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There are sufficient wines from Austria in our market to cowl with out together with Hungary however I’m unsure it’s the case once you reverse the state of affairs, so I’ve lumped these neighbours collectively for this column. The final time I used to be there on a media journey we discovered ourselves crossing these borders just a few occasions with out discover, despite the fact that the journey was based mostly on Austria and their wines. Traditionally, the 2 international locations shaped the Austro-Hungarian Empire, a twin monarchy, that existed between 1867 to 1918, and collectively they had been a significant power in Europe.
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Right now, each international locations are members of the EU (since 2007), and the Schengen Settlement permits residents of each international locations to journey freely between the 2 nations. From a wine perspective, these in Burgenland could make wine in Hungary, and a number of other Austrian growers have both purchased or leased Hungarian vineyards. Recently, I’ve tried some nice wines from each international locations which are brimming with persona and appeal and worthy of exploration.
Austria could also be finest recognized for producing high-quality riesling and gruner veltliner however there are a few indigenous crimson grapes – most notably blaufrankisch – that may be a revelation. One producer specifically – Moric – is making crimson wines from this grape which have critics and writers resembling Jancis Robinson swooning. Moric is the brainchild of winemaker Roland Velich who began the vineyard in 2021 and, inside a brief interval, folks had been evaluating his wines to Grand Cru Burgundy, not as a result of they style like pinot noir however as a result of they’ll convey related beguiling properties. There may be underlying energy to his wines, mixed with plush fruits and minerality. His 2021 blaufrankisch ($45) and 2018 Moric Reserve ($80) can be found in Calgary.
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Austria can be well-known for gruner veltliner, an underappreciated white grape that may rival the good rieslings of the world in the appropriate arms. Weingut Knoll, located within the Wachau area about 150 kilometres west of Vienna – is one such producer. These excessive acid, mineral-driven wines can age for many years, however when served with meals – most notably Asian fare – they are often loved youthful as effectively. Younger gruner typically carries a definite white pepper word that tends to fade over time however when younger contribute to the spicy meals compatibility. Knoll focuses on single winery wines that promote within the $60 vary (and up), and are a worthy addition to any cellar.
Hungary’s nice contribution to the wine world is Tokaji, one of many world’s oldest wines courting again to the fifteenth century. Manufacturing of the wine covers 5,500 hectares of vineyards unfold amongst 27 villages and cities, focusing predominately on the indigenous furmint and harslevelu grapes. It’s assumed that within the sixteenth century, the invading Ottomans found that grapes affected by botrytized grapes (a.okay.a. noble rot) might nonetheless be pressed and made into wine, delivering an extremely candy nectar generally known as aszu.
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Noble rot can be answerable for the well-known candy wines from Sauternes in France, in addition to some wines from the Loire Valley. By itself, aszu is a syrup delivering a punch of about 450 grams of residual sugar per litre of wine. In its rarest kind, the wine is known as Eszencia, and the grapes are picked by hand, grape by grape, and sugar ranges can exceed 600 grams. As a result of it’s unimaginable to ferment wine with this a lot sugar dry, they’re usually bottled at about 5 per cent alcohol and can run you over $1,000 a half bottle if you could find one. One hectare of grapes will usually yield two bottles of wine; how loopy is that? Extra generally, the nectar is blended with base wine after which fermented and aged. The sugar ranges are measured on a scale generally known as Puttonyos, with 5 and 6 puttonyos being the commonest sweetness ranges (except for Eszencia).
Traditionally, the wine was coveted by kings and czars, however the communists put an finish to that. Once they invaded in 1956, they began mixing it into factory-made plonk. After their fall in 1990, manufacturing resumed and ultimately regained its rightful place as one of many world’s biggest candy wines. It needs to be famous that there are excellent dry wines constructed from the furmint grape as effectively, and most are very fairly priced. Tokaji tends to be costly for apparent causes however if you need a cheap instance, strive the Grand Tokaji Szarmorodni ($17). I don’t understand how they’ll make this fashion of wine for that worth nevertheless it’s not dangerous in any respect. Issues get critical once you select a producer like Tokaji Traditional ($160 a 500 ml bottle for his or her 6 Puttonyos) or Royal Tokaji 6 Puttonyos (additionally $160 per 500 ml bottle). Suffice it to say these are big day wines however they’ll rival something from Sauternes, and that features the legendary Chateau d’Yquem (app. $400 a half bottle). Due to the excessive sugar ranges, just a little goes a good distance, which is why a 500 ml bottle is sensible. They are often served with issues like foie gras, fruit tarts, particularly tarte tatin, of blue cheese. Cheers!
Geoff Final is a long-time Calgary wine service provider author, teacher, and broadcaster. He might be heard each Friday on CJSW’s Highway Pops program between 4 -6 p.m. He was awarded a fellowship at Napa Valley’s Symposium of Skilled Wine Writers for articles which have appeared on this column. Media inquiries might be directed to lastcallforwine@gmail.com
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