Glossary

The Gemischte Satz, or field blend, is quite the opposite if a blended wine (where the finished wines are blended together). Here different grape varieties are planted together in the same vineyard, and are all harvested, pressed, vinified and matured together. The Gemischte Satz has a long heritage in Wien (Vienna), and is currently enjoying a revival.

A jovial gathering of people drinking wine in the cellar, a popular weekend pastime when Austrian visit their preferred wine producer.

Wine glasses should ideally be tulip-shaped, clear, colourless and with thin glass and a relatively long stem, with which to hold the glass, as well as a sufficient capacity to swirl the wine and allow the aromas to evolve. Ideally, a white wine is filled to the halfway measure of the glass, and the red wine to a third.

As in sport, the gold medal is awarded at a wide range of wine competitions and tastings.

First or classed growth is the term usually reserved for French wines (e.g. in Burgundy), and in Austria, it is the description for a great, top Qualitätswein (quality wine).

The grape berry fruit, consisting of the skin, fruit flesh and pips.

The sweet aroma or flavour of the (still) unfermented wine, that is reminiscent of grape juice.

If the grapes have reached physiological ripeness, this is the prerequisite for nobly sweet wine, such as Beerenauslese, Ausbruch and Trockenbeerenauslese.

In Austria, the following grapes varieties are classified for the production of Qualitätswein (quality wine). White wine varieties: Blütenmuskateller, Bouvier, Chardonnay (Morillon), Frühroter Veltliner (Malvasier), Furmint, Goldburger, Goldmuskateller (Moscato Giallo), Grauer Burgunder (Pinot Gris, Ruländer), Grüner Veltliner (Weißgipfler), Jubiläumsrebe, Müller-Thurgau (Rivaner), Muscaris, Muskateller (Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains, Gelber Muskateller, Roter Muskateller), Muskat-Ottonel, Neuburger, Roter Veltliner, Rotgipfler, Sauvignon Blanc, Scheurebe (Sämling 88),Souvignier Gris, Sylvaner (Grüner Sylvaner), Traminer (Gewürztraminer, Roter Traminer), Weißer Burgunder (Weißburgunder, Pinot Blanc, Klevner), Weißer Riesling (Riesling, Rheinriesling), Welschriesling and Zierfandler (Spätrot). The red wine varieties are: Blauburger, Blauer Burgunder (Blauer Spätburgunder, Blauburgunder, Pinot Noir), Blauer Portugieser, Blauer Wildbacher, Blaufränkisch, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Rathay, Roesler, Rosenmuskateller, Sankt Laurent, Syrah and Zweigelt (Blauer Zweigelt, Rotburger).