Junger Österreicher – the Newcomer of the 2014 Vintage

It's young, fresh, fruity and so alive! The Junger Österreicher, Austria's most famous young wine brand, is once again in season, and offers tremendous diversity in the glasses of the Austrian wine scene.

The picture shows a glass of white and rosé wine with the logo of the Junger Österreicher on it.  Copyright: AWMB

The First Results of Intensive Efforts

Junger Österreicher, © Austrian Wine

The First Results of Intensive Efforts

There was plenty of fickle weather this year and, for Austria's winemakers, it brought a continuous flux of sun and rain. The drought stress conditions last Spring, brought on by the warm Winter, were greatly feared – but by this September, the vineyards were anything but dry! The high amounts of rainfall and brief periods of beautiful weather didn't make it easy for winemakers to wait for exactly the right picking time and, moreover, demanded of them fine-tuned expertise, sharp intuition and highly meticulous care during the harvest. However, the generally cool vintage means that the Junger Österreicher 2014 will bring bounty of freshness and crisp raciness.

Successful – and Forever Young

A harbinger of the new wine vintage, Austria's most famous young wine brand - Junger Österreicher - was launched by the Austrian Wine Marketing Board in 1995. Approximately 800, 000 bottles, all with the eye-catching logo sticker, were released last year alone. This year, however, there likely will be less – but certainly no less exciting – wines available. In addition to the Junger Österreicher are a number of regional young wine brands. For example, there are Steirischer Junker from the Steiermark, Primus Pannonikus from Burgenland, Vienna's Junger Wiener,  the Primus Carnuntum (from Carnuntum) and, from the Thermenregion, Der Junge and Junge Hiata – all released annually. 

Early ripening grape varieties are preferred for the Junger Österreicher and the other young wine brands. These varieties include Welschriesling, Rivaner, Frühroter Veltliner, Muskat-Ottonel and Blauer Portugieser as well as the more typical grapes Grüner Veltliner, Sauvignon Blanc and Blauer Zweigelt.

The “Limited Edition” is Perfect for Seasonal Cooking

The pleasures of drinking Junger Österreicher and other young wine brands can be somewhat short-lived. The wines' youthful freshness and fruity flavours tend to have a short lifespan, which is why the wines should be imbibed until just after the end of the Carnival season - usually sometime in February. Appropriately, Junger Österreicher wines are ideal as aperitifs or as food companions to delicious Autumn delights. And with their crispy character, the wines perfectly complement hearty tavern bites and snacks, seasonal specialities such as St. Martin's goose, and tasty game-based appetizers.

Junger Österreicher is indeed time-limited, but is also a charming harbinger of the new vintage - one that doesn't keep wine lovers waiting to taste wines from the 2014 vintage.


NEWSLETTER

Be the first one to know the latest news in the world of Austrian Wine!

Erfahren Sie Neuigkeiten vor allen anderen und sicher Sie sich die aktuellsten Themen aus der Welt des österreichischen Weins. • Hintergrundinformationen • Eventeinladungen • Gesetzesänderungen Noch nicht überzeugt? Sehen Sie sich hier unseren aktuellen Newsletter an.
Open Newsletter Panel Close Newsletter Panel