Vineyards in the wine region of southeast Austria (Austria Wine)
Austria’s wines are highly prized both by wine experts and wine lovers around the world. As artisanal products with a special link to the land, their wide variety directly reflects the country’s distinctive wine-producing terroirs. Though mostly known for dry white wines, producers offer delicious reds made from grapes that inlclude Pinot Noir and distinctive Austrian varieties such as Blaufränkisch and Zweigelt. Austria is also home to Riedel, makers of some of the most expensive wine glasses in the world.
Austrian-born wine importer Klaus Wittauer offers a guide to the country’s leading wine-producing regions, including the Wachau, a UNESCO world heritage site in the Danube Valley, as well as the Kamptal, Wagram, Burgenland, and the Theremnregion.
Sample wines from each of these areas, inlcuding a sparkling Grüner Veltliner from the Kamptal, a Pinot Noir and Blaufränkisch from Wagram, and a red cuvee with Syrah from Burgenland. He also shares tips for selecting Austrian wines, and highlights their versatility for food parings.
Wittauer’s importing firm KWSelection represents products from more than a dozen Austrian winemakers. Locally, he served as the wine buyer for Sutton Place Gourmet (now Balducci’s) and worked at L’Auberge Chez Francois in Great Falls, Virginia.
