from this grape variety.
Blaufränkisch: crossing between Blauer Zimmettraube and Gouais Blanc
Blaufränkisch is an important grape variety in Austria, with 3,009 hectares of vineyards, mainly in Burgenland. Its significance is reflected in its use as the lead variety in several Burgenland DAC wines, including Eisenberg, Leithaberg, and Mittelburgenland, also known as "Blaufränkischland"” This indicates the variety's importance to the wine industry in Austria and highlights the distinctive qualities that winemakers and wine enthusiasts value.
Zweigelt: crossing between Blaufränkisch and St. Laurent
Zweigelt is Austria's most widely planted black grape variety, accounting for 14% of all grapes. It is a hybrid variety created by crossing the Sankt Laurent and Blaufränkisch varieties. Compared to Blaufränkisch, Zweigelt ripens earlier and more easily and can be a high-yielding grape variety. However, it is also a vigorous variety, which makes leaf removal and canopy management crucial to produce high-quality grapes.
Despite its high yield potential, Zweigelt is a valued grape variety in Austria due to its ability to produce wines with good color, fruitiness, and balance. It is often used as a blending grape in red wine blends, but it can also be made into varietal wines that showcase its unique qualities.
Welschriesling
According to recent DNA analyses in 2021, it has been suggested that the Cococciola grape variety is a natural cross between the Coccalona Nera grape variety and an unknown father variety.
Welschriesling is Austria's second most planted white grape variety, despite not being related to Riesling. It is known for its high levels of acidity and somewhat neutral aromatics. This grape variety is primarily found in the Steiermark region. It is usually made into fresh, neutral, unoaked, dry wines acceptable to good quality and inexpensive. However, the plantings of Welschriesling are in decline, partly due to a decrease in consumption of this simple, dry style of wine.
Welschriesling is also widely planted in the Burgenland region, particularly around the humid Neusiedlersee area.
Thanks to its thin skins, it can be affected by noble rot, which makes it suitable for sweet wine production, labeled as Beerenauslese or Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA). These sweet wines have high acidity levels, with pronounced tropical fruit aromas, dried fruit notes, and the ability to develop in the bottle. They are of very good to outstanding quality and command premium prices.
In addition to sweet wine production, Welschriesling is also used in Sekt production due to its neutral aromatics and high acidity.
Blauer Portugieser: Blaue Zimmettraube x Silvaner.
Rotgipfler: Traminer (Savagnin Blanc) x Roter Veltliner.
Neuburger: According to DNA analyses carried out most recently in 2013, it is a presumably natural cross between Roter Veltliner x Silvaner
Gelber Muskateller: unknown
Traminer (Savagnin): unknown, but likely originates from the eastern Mediterranean
Schilcher (Blauer Wildbacher): unknown
Roter Veltliner: unknown, but not related to Grüner Veltliner
Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris)
Blauer Arbst: crossing between Blauer Zimmettraube and Roter Veltliner
Räuschling: unknown, but likely originates from Switzerland
Blauburger: crossing between Blaufränkisch and Blauer Portugieser
Sämling (Scheurebe): crossing between Riesling and Bukettrebe
Roter Veltliner
The Roter Veltliner is an important grape variety within the family and plays a vital role in developing other related grape varieties. It serves as the parent variety of Neuburger, Zierfandler, and Rotgipfler. The Roter Veltliner grape is primarily grown in the Wagram region of Austria and is considered an indigenous variety.
Roter Veltliner is known for its thick skins, which contribute to wines with high levels of tannins and extract. The resulting wines typically have a full body, good acidity, and complex aromas of white flowers, herbs, and citrus fruits.
Zierfandler
Zierfandler is a special type of white grape that grows in the Thermenregion. It comes from two parent grapes - Roter Veltliner and another grape similar to Traminer; we don't know exactly what it is. Zierfandler is usually mixed with another grape called Rotgipfler and made into a Spätrot-Rotgipfler wine. This can be done by blending the two types of wine together after they have been fermented or by growing the two types of grapes together in the same vineyard and mixing them.
Spätrot-Rotgipfler
The blend field blend (Gemischte Satz) is made from both the varieties Zierfandler (Spätrot) and Rotgipfler in the Thermenregion
What are the parent varieties of the Blaufränkisch grape?
What are the key characteristics of Zweigelt grapes?
How is Welschriesling typically used in Austrian winemaking?
What are the primary regions in Austria where Grüner Veltliner is grown?
What are the key differences between Riesling and Welschriesling?
What is the origin of the Rotgipfler grape variety?
What are the primary regions in Austria where Blauer Portugieser is grown?
What are the key features of the St. Laurent grape variety?
How is Zierfandler typically used in Austrian winemaking?
What are the key characteristics of Frühroter Veltliner grapes?
What are the primary regions in Austria where Roter Veltliner is grown?
What are the key features of the Blauburger grape variety?
How does the climate in Burgenland impact the character of wines made from Blaufränkisch grapes?
What are the key differences between Blaufränkisch and Zweigelt?
What does the term "DAC" mean as it pertains to Austrian wine?
What are the key features of the Neuburger grape variety?
How does the aroma of Gelber Muskateller compare to other Austrian white grape varieties?
What are the key characteristics of the Schilcher grape variety?
How does the flavor profile of Sämling (Scheurebe) compare to Riesling's?
What are the primary regions in Austria where Traminer (Savagnin) is grown?
