A Cluster Of Austrian Vineyards

It was a classic, crisp, clear fall day. As we began our walk, we were greeted with views of leaves changing from green to gold.

This was not just another autumn day in Connecticut, however. We were walking through the vineyards in the Traisental region of Austria and the leaves that were changing colors were on the grapevines.

After seeing a few of the amazing sights of Vienna, we were ready to head into the countryside to see the vineyards. Most of Austria’s vineyards are clustered in the eastern part of the country. We were visiting Weingut Huber, which is about an hour drive west of Vienna.

As we arrived, we noticed that the vineyards were cut into terraces rising up the sides of the hills. As we climbed the hills, we were able to taste the ripe grapes that were hanging in clusters on the vines. It was harvest time, and about half of the grapes remained to be picked. The vineyards were planted to Riesling, a little bit of Chardonnay, Gruner Veltliner, and Zweigelt.

Gruner Veltliner is a white grape that is widely grown in Austria. Of the vineyards in the Traisental, 63 percent are planted with Gruner Veltliner.

Huber also makes a Gruner Veltliner called Hugo that is crisp, clean, dry, moderately priced and great for every day drinking.

They also produce Gruner Veltliner from their best vineyards that produce wines with more body and amazing complexity.

Zweigelt is a red grape that is exported to the US in very small quantities. Although Austria’s neighbors in Germany are more well known for their Riesling, the 2007 Huber Riesling Terrassen is absolutely delightful. It is a blend from multiple vineyards and has beautiful fruit without being overly sweet.

We also noticed some grapes in the vineyards that were infected with a mold called Botrytis. Although it looks disgusting, these grapes will be used to make sweet dessert wines. If the grapes actually freeze on the vines at temperatures below -8 degrees C, a sweet dessert wine called Eiswein is produced. Although Austria’s wine history dates back thousands of years, the wines of Austria are just beginning to be recognized in the United States. My visit has certainly convinced me of their quality.

(Newtown resident and oenophile Steve Small is the general manager at Yankee Wine & Spirits on Queen Street.)