Wines of the week: March 8
It used to be said that in order to eat badly in France, you really had to go looking. From my experience, those days are gone. My tip for gastronomic holiday heaven is now Austria. On a recent trip to Vienna, my wife and I had the most wonderful food everywhere from cafes to smart restaurants. Yes, there’s a lot of pork – but what pork! It’s like German food prepared with an Italian regard for ingredients. What really surprised us, however, was the red wine. It’s not thin, wimpy stuff; Austria, especially in the east near Lake Neusiedl, gets very hot so the grapes develop lovely, warm flavours. The varieties to look out for are Blaufränkisch, which makes full, juicy wines, St Laurent, which is similar to Pinot Noir and Zweigelt, which is a genetic cross between the two.
The primary taste of Austrian reds is of ripe autumn fruits sometimes with some forest smells. Imagine picking wild raspberries on a cold morning and you’re nearly there. I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad one.
Hans Igler, Blaufränkisch Ried Hochberg 2008, £12.50: www.thewinesociety.com
Smells a little funky with some very ripe strawberries, and is almost, but not quite, jammy. The taste is very fine and aromatic with a long finish.
Hans Igler, Zweigelt Classic 2010, £9.50: www.thewinesociety.com
Simple and very enjoyable; a wine for drinking, not pontificating about.
Heinrich Hartl St Laurent 2009, £16.99: www.waitrose.com
This is a raspberry-scented red with faint herby notes like you might find in a young Burgundy.
Dorflagen Pittnauer St Laurent 2011, £16.99: www.bottleapostle.com
Though made from the same variety as the previous wine, this is meatier. It’s a vibrant purple colour with flavours of summer pudding, plums and spice.
The primary taste of Austrian reds is of ripe autumn fruits sometimes with some forest smells. Imagine picking wild raspberries on a cold morning and you’re nearly there. I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad one.
Hans Igler, Blaufränkisch Ried Hochberg 2008, £12.50: www.thewinesociety.com
Smells a little funky with some very ripe strawberries, and is almost, but not quite, jammy. The taste is very fine and aromatic with a long finish.
Hans Igler, Zweigelt Classic 2010, £9.50: www.thewinesociety.com
Simple and very enjoyable; a wine for drinking, not pontificating about.
Heinrich Hartl St Laurent 2009, £16.99: www.waitrose.com
This is a raspberry-scented red with faint herby notes like you might find in a young Burgundy.
Dorflagen Pittnauer St Laurent 2011, £16.99: www.bottleapostle.com
Though made from the same variety as the previous wine, this is meatier. It’s a vibrant purple colour with flavours of summer pudding, plums and spice.