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 A few years ago when I visited Austria for the first time to study and enjoy Austrian wines, I raised the question of the infamous wine scandal of 1985 at a seminar. The speaker felt slightly uncomfortable as she said, ‘we don’t like to talk about it.’ However, it was reassuring though surprising to see it listed this year in the history of Austrian wines as described by the same AWMB in an excellent and exhaustive Manual in the booklet form - Austrian Wine in Depth.
Rising like a Phoenix
Starting in chronological order in 700 BC when the Celts are supposed to have begun to cultivate vines in Austria, through 1 BC when Romans started extensive plantings, this Manual covers the period recently till 2013 when the 9th DAC was born in the shape of Wiener Gemischter Satz. Incidentally, the other 8 wine growing regions which have received the DAC (Districtus Austriae Controllatus) status since 2002 are Weinviertel, Mittelburgenland, Traisental, Kremstal, Kamptal, Leithaberg, Eisenberg and Neusiedlersee. Wines from all other regions are designated with the name of the federal state in which the DAC region is located (Think Maharashtra and Karnataka where some of the appellations are being registered by the government bodies but have not been notified as a legal status yet).
 In the year 1985, in the chronological order of Austrian wine industry the list describes as, ‘The wine scandal unleashes an unprecedented price reduction of tank wine after it was discovered that Austrian wine has been adulterated by the illegal additive diethylene Glycol. Consequently, export sales of Austrian wine virtually diminished overnight but within a year the new stringent wine law is introduced, to supervise and inspect Austrian wine.’
Taking a lesson from the scam, just as the government enacted strict wine laws, the Austrian Wine Marketing Board was also established in 1986, to specifically promote the image and sale of Austrian wines. It might be debatable whether 1985 or 1986 would be the defining moments for the rise of the Austrian Wine industry from the ashes. But producers have never been happier with the constant endeavour of the Board to promote Austria globally, as I found talking to many of them.
One of the projects undertaken by AWMB has been the organisation of the 3-day Wine Summits biennially in May- June for journalists, sommeliers and other professionals. Exhaustive and engaging programmes await the select 200 persons from several countries, with Master classes, tastings, and Austrian gourmet experience shared in very conducive environments.
Hidden Gems of Steiermark, Thermenregion and Eisenberg
 The programme covered four different wine territories- the one I visited included Steiermark (Styria)t divided into three zones-Vulkanland Steiermark (Volcanic Styria), Weststeieirmark and Südsteiermark, besides Thermenregion and an overview of Eisenberg DAC. The 3-day programme was so tightly and well-knit that it was difficult to do anything but bare daily essentials. Each activity was so planned that every wine, area and the region got an opportunity to showcase thanks to AWMB, although Styria is what has made Austria known for its fruity, crisp and fuller Sauvignon Blanc.
Guide to Austria’s Hidden Gems
The efforts and efficiency of the organisation is visible when you look at the Tasting booklet Guide to Austria’s Hidden Gems given at the beginning. It is more important than the passport you carry in person. Every detail about the programme is published in this Guide-including the wines to be tasted, even Menu at most restaurants with each wine displaying key details. They include the alcohol levels which must be clearly defined on each bottle to +/- 5% of actual. I don’t know of any program I ever attended where not only free internet was provided at every place visited, but even the password is provided in this ‘Bible’!
Organic, Natural and Orange wines
 The smooth pick up at the airport was a given but the Programme and other accessories given were full of such valuable information that one might not need any more study material for a WSET Diploma! Of course, the layout is designed so colourfully with all maps of the region that even a novice would salivate thinking about the trail  that began with an informal Get-together at Tagescafe Freiblick in the beautiful inner city of Graz, Capital of Styria. Luzia Schrampf, an Austrian journalist presented Organic, Natural and Orange Wines from Styria.
There were 20 wines available at the bar with Organic Flying Dinner the Menu of which was listed in the Bible. So were the wines with the origin, style, name of vineyard, Brand on the label, Grape variety, vintage, Alc vol, Res. Sugar and indicated Ex-Cellar price bracket (including taxes). Acidity levels were not mentioned but generally available with Luzia if someone was keen to know.
 Sepp Muster, owner of Maria & Sepp Muster, a small winery from Südsteiermark (South Styria) was present to talk of his dry (0.5 gms Res sugar) Orange Wine -Sauvignon Blanc Gräfin 2012 with 13% Alc and ex-cellar indicative price €€€ (over €20). If you think it is expensive, you are not his potential customer. He exports the wine to many countries but decides who he wants to sell to, depending on how much the buyer appreciates the wine which sells for €32 at the winery. Passion at work, you would say! Incidentally, Austria is ahead of most countries in terms of making it a sustainable viticulture and the wineries being organic or bio-dynamically certified.
Austrian Wines in Depth tells you that out of around 4500 wineries bottling Qualitätswein (Quality Wines according to the law) there are more than a third that produce less than 30,000 liters (3300 cases a year). Only 17 producers boast of a production of over a million liters (In India 2 producers already qualify for this range-Sula and Grover Zampa).
Discovering Schilcher
 The 850-year old Deutschlandsberg is a quaint little castle (by Indian standards) built in the enchanting hilly countryside in West Styria, that has one of the most beautiful vineyard landscapes (I include the vineyards of Tuscany, Priorat, Veneto, Douro, Mosel and Gorishka Brda in Slovenia, Chile, Napa and South Africa) I have  visited. The visit to the museum with an enviable display of old glass work was the venue of tasting Schilcher wines, the highly under-rated Rose still and sparkling wine produced only in Western Styria.
This is not surprising because the total area of 450 hA out of registered vineyards of 500 hA is the grape Blauer Wildbacher and cannot be expanded even though the prices are rather low generally at under €10. No wonder, the wine is now exported much as it is consumed in Styria and around. A visit to Styria certainly calls for ordering a bottle of this Rose-that must be made from this unique local grape, with low sugar-under 3 gms sugar (for classic classification). More on this wine will be in the next edition.
 Schloss Otterbach is a beautiful property-with 4 rooms and a magnificent view of manicured gardens and a small restaurant. For some inexplicable reason, there was a line-up of about 25-30 Mercedes beauties with different models (to welcome the group, perhaps?). The banqueting area where we had lunch had had a wedding the previous evening and the decorations made it look more like an extravagant dinner. Not complaining, we were given a taste of 5 Weissburgundur (Pinot Blanc) and 10-Chardonnay (known as Morillon in this region); all were listed in advance along with the Lunch Menu. Dishes crafted specially for the lunch were catered by Chef Tom Riederer who has no classic cards for the restaurant and the kitchen creates a new Menu every week. With the 20 wines matching the different dishes,  it was a memorable, luxurious lunch.
Taste of Sauvignon
 Complementing the Tastings, a vineyard hike had been thoughtfully organised to visit the first EU project of interactive vineyards. It saw many a pretty face slip due to the steep slopes which were slippery due to a short burst of rain earlier in the day. Starting in the Sabathi Winery, one could get a glimpse of the EU funded project that has brought 5 wineries together. Based on GPRS and smart-phones one can find details of vineyards, grapes and several other details during a walk that may last 30 minutes to 90 minutes. Though the internet was not working properly, it was an excellent opportunity to check out the signature grapes of the area, Sauvignon Blanc with a spattering of Weissburgunder and Yellow Muscatel,  Chardonnay from South and Southeast Styria. Details of the project are at www.terroirleben.com. Skoff (original) and Schauer are two common names for quality wines from the region that were present with Lackner –Tinnacher and Dreisiebner Stammhaus being also part of the 5 wineries.
Loisium and Die Weinbank
 Loisium was our overnighter in Ehrenhausen, a dream hotel for everyone at any age. Understandably more expensive, it is a beautifully designed new property that betters its older version at Langenlois where I had stayed on one of the previous visits. The Gourmet Dinner at the nearby upper-ended  restaurant, ‘Die Weinbank’ would easily qualify as a Restaurant where I had one of the best meals, including several Michelin Starred restaurants. Even though I had to give up eating before the third main course and the two desserts-the food was imply orgasmic, with too much depth in the Menu. Even though I could taste only 8 of the 11 wines paired with food for the whole meal, whites mostly from South Styria did a great job of pairing the food from Chef Gerard Fuchs, considered by the majority as the Best Chef of Styria. it was interesting that a wine was matched with the signature dish ( a glass of this orange wine with the dish sells for €23, according to the sommelier partner Christian Zach who presented each wine.
A must-visit Wine Complex Vinofaktur
 ‘Vinofaktur by Genussregal’ in South Styria is a unique wine complex which every wine lover visiting Graz must have on his or her bucket list. It has a beautiful, inviting wine shop, a lot of information about wines, a host of gourmet foods and a couple of wine bars. The range of gourmet products available  is mind- boggling and it is a true gourmet paradise. I could munch on endless chilli pumpkin seeds while sipping Sauvignon Blanc which was the protagonist at this venue too-though not only Styrian varietal.
A blind tasting of 4 flights with 3 wines each, was organised - the first three being 2014, 2013 and 2012 vintages while flight 4 had Sauvignon Blanc of 2011, 2009 and 2007. On an average 2 out of 3 wines were guessed correctly-out of Styria, New Zealand and France, demonstrating that Styria produced some excellent Sauvignon Blanc. The Panel comprised of Willi Klinger, David Cobbold from Paris, Gerhard Ritter and Willi Klinger for this Master Class. Though one could not reach a consensus of what exactly defined Styrian Sauvignon Blanc, it held its ground as a delicious varietal when compared with the New Zealand and French counterparts.
Buschenschank Bash with Blanc
 Winery Kögl with a Buschenschank and a Bed & Breakfast for 5 rooms was an example of why South Styria is a home and heaven for Sauvignon Blanc. The winery was founded in the 1990 sby the parents of the charming winemaker Tamara Kögl. It is located at a divine location, barely a kilometre  from Slovenia as the crow flies. The site was also so chosen because of the Buschenschank which is like a tavern that usually operates during the harvest months where legally only cold foods may be served. Homemade smoked pork, sausages and sharp Styrian horseradish led the streaming dishes that were cold but filling and tasty as a difference cuisine. A total of 18 Styrian Sauvignons were ready to taste at the special bar set up, as we arrived.
The Aromatics
 Austria has several hidden gems including the aromatic varieties Grauburgunder and Traminer being just two of them. Winery Neumeister is in the village of Straden in the volcanic country where 13 wines- Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris), Traminer of red and yellow variety, and a Gewürztraminer were showcased-each nicely catalogued in the Guide.
 Ten Sauvignon Blancs, a Morillon (Chardonnay) and a Riesling were again the highlight at another beautiful hotel property, Schloss Kapfenstein, surrounded by a picture-postcard landscape. It was also the dinner venue where 9 labels of the late ripening red variety Blaufränkisch, the signature grapes of Eisenberg DAC were showcased.
Introduction to Thermenregion
 Thallern was the last stop on our way towards Vienna, where an interesting Master class organised by AWMB was an introduction to the grapes of Thermenregion. The rare indigenous varieties Rotgipfler and Zierfandler were the white grape protagonists counter-balanced by the red Sankt Laurent and Pinot Noir of the region. A competent panel headed by Dr Pepe Schuller MW (the first Austrian Master of Wine) enlightened us with the help of 4 flights of 3 wines each. He was assisted by producers- Bernard Stadlmann, Johannes Reinisch, Georg Schneider and Sr. Wolfgang Hamm who shared their own experience with these varieties.
Grooving to the Gru-Vee
Despite the various alternative, indigenous grape varieties we tasted, Grüner Veltliner is the most popular grape of Austria which is known internationally as the signature grape. It is an ideal wine for Indian foods as well. Vienna was the rendezvous for the four groups on different discovery missions. AWMB had picked out the perfect destination-the majestic and imposing Palais Niederösterreich for tasting 100 Grüner Veltliner in several categories-from young, funky to Reserves and the mature versions going back to 1983 which surprisingly was still alive and fairly charming. Producers like Rudi Pichler, Loimer, Bründlmayer, Schloss Gobelsburg, F.X. Pichler, Knoll and Mantlerhof justified their current status as the top producers as we tasted their mature wines.
 The Great Austrian Wine Party
What better way to celebrate the culmination of the tour than have the visitors taste wines from all regions of Austria, with a flying dinner with around 80 wines! And the evening transporting us briefly to the Vienna Congress 200 years ago-in 1815! Willi Klinger, the dynamic and charismatic Managing Director of AWMB is a man for all seasons. He brought out his talent as an actor in the guise of Ludwig Beethoven the German Composer, living at that time. This was the last opportunity when one could run through the list of around 77 wines-available in abundance  with snacks and pass around main course dishes.
Each and every event at the Wine Summit 2015 was planned so meticulously-starting from the pick up at the airport to arranging cabs by the ever smiling and willingly helpful staff after the Party at the Palais, making sure one stayed focussed on the task at hand- Studying the Hidden Gems of Austria. Beaming from the many compliments about looking after each minute detail like providing the password at each site, Willi Klinger says, ‘It’s our job to see the needs of the visitors. Internet for the journalist is no longer a luxury but a necessity. So we provide the password for all the areas visited, in advance.’ I am sure, he is aware of the need of maps provided for each of the areas visited. The whole of Styria is vividly ingrained in my mind forever!
If Uncle Bob (as I call Robert Parker fondly) had been on this visit, he would have surely rated it at 100 points. I feel the 21 member band, AWMB played out the tunes even better than the last time when I scored AWMB at 100. With a world full of +++s, I can rate Austrian Wine Marketing Board at 100+ for excellent planning and execution of the Wine Summit 2015-tough act to beat in 2017.
Subhash Arora
For a few of the earlier related articles, please visit:
Austrian Wine  : Gobelsburg : Shattering Myth about Whites
Austrian Wine : Klinger Scores 100 Points
Austrian Wine : New Appellation of Leithaberg DAC
Austrian Wine : Vines Full of Knots and Crosses
Austrian Wine : Give me the Green Please |