The diversity of landscapes in Austria's wine country is reflected in the multifoliate nature of its many distinctive styles of wine. Attractive themes they all tend to share are well-balanced fruit acids and pronounced aromaticity, for which they can thank – among other factors – Austria's unique climate with its dramatic temperature swings between warm days and cool nights.
Among white wines the bandwidth reaches from light, dry and refreshing through opulent, dry and powerful to the most nobly sweet dessert wines. Red wines run the gamut from youthful and elegant to magisterial and opulent – and then there are Austria's sparkling wines, which come in a wealth of various styles.
Seen from the stylistic angle, primary fruit flavours will claim the foreground in some Austrian wines, while with others one finds the mode of élevage (perhaps in barrique, or with long lees contact) more of a factor. This vast range of possibilities provides a marvellous playground for matching wines with foods. Connecting all of the dots would be an attractive assignment, but in order to remain just a bit manageable, we have arranged this wide variety into ten types of wine, which also make for a perfect sequence on the menu.
1. Semi-sparkling wines & Sekt
Austria produces first-class sparkling wines – a tradition that dates back to the middle of the 19th century. These wines are perfect for a classic aperitif and also display wonderful versatility when paired with a great many dishes.
Sekt: Méthode Traditionelle
This category includes sparkling wines that are produced by the traditional bottle fermentation method – essentially Sekt Austria (PDO) Reserve and Große Reserve.
3. White wines – classic & refreshing
Austria’s classic white wines have a satisfying freshness and fine acidity, alongside plenty of elegance, strong character and medium-bodied structure. Their typically unobtrusive nature allows even the most subtle flavours in dishes to unfold.
4. White Wines – powerful and opulent
Here come the stars of the Austrian white wine scene: premium whites with good ageing potential – outstanding terroir wines with international acclaim.
5. Rosé Wines
Rosé wine is winning friends and becoming increasingly popular, thanks to its freshness, fragrantly spicy aromas and appealing colour.
6. Red Wines - classic
Intensely dark, powerful red wines with a high alcohol content may have been all the rage in the 1990s and 2000s, but today’s trend leans towards lively, delicate wines displaying varietal typicity. This is very good news for the Austrian wine industry because refreshing, light-footed wines are one of the areas in which the country’s vintners excel.
7. Red Wines - intense & opulent
The international trend towards red wine has also made a considerable mark on the Austrian wine industry, in terms of the evolution of supply and demand. Full-bodied wines combining good concentration, complexity, depth and ageing potential are being recognised with both national and international awards.
8. Alternative wines
Twenty years ago, the pinnacle of fashion for an Austrian winegrower was to release his or her premium red blend, aged in expensive new French oak. But times have changed – new oak is no longer regarded as being on the cutting edge.
9. White Wines - half-dry & medium-sweet
High-quality Spätlese and Auslese are some of Austria's best-ageing wines. As younger wines, they display great finesse with a mellow residual sweetness, as well as a vibrant balance between fruit and acidity. This characteristic can be especially well developed in Austria due to the perfect climatic conditions between northern and southern wine-growing regions.
10. Nobly Sweet Wines
Austria shows its sweet side with an outstanding quality of Prädikatswein: Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese, Strohwein, Schilfwein and Eiswein – the latter with its expressive, melting fruit – as well as the noble, refined Ruster Ausbruch which is steeped in centuries of tradition. These sweet wines are truly distinct, characterised by their residual sweetness and highly concentrated acidity – often with the unmistakable flavour of Botrytis cinerea (noble rot).