Dear Sommelier: From Austrian Wine Culture to Tasting Events

Good morning! For the past two weeks, while sipping Australian wine, we have taken a deep dive into the price difference of wine, looking at it through the lenses of winery philosophy and distribution channels. (What are wine price differences? Part 1, Part 2)

Starting today, we are flying all the way from the Southern Hemisphere to the Northern Hemisphere, and this week we will explore the charm of Austrian wine🇦🇹
For me, Austria brings to mind the capital of music. It is filled with places that are irresistible to classical music lovers, such as Vienna and Salzburg.

When I began studying Austrian wine, I intended to follow my usual route of self-study followed by visiting a wine shop. However, I received a suggestion to "try creating an opportunity to drink with professionals," so I headed straight to Heurige Howdy in Nagoya to learn 🏃♀️. As it turned out, that very day was a tasting event for the Austrian winery Fred Loimer.

Before writing my report on the orange wine I encountered there, I would like to touch a little on the state of wine in Austria.

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70% of the wine produced in Austria is white wine. This percentage seemed familiar, and looking back at past articles, I recalled that 70% of wine in Argentina is red, and 80% in Uruguay is red🍷. It is interesting how they are almost complete opposites.

I have learned that the reason red wine is popular in Argentina and Uruguay is influenced by the climate where the grapes are grown and the food culture of those countries.

Is it the same for Austria?

■ Regarding climate
The climate indeed seems to have a major influence.

The main wine regions of Austria spread across the eastern part of the country, at the eastern foot of the Alps. Here, the warm, dry air from the Pannonian Plain blowing in from Hungary intersects with cool breezes flowing from the Alps to the west and cold air from the north, creating a unique climate with large temperature differences between day and night and low annual precipitation.

These climatic conditions are ideal for cultivating white grape varieties that mature slowly, resulting in fresh acidity and rich aromas. (The four regions marked with the Austrian flag on the map below are the grape-producing areas.)

Through sunlight and warmth during the day, grapes actively undergo photosynthesis to increase their sugar content. At the same time, malic acid within the grapes is broken down as part of the respiration process (metabolic process). This process accelerates in high temperatures. (Perhaps like how you burn a lot of calories if you run a marathon in the heat.)

On the other hand, the cooling at night suppresses the breakdown of malic acid in the grapes. This cycle of "storing sugar by day and retaining malic acid by night" creates the balance of lively acidity and rich fruitiness required for white wine.

In particular, Grüner Veltliner accounts for about one-third of Austria’s total vineyard area, boasting an overwhelming presence as a white wine grape. In the main producing region of Lower Austria, it is said that this variety accounts for 47% of the entire state. This degree of concentration on a single variety is an extremely high figure compared to famous varieties in other countries.
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・Grüner Veltliner (32.6%) in Austria
・Malbec (22.39%) in Argentina
・Chenin Blanc (18.4%) in South Africa
・Riesling (24.1%) in Germany
・Sauvignon Blanc (66%) in New Zealand
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■ Regarding food culture

Source: https://www.wien.info/ja

The prevalence of white wine is also linked to a unique food culture.
That is the traditional custom known as a "Heuriger." Wine farmers serve new wine of the year in their homes or gardens, where local people gather casually to enjoy it. What is served here is mainly freshly made white wine. As for why it is white wine, it is said that white wine has higher production volume, and its freshness and drinkability as a new wine suit social settings perfectly.

At Heuriger establishments centered in Vienna, dry white wines traditionally made with Gemischter Satz (a method of interplanting and co-fermenting multiple white grape varieties) are enjoyed as new wine. This white wine is characterized by being slightly effervescent, fruity, high in acidity, and light on the palate, and a style of enjoying it casually in large glasses has become well-established.

Furthermore, because Heuriger developed as a place for wine meant to be enjoyed with food, white wines that pair well with simple dishes like ham, salads, and pickles naturally became the centerpiece. It is against this backdrop that fresh white wine has become central to the Heuriger culture.

Incidentally, this "Heuriger" is released every year on November 11th, "St. Martin’s Day," and can be enjoyed as a "Heuriger" for one year. (In reality, new wine seems to start appearing from mid-August to around October, but the official release date is November 11th.)

As for why it is "St. Martin’s Day," St. Martin is considered the patron saint of winemaking and viticulture, and his legends and contributions to viticulture are tied to Austrian wine culture. It is also viewed as an important day for celebrating the autumn harvest and the beginning of winter, and the custom of opening new wine on this day to check its quality and enjoying it with dishes like goose has taken root in Austria.

It seems that white wine has developed in Austria due to it being rooted as a culture for a long time, with climatic conditions providing a tailwind.

So, what kind of grape is Grüner Veltliner? I would like to touch on that in the weeks to come🍇

I will conclude this week with a report on the wine I got at the Loimer tasting event.

■ This week’s tasting report
Gemischter Satz mit Achtung 2020 | Fred Loimer

Loimer's winery is located in Lower Austria, the region with the most active wine production in the country.

The wine that Mr. Loimer aims to create is one that "prioritizes the physiological maturity of the grapes, is full of the grapes' original aromas, and maximizes the characteristics of the terroir."

Mr. Loimer mentioned that in the past, many different things were planted in the same land. It was hard to visualize, but it makes sense when I imagine a field with all sorts of wildflowers planted in it.

In the modern era, where human intervention and orderly cultivation on cleared land have become more common, Mr. Loimer values the landscape of traditional viticulture as much as possible. This applies not just to the grapes, but to keeping the surrounding environment as natural as possible, including raising livestock and planting vegetables.

At the tasting event, there were wines from various vintages, and I had the chance to ask Mr. Loimer about the differences between them.

Mr. Loimer said, "When grapes become wine, they increase in complexity and change from their original form. However, through aging, the inherent goodness of the original grapes eventually remains."

While there are those who argue that wine isn't necessarily better with age, I was enchanted by these words coming from Mr. Loimer, who values the individuality of his grapes and approaches them with such dedication and love.

I will now proceed with the tasting of the wine crafted by Mr. Loimer. Led by Grüner Veltliner, a blend of eight different hand-picked grape varieties is used. All of these grapes were grown in an area called Kamptal. This wine was completed precisely because Mr. Loimer is so committed to terroir. (Please refer to Japan Grand Champagne's description for details on the wine.)

・Appearance: A slightly cloudy pale orange (officially referred to as straw yellow). It had slow legs, so I judged the viscosity to be high.

・Aroma: Woody, tree-like scent. Ripe apples, a smokiness, and even a hint of vinegar.

・Taste: A slightly syrupy impression. The attack is neither strong nor weak, but mellow. I don't feel much acidity; rather, a deep umami and bitterness remain at the back of the tongue. The aftertaste leaves a firm sweetness reminiscent of muscat grapes, filling me with euphoria. Hearing that "Achtung"—the German word in the wine's name—includes a warning not to drink too much made perfect sense. You could drink glass after glass!

・Price: 5,060 yen (tax included) / 750ml

My takeaway from this experience is the importance of researching producers in advance and attending their events with prepared questions✍️. Without questions, even if you attend a learning opportunity, you end up only hearing about superficial things🦻. I'm overflowing with thoughts of "I wish I had asked this or that," so I would love to ask many more questions if another opportunity arises.

Howdy-san, thank you for such a wonderful opportunity!