Kracher’s Non-Vintage Noble Reserve TBA

Landscape near Illmitz © ÖWM / WSNA

The best-known Austrian noble sweet wines probably come from Rust and Seewinkel, located east of Lake Neusiedl. The climate prevailing on Lake Neusiedl particularly favors the development of Botrytis, which makes it possible to harvest grapes for Beeren- and Trockenbeerenauslese in almost all years. On the east side, the botrytis development is by a variety of

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Scheurebe TBA from the steep slope specialist


Wine landscape near Durbach © erge Pixabay

The Ortenau is known to many because of the local Riesling clone, called Klingelberger. Also in Durbach, north of Offenburg, many locations are planted with it, including at the local Durbach winegrowers’ cooperative, from which the wine tasted today comes, a 2013 Trockenbeerenauslese from the Scheurebe from the Steinberg location. A grape variety which can be

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Wagram’s minerality – Red Veltliner TBA

North and south of the Danube lies the Austrian winegrowing area Wagram. In the larger northern part of the wine thrives mainly on loess and sandy gravel soils. As in all of Austria, the Gruner Veltliner with a cultivated area of ​​1,330 hectares is also here the number one. Yet there is no other austrian winegrowing area in which more of the almost similarly named variety Roter Veltliner is cultivated than in Wagram – 82 hectares. With Gruner Veltliner, the autochthonous grape variety Roter Veltliner has nothing to do, it is known rather as crossing partner of some other Austrian autochthonous varieties such as Neuburger, Rotgipfler or ZierfandlerRead more ...

Are matured Trockenbeerenauslesen the better choice?

In other words: Are matured, ie older Trockenbeerenauslese better than those from younger vintages? Several reasons have led to this question, the most important is probably that I think the sugar content of Auslesen seems to be optimal. Another important reason is the fact that my wine friend Hans stores a lot of sweet wines, including many old TBAs in his wine cellar, from which we time by time we taste some. As a result of this fact, six of the eight TBAs discussed so far in the blog were 15 years or older. For me five of them met the criteria for an excellent wine.

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Trockenbeerenauslese from southern Styrian Opok

“Evi and I are going on vacation to southern Styria at the winery Tauss” my friend Udo told me. I, too, had been on vacation in the winery Tauss and bought wine there – the last, recently opened bottle of the red Traminer macerated and fermented on the grape skins in 2006 has been sensationally good. Only one sweet wine of Tauss was slumbering in the wine cellar, a 2002 Trockenbeerenauslese of Pinot Gris, in German named Grauburgunder. Already almost 10 years ago, during our nearly obligatory annual short holidays in southern Styria, we realized hat the wines of Roland Tauss are characterized more by secondary aromas … Read more ...

Chardonnay Day 2017 – TBA by Fred Loimer

Harvestehude Chardonnay grapes © pixabay.com

There are Cabernet Day, Grenache Day and a few more varietal days. Today is International Chardonnay Day and one thing is for sure: Chardonnay has earned this day as it is possibly the most adaptable grape variety that not only reflects the distinct terroir it grows on, but is also very sensitive to the techniques used in the cellar. That’s why Chardonnay comes in a variety of different styles: from taut and steely, through soft and creamy, to bold and opulent. In each of these styles, the Chardonnay grape variety is successful, as evidenced by very good placings at many of

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Matured sweet wines from Wachau and Kamptal

Blick auf Spitz in der Wachau mit Tausendeimerberg
Spitz in the Wachau with view on the Tausendeimerberg

Hans had invited to taste Austrian sweet wines, this time already matured ones, mostly from Riesling. This grape variety does not play the main role in Austrian viticulture, as on the Rhine and its tributaries. However, it is the second most widely cultivated white grape variety in the vineyards located along the Danube, in the Wachau, in Kremstal and Kamptal – but by a long way behind the main vine Grüner Veltliner.

Warm Pannonian eastern air together with a moderate western Antlantic influence, as well as moist cool falling winds from the Waldviertel and Weinviertel

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