If you're going to Austria to eat and drink, chances are that you've got wine on your mind. As a wine destination, Austria has it all: autochthonous varieties, perfect winemaking, gaspingly beautiful scenery, elegant cities, tiny independent wineries and very reasonable prices. The same spirit illuminates the brewing scene and Austrians are the world's fifth most enthusiastic beer drinkers: they down 109 liters per head per year. The styles are a combination of German pilsner and international innovation. You can tour a monastic brewery, listen to Gregorian chant and then head back to Vienna to have a sunset beer in a chic brewpub.
Be sure to check out the Mühlviertel, between the Danube and the Bohemian Forest. This region includes Austria’s only monastery brewery in Schlägel Abbey; the country’s oldest brewery, the Gutsbrauhof in St. Martin; the long-established Municipal Braucommune in Freistadt; and countless castle breweries, palace breweries and other small breweries. And of course, it's a short train ride to the original Budweiser brewery in Budvar, Czech Republic.
For more on beer and beer travel, check out: The Short Course in Beer
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
A Triumph for Heidi Schröck
I'm just back from my annual harvest-time tour of Austria. (There's nothing like annoying the wine makers when they're really busy!) The good news is that the 2008 vintage is looking good, with lots of grapes still hanging as of October 1st. The better news is that some of the 2007's are remarkable.
One that's especially worth mentioning is from Heidi Schröck, one of the lights behind Eleven Women and their wine. It's a field blend of white varieties that she's calling Vogelsang. It's a white with arresting concentration and structure and a commanding bouquet of pears and floral notes with an attractive minerality.
Along with her neighbors in Rust, Heidi is still making gorgeous Ausbruch dessert wines (her '06 is a beauty), but whites like this may well steal the show.
Lynn Hoffman, author of The New Short Course in Wine and the sexy wine and food novel, bang BANG.
One that's especially worth mentioning is from Heidi Schröck, one of the lights behind Eleven Women and their wine. It's a field blend of white varieties that she's calling Vogelsang. It's a white with arresting concentration and structure and a commanding bouquet of pears and floral notes with an attractive minerality.
Along with her neighbors in Rust, Heidi is still making gorgeous Ausbruch dessert wines (her '06 is a beauty), but whites like this may well steal the show.
Lynn Hoffman, author of The New Short Course in Wine and the sexy wine and food novel, bang BANG.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Finding Austrian Wine in the US
There's still not a lot of Austrian wine making its way over here. Those pesky Austrians seem to insist on drinking most of it themselves. Fortunately, there are some internet tools that can help. If you live in one of the 'control' states where the distribution of wine is controlled by the government, you usually have a website that shows what's available. In Pennsylvania, that site will also allow you to order wine for delivery to a store near you.
In the rest of the country, you can use a site like WineAccess.com to search for wine by country, region, grape type or winery name. Your results will show you who stocks the wine and will compare prices. Of course, since this is a national database, it may not help you to know that the St. Laurent of your dreams is available in Texas if you live in New Jersey, but even if you're not within driving distance, many retailers are glad to ship within the continental US.
In the rest of the country, you can use a site like WineAccess.com to search for wine by country, region, grape type or winery name. Your results will show you who stocks the wine and will compare prices. Of course, since this is a national database, it may not help you to know that the St. Laurent of your dreams is available in Texas if you live in New Jersey, but even if you're not within driving distance, many retailers are glad to ship within the continental US.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Grüner Veltliner Gets Dirty
Deep in the middle of the novel bang BANG, there's this guy Cardoso. He's not really in the center of the action, but until he is, we watch him cook a seductive dinner for the woman of his dreams. Her name is Concetta, Connie and she's radically candid-open, that is, a woman incapable-no, not interested in- the ordinary deceits that make ordinary life possible.
So he, disabled he, cooks her asparagus. Little skinny phallic asparagus. It's not exactly a dirty joke, it's just a pointer. Here's how it goes:
He picks some really skinny spears, three-quarters of a pencil, breaks off the woody part. He puts some water in a broad shallow pan and a steamer basket over the water. The 'ragus goes in as soon as the water boils, cover goes on. Two minutes, the crunch is soft, yielding but still fresh and live, just like, well never mind. Then the whole pan goes in the sink and the cold water rushes over and the sulfur smell is washed down the drain. Cardoso, who's now thinking about Connie so intensely that it's hard for him to remember the ordinary thing that he wants to do. But the green reminds him and he hits the dried pan with a shredded garlic comma and some butter and a squirt of olive oil from this little cylinder that would remind him of something if he weren't immersed in the dairy-tree smell coming off the pan as it heats and the cold bright green hits it with a bitty squeal.
Shaking the pan the pan's shaking him back roasting browns getting to them both. A spoonful A of his forearm and then out and on to a plate.
Salt. By God salt. There's a Grüner Veltliner from some guy he knows in Austria and he doesn't pour it in the pan, but in the glass and he looks at her and she's laughing like a crazy person who's used to being nuts, no big deal and he puts the plate between them and she reaches for a spear and smiling wickedly bites the damn head off.
Lynn Hoffman, author of The New Short Course in Wine and of course, the novel bangBANG.
So he, disabled he, cooks her asparagus. Little skinny phallic asparagus. It's not exactly a dirty joke, it's just a pointer. Here's how it goes:
He picks some really skinny spears, three-quarters of a pencil, breaks off the woody part. He puts some water in a broad shallow pan and a steamer basket over the water. The 'ragus goes in as soon as the water boils, cover goes on. Two minutes, the crunch is soft, yielding but still fresh and live, just like, well never mind. Then the whole pan goes in the sink and the cold water rushes over and the sulfur smell is washed down the drain. Cardoso, who's now thinking about Connie so intensely that it's hard for him to remember the ordinary thing that he wants to do. But the green reminds him and he hits the dried pan with a shredded garlic comma and some butter and a squirt of olive oil from this little cylinder that would remind him of something if he weren't immersed in the dairy-tree smell coming off the pan as it heats and the cold bright green hits it with a bitty squeal.
Shaking the pan the pan's shaking him back roasting browns getting to them both. A spoonful A of his forearm and then out and on to a plate.
Salt. By God salt. There's a Grüner Veltliner from some guy he knows in Austria and he doesn't pour it in the pan, but in the glass and he looks at her and she's laughing like a crazy person who's used to being nuts, no big deal and he puts the plate between them and she reaches for a spear and smiling wickedly bites the damn head off.
Lynn Hoffman, author of The New Short Course in Wine and of course, the novel bangBANG.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Alois Kracher Dead at 48
Austria’s dynamic wine community is mourning the loss of one of its most
consistently successful producers with the death of Alois Kracher on December
5th from complications due to cancer.
In 1986, "Luis" Kracher, who was educated as a chemical engineer, went
to work at his father’s winery. Kracher was already known for its sweet wines
and the young chemist quickly added to the winery’s reputation. His timing was
as good as his winemaking skill: he became a leader of the Austrian wine renaissance
as well as its most recognizeable spokesman. Alois Kracher was named Winemaker
of the Year" by Wine Magazine in London six times. Inaddition to the national and international awards, his wines receivedthe highest scores from some of the world's
most influential wine critics. All of this success and appreciation had turned Alois Kracher into Austrian wine's most globally-renowned luxury brand name.
Alois Kracher had worked tirelessly, not only for his own winery, but
for the reputation of Austrian wine overall. He opened the door to the
international markets for many of his fellow winemakers. His son,
Gerhard, with the support of the Kracher family, will carry on the work
of the great wine pioneer from Illmitz.
consistently successful producers with the death of Alois Kracher on December
5th from complications due to cancer.
In 1986, "Luis" Kracher, who was educated as a chemical engineer, went
to work at his father’s winery. Kracher was already known for its sweet wines
and the young chemist quickly added to the winery’s reputation. His timing was
as good as his winemaking skill: he became a leader of the Austrian wine renaissance
as well as its most recognizeable spokesman. Alois Kracher was named Winemaker
of the Year" by Wine Magazine in London six times. Inaddition to the national and international awards, his wines receivedthe highest scores from some of the world's
most influential wine critics. All of this success and appreciation had turned Alois Kracher into Austrian wine's most globally-renowned luxury brand name.
Alois Kracher had worked tirelessly, not only for his own winery, but
for the reputation of Austrian wine overall. He opened the door to the
international markets for many of his fellow winemakers. His son,
Gerhard, with the support of the Kracher family, will carry on the work
of the great wine pioneer from Illmitz.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Notes from Saudi America
In Utah earlier this month, Liquor control commissioner Bobbie Coray asked her colleagues to rule that bottles of liquor displayed at restaurants be covered because the sight of them might offend some diners.
Current rules require a glass partition between bartenders and customers, but that may not be enough according to Coray.
The walls don't obscure the alcohol, Coray said, which makes the "atmosphere in a restaurant to more of a bar."(sic) She singled out a chain restaurant that opened on Nov. 1, because alcohol bottles are in plain view.
"We have a dual responsibility," the commissioner said. "We are to make alcohol available for those who want to consume it and at the same time not make anyone uncomfortable."
Of course, there are opportunities here. Enterprising Utahans will certainly come up with Bottle Burkhas in attractive designs that meet the requirements of the new regulation.
There is no word as yet on what other offensive matters may be subject to obligatiory covering in the state of Utah, but a delegation from Iran is expected to arrive in Salt Lake City shortly to begin consultation. Watch this site for further news.
(By the way, it’s also worth noting that, in spite of what your cardiologist and millions of grandmothers say, Utah law provides that publicity about wine “may not imply …..that consumption of the product will benefit the consumer's health…”)
--Lynn Hoffman, author of THE NEW SHORT COURSE IN WINE and
the novel bang BANG which appears in Utah wearing a conservative blue book cover.
Current rules require a glass partition between bartenders and customers, but that may not be enough according to Coray.
The walls don't obscure the alcohol, Coray said, which makes the "atmosphere in a restaurant to more of a bar."(sic) She singled out a chain restaurant that opened on Nov. 1, because alcohol bottles are in plain view.
"We have a dual responsibility," the commissioner said. "We are to make alcohol available for those who want to consume it and at the same time not make anyone uncomfortable."
Of course, there are opportunities here. Enterprising Utahans will certainly come up with Bottle Burkhas in attractive designs that meet the requirements of the new regulation.
There is no word as yet on what other offensive matters may be subject to obligatiory covering in the state of Utah, but a delegation from Iran is expected to arrive in Salt Lake City shortly to begin consultation. Watch this site for further news.
(By the way, it’s also worth noting that, in spite of what your cardiologist and millions of grandmothers say, Utah law provides that publicity about wine “may not imply …..that consumption of the product will benefit the consumer's health…”)
--Lynn Hoffman, author of THE NEW SHORT COURSE IN WINE and
the novel bang BANG which appears in Utah wearing a conservative blue book cover.
Friday, November 9, 2007
Austria Wine is All Sold Out
Hmmm. Maybe I didn't get that headline right. What's sold out is the Austrian Wine Event on November 14th at the Austrian Cultural Forum in New York. If you're one of the lucky ones who has a ticket, you'll get to taste the wines of Weininger including the luscious Gemischte Satz. There's still lots of Austrian wine around, but if you don't hurry up and buy some, that may soon be all sold out too.
Lynn Hoffman--author of The New Short Course in Wine
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