Unit 12 of 26 · Online wine course

Austrian Wine Course

Grüner Veltliner, the Wachau, Burgenland and Styria. 6 lessons · about 46 min

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The 6 lessons

  1. Austria at a glance: Grüner Veltliner and dry wines

    How a 1985 scandal turned Austria into a land of dry, fresh, precise whites led by Grüner Veltliner, shaped by warm days and cool nights.

    You will be able to:

    • describe Austria's signature: fresh, dry, precise whites
    • explain how warm days and cool nights shape the wines
    • tell why the 1985 scandal made Austria raise its standards
    about 8 min

  2. The grapes of Austria: Grüner Veltliner and more

    Grüner Veltliner leads Austria's whites, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc each have a home, and Zweigelt and Blaufränkisch are the key reds.

    You will be able to:

    • spot Grüner Veltliner by its apple, citrus and pepper
    • tell Zweigelt from Blaufränkisch and match grapes to regions
    • explain what a field blend like Gemischter Satz is
    about 8 min

  3. The Wachau and the Danube: Austria's white heartland

    Why river warmth, forest-cooled nights, old rock and windblown soil make Lower Austria's crisp dry whites, and how to read the Wachau's style words and a Ried.

    You will be able to:

    • explain how warm days and cool nights shape Wachau wine
    • read Steinfeder, Federspiel and Smaragd on a Wachau label
    • name the signature of each Danube region and Vienna
    about 7 min

  4. Burgenland and Styria: reds, sweet wines and Sauvignon

    Warm Burgenland makes many of Austria's best reds and lake-misted sweet wines, while greener, wetter Styria is home to crisp, aromatic Sauvignon Blanc.

    You will be able to:

    • explain how lake mist makes Burgenland's sweet wines
    • tell everyday Zweigelt from age-worthy Blaufränkisch
    • name Styria's main whites and its local rosé
    about 8 min

  5. Reading an Austrian label: tiers, DAC and key words

    An Austrian label names the tier, the place (down to one vineyard) and the style: learn the Banderole, the DAC pyramid and a few key words.

    You will be able to:

    • climb Austria's quality ladder from Wein to Prädikat
    • read the DAC pyramid from Gebietswein to Riedenwein
    • decode an Austrian label line by line
    about 8 min

  6. Germany and Austria side by side: a buyer's guide

    A side-by-side guide to German and Austrian bottles: what is in the glass, how to tell dry from sweet, what to eat with them and what to buy.

    You will be able to:

    • spot a dry bottle on German and Austrian labels
    • compare Riesling and Grüner Veltliner in the glass
    • choose a German or Austrian wine for a dish
    about 7 min

Related reading on Winelingo: Wine of Austria