Austrian Wine Trips in 2009

This year there will be 2 wine trips to the regions around Vienna (Wagram, Thermenregion, Carnuntum) and up the Danube (Kamptal, Kremstal and Wachau). The price of the trip (£650.00) will include land transportation from Vienna, all accommodation (double or twin room), all meals, all tours and tastings. Drinks provided by the winemakers are included. Drinks at most meals will be extra. Flights are extra and there will be a single occupancy supplement of £100. Since EasyJet now flies into Vienna from either Gatwick or Luton you can book your flights quite cheaply, especially if you book early (Gatwick is recommended as it is less expensive right now AND has better times). As prior trip participants can tell you, these trips are a gourmet and wine tasting extravaganza! Some of the cultural highlights will include a tour of Stift Klosterneuberg, the historical home of commercial wine making in Austria and a beautiful monastery, and a stay in Dürnstein, the UNESCO World Heritage site where Richard the Lionhearted was imprisoned when returning from the Crusades.

ROUGH Itinerary –
Day 1 – depart Gatwick on EasyJet, arrive in Vienna at 1425. After picking up the van, we’ll drive to Gumspoldkirchen southwest of Vienna at the base of the Vienna Woods. There may be time for a quick soak in the thermal baths before dinner. Dinner will be at Waldgasthof Schimanszky, a brilliant restaurant in the woods featuring the wines and homemade goods of the force of nature that is Wolfgang Schimanszky. Overnight in Gumspoldkirchen.

Day 2 – Tour and tasting of Spaerot Gebeshuber in Gumpoldskirchen with lunch at their wine bar. After lunch we’ll make a short drive to Göttlesbrunn in Carnuntum to visit Franz & Christine Netzl for a tour and tasting. Dinner at a Heuriger in Gumpoldskirchen. Overnight in Gumspoldkirchen.

Day 3 – Morning tour of Stift Klosterneuberg, lunch at the Stift or in Klosterneuberg. Late afternoon tasting, probably at Schloss Gobelsburg or Bründlmayer in Kamptal. Alternatively, if desired, we may spend the afternoon with some of the monks of the Stift where there is a large English language contingent. Dinner and overnight in Dürnstein.

Day 4 – Morning for exploration of Dürnstein. Late morning tour and tasting at Tegernseerhof (or other producer) in Wachau. Lunch in Dürnstein. Afternoon visit to Stift Gottweig (yet another UNESCO World Heritage site), where they make some wine, too! Dinner at the Richard Löwenherz and overnight in Dürnstein.

Day 5 – Another opportunity to taste some of the wines of the Wachau (producer[s] to be determined). Early lunch on the way back to Vienna. Flight back to the UK in the late afternoon.

A deposit of £100 is required to secure your place. Payment in full is due 4 weeks before departure. Cancellation less than 4 weeks before departure will result in the forfeit of your deposit.
*****

Booking and prepayment for the tours is required. So phone (01628-472214) or email (paula@ultimatewines.co.uk) to book your place. A deposit of £100/person is required to hold a place on the wine tours. Payment in full is required 4 weeks before travel.

ANOTHER Turkey Day Wine

While looking at a few posts on Twitter, I saw a series of recommendations for Thanksgiving wines. I've already done that here but there's one wine that I forgot - and it's an unforgettable wine.

The grape variety is Zierfandler (also known as Spaetrot) and it comes from Gumpoldskirchen (GREAT name!) in the Thermenregion of Austria (that's just about a 40 minute drive southwest of Vienna). Zierfandler is grown almost exclusively in this tiny region of Austria and usually is blended with a related variety, Rotgipfler, also from the region. Whether separate or apart these wine grapes make some really delicious wine that pairs well with light and/or heavy flavors.

About a year ago I had a Zierer Zierfandler at Wallse (a terrific Austrian restaurant) in New York. It was a Friday night and I was dining alone so to keep tables free for larger groups, I was eating at the bar. While waiting for my meal, I had a glass of the Zierer which I also drank with my crab appetizer. I was going to order a Blaufrankisch to go with my duck main course, but the bartender suggested that I try a bit more Zierfandler to see how it went. Wow! It was wonderful - fragrant and spicy with crisp acidity, lovely minerality and some smooth creaminess on the palate but with enough backbone that it stood up to the duck yet didn't overwhelm the crab. A cameleon wine - and the perfect suggestion for the typically multi-flavored Thanksgiving meal.

It won't be easy to find a Zierfandler in your typical wine store but it's well worth searching for. I have some (of course) so UK consumers will be satisfied. And those of you in the US, especially in New York, should be able to find it at a number of stores (www.wine-searcher.com lists at least 6 stores with Zierfandler and 1 with Spaetrot in New York, and quite a large number with Rotgipfler throughout the Northeast). If you're on the West Coast or the Mid-west, you'll probably have to order on-line. Make the effort to find this - it will make your Thanksgiving happy.

Cafe Strudel Wine Dinner, 11 Sept 08

Cafe Strudel is a new Viennese restaurant in Richmond (a suburb of London). With the atmosphere of an elegant Viennese coffee house, excellent pastries and a variety of coffees and teas during the day, a short but satisfying lunch menu, a changing dinner menu offering highlights of Austrian cuisine, and the BEST Austrian winelist I've seen in the UK, this is a peach of a place in normal circumstances. Last night was far from ordinary.

Last night Cafe Strudel had their first "event" - a Viennese Food & Austrian Wine Tasting Dinner. The place was completely sold out and from the comments received during and after the dinner, it was a rousing success!

We opened with a glass of Stift Klosterneuberg 2006 Mathäi Brut - 100% Chardonnay and comparable to a Blanc de Blanc Champagne. Lovely and refreshing, with a biscuity nose and creamy mousse. It was particularly fitting to start with a wine from Stift Klosterneuberg because that is where commercial winemaking really began in Austria nearly 1,000 years ago.

The starter was Seared King Scallops with Coral Sauce. This was accompanied by a glass of Josef Hirsch 2005 Grüner Veltliner Heiligenstein. The scallops were delicate and savoury and the wine was quintessentially Austrian - refreshing with zippy acidity, with citrus, melon and pepper on the nose and lovely minerality. Like most Grüner Veltliner, this is a wine that will match very well with a variety of dishes.

This sequed into Saddle of Rabbit with Butternet Squash Dumpling and Stuffed Cabbage with a glass of Jamek 2005 Zweigelt Jochinger Rosé. The rabbit was sadly pretty bony as it often can be and it could have been just a bit more strongly spiced, but the squash dumpling was excellent and offered a nice contrast. The stuffed cabbage added to the fine presentation but wasn't particularly notable. However, the Jamek Rosé was inspirational - great varietal character and richness in a wine that is actually very light. This wasn't some insipid rosé that could come from anywhere, it spoke of its origins and offered real flavour even for people who don't normally like rosé. In fact, it was the favourite wine of the night for many of the diners. This would pair well with many different dishes like the Hirsch Grüner Veltliner.

The main course was Rostbraten Rump Steak with Mushrooms, Mustard Marmalade and Tender Swiss Chard Ribs. Again, I would have seasoned the beef a bit more strongly and it really needed just a bit of salt to brighten its flavours. The mustard marmalade really added zip to the dish. Overall quite good but it needed a bit more work. The wine was Netzl 2005 Rubin Carnuntum Zweigelt Selection and, again, was extremely good, spicy with rich, dark berry fruit and soft, smooth tannins. The red wine drinkers in the crowd were very impressed.

The finish was a real hit - Cherry Strudel with Kirsch Ice Cream served with a glass of Spaetrot-Gebeshuber 2006 Zierfandler/Rotgipfler. The strudel was tart/sweet with a rich accompaniment of ice cream and was perfectly matched with the Zierfandler/Rotgipfler (a blend of unusual Austrian varieties from the Thermenregion southwest of Vienna). The wine was just barely sweet so it didn't fight with the dessert and, in fact, both the strudel and the wine became richer in each others' company.

This was a fabulous introduction to events for Cafe Strudel. There's an opera night coming up and a goose dinner and much more. Everyday dining is also excellent with a delightful host in Orly Kritzman-Kadron, attentive and efficient wait-staff, and a kitchen that is inventive and coming into its own. And the winelist - gems from top to bottom and they are very fairly priced.