Austria-A christmas dark horse.

Got your Christmas wines yet? It may depend on your Christmas lunch but regardless it’s time to think about Austria if you some want some interesting food friendly reds that are just a little different. This article was inspired by one particular red I enjoyed recently but there are plenty of gems to be had. Austria is perhaps better known, certainly among Sommeliers and other dedicated followers for its white wines and for good reason. Riesling and particularly the native Grüner Veltliner- both of which are highly recommended -. Grüner’s inspiration or barometer would seem to be Burgundy but that may be an insult to Austrians. As a comparative region I do think it works in any case; going from more mineral driven whites to richer oakier styles. One general characteristic tends to be a white pepper quality adding to its suitability with food but there are plenty with the freshness to be a good aperitif as well.

         But I’m here to talk about reds as 'tis the season for red wine. Austria shares obvious similarities to Germany but reds in particular tend to be fuller and more intense and in my opinion more interesting than German wines, not to take anything away from them. The wine I tasted recently made from the Blaufrankisch grape was tremendous; a spicy nose with black fruits, a deep intense colour with good tannins, good acidity and smooth on the palate. Perfect with game, or any dark meat really. And most importantly not like anything else you might try. That’s the real fun.  Austria is worth discovering for that reason. Like Portugal it tends to use its own grapes, particularly with reds. They do good Pinot Noir, Spätburgunder as they call it, but the natives should keep you busy. St. Laurent, Zweigelt and Blaufrankisch are a good start. As a general rule, St. Laurent tend to be pretty full bodied, Zweigelt a little more towards the finesse but discover for yourself, if you can, you won’t be disappointed.

            In fact, you could match your entire Christmas dinner with Austrian wines as they also do fantastic sweet wines in Austria. Look for ones from Burgenland, excellent sticky and golden, very much in the mould of a Sauterne but with their own character, just like the whites and reds. In these days of generic blandness that’s no bad thing.

“Fröhliche Weinachten” as they say in Vienna!