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 Over 10 years ago, I was assisting at a Wine Show where an Austrian producer was participating with his Sauvignon Blanc wines from Steiermark (Styria). He requested me to taste his wines. I was too busy and avoided him-frankly because Austrian Sauvignon Blanc did not excite me. Post the Austrian wine scandal of 1985, I was apprehensive of tasting Austrian wines. But he was persistent and since he was an elderly gentleman and also a fellow engineer I relented and went to his stand to taste merely as a courtesy... within those next minutes, I changed my opinion about Austrian wines and in particular, Sauvignon Blanc. Since the wine was from Styria, the region was added to my bucket list and whenever feasible I would taste wines from the region.
Styria is not Sancerre
If someone asked you the best Sauvignon Blanc region, Sancerre would come to your mind instantly. Not only because the two rhyme so well, but Loire Valley where the town of Sancerre has made it a premium brand, is where the grape is supposed to have originated in the 18th century. Of course, during the last some 40 years New Zealand has become a very popular region, though the two have a distinct difference in aromas and flavours due to different terroir. If you have tasted South African Sauvignon, you might love its extra crispy style. Napa fans might even reminisce about the Fume style originated by Mondavi, perhaps when the juice might have been left over longer than intended.
If the Austrian Sauvignon does not come to your lips, you have not tasted the wine from here and certainly you have not visited the beautiful Südsteiermark (South Styria) like I hadn't a decade ago at the time of my chance encounter. Of course, the quality has improved tremendously and the quantity has more than doubled too during the last decade.
Out of the total cultivation of 45,900 hAs in Austria 933 hAs have been planted mostly in South Styria as well as Niederösterreich (Lower Austria) and Burgenland growing nominal quantity. If you are from Central Europe, you might love it because you have perhaps tasted it already in Slovenia with open borders and similar soil and terroir and there is some similarity.
The variety travelled to Austria in 19th century, as Muskat-Sylvaner, a confusing name because it has nothing to do with the grape which in reality is a cross between Traminer and Chenin Blanc and in fact is not permitted to be used since 1999. And if I didn't know about the grape from Styria during that incidence, it was perhaps because it was not popular outside Austria then. According to the Austrian Wine Marketing Board (AWMB) the production doubled from 1999 to 2009 and has perhaps maintained the growth rate due to increase in popularity, not only in the Austrian restaurants but overseas where South Styria Sauvignon Blanc has earned respect.
Master-class on International Sauvignon Blanc
 A Masterclass was organised by the Austrian Wine Summit at Vinofaktur Genussregal, a modern mini-mall in Vogau on the south-eastern border where one can buy wine, local and gourmet foods and several culinary products under one roof (a unique and exciting place to visit for wine and other tourists to this area). Conducted by the Sauvignon Blanc specialist David Cobbold, Sommelier Gerhard Ritter, the Austrian journalist Luzia Schrampf and Willi Klinger, CEO of AWMB, the workshop focussed on the 3 origins of Sauvignons-Sancerre, New Zealand and Styria with the objective of defining the style of the domestic wine.
 There were 4 flights of 3 wines each from 2014, 2013 and 2012 vintages. The tasting was blind. While a majority of people were able to guess a majority of the wines correctly, there was no consensus on which tasted the best or even the common characteristics. To me the wine was quite aromatic without the grassy notes, very fresh, crisp, fruity with gooseberry in the front attack but there were other tropical flavours in the layers too. hat was missing and palatable for me was the absence of grassiness and excess of asparagus. The wines were concentrated with medium body and some of them were spicy. They were dry- a couple of them had good fruitiness. It was not easy to reach consensus on the characteristics of the wine or what was typical of Austrian wines. It was not important for me as the flavour and personality of the local Sauvignon were attractive. The pungency varied and in fact confused our mind in judging the origin of the wine.
Smorgasbord of Styrian Sauvignon
 Kögl is a family run winery in Südsteiermark, in Ratsch- the border town near Slovenia. It’s being run by the young daughter winemaker Tamara Kögl who has a small winery and also a family owned B& B place where Buschenschank (a tavern where a limited Menu of cold cuts may be sold with the house wine). With a 10 hA property, it is a boutique winery making some excellent wines. (www.weingut-koegl.com).Her father used to make stainless steel wine tanks and the mother was a winemaker before they got in this multi-faceted business in around 2000. Their Sauvignon Blanc from this winery was delicious (89/100).
There was also a smorgasbord of 18 Sauvignon Blanc labels from the region. Other wines were Sabathi Hanes, Wolfgang Maitz, Panoramaweinhof Strablegg-Leitner, Stefan Pauritsch, Schilhan, Gründl Labuttendorf,Deutsch, Primus, Anton and Isabella Perner, Hiden, Peter Skoff- Domäne Kranachberg, Riegelnegg Olwitschhof, Meinhardt Hube, Krispel, Muster Gamlitz, Jaunegg Daniel and Ewald & Hannes Zweeytick.
Once could pour at will wines chilling at the two tasting bars set up in the open with enchanting landscape surrounds. Perhaps, because of the relaxing vineyard atmosphere with steep and slippery slopes abounding, the wines tasted even better and very easy drinking but having a personality of their own.
At yet another tasting there were Sauvignon Blancs from Gross (93/100), Erwin Sabathi (91/100), Schneeberger, Harkamp (94/100) and Skoff Original-Walter Skoff. Other wines tasted at Erwin Sabathi Winery included Derisebner Stammhaus Lackner-Tinncher. One thing besides their being pleasant in general was that they had a personality.
 Sauvignon Orange Wines
Styria also makes some very good Sauvignon Blanc Orange wines as we had tasted on the day of our arrival in Graz. There had been five such samples –each made from full grape bunches with skin contact. Unfortunately, these 'intellectual wines’ (as I call them) are not likely to find ready buyers in India. However, it was a pleasure to meet one of the producers Sepp Muster, owner of the Maria and Sepp Winery. He explained that the production was expensive and limited and rather than looking at the market, he studied the customer and sold his limited bottles under allotment to those who he believed, really appreciated his wine. Other wines were from Warga Hack, Silberberg Landesweingut Weinbauschule, and Holger Hagen Carpe Vinum
All styles of Sauvignon Blanc are thus available in Styria- the customer can take a pick based on his personal choice-and the options on prices may not be like he has for New Zealand, Chile, Australia or South Africa, but enough to enjoy the diversity offered by the terroir of this region known for white wines, especially in Sauvignon Blanc, the King of white grapes here.
Sancerre and Sauvignon rhyme well. But Styria and Sauvignon can jive well too! Especially when it is South Styria!
Subhash Arora |