Wine growing was introduced in present-day Austria by the Romans. In the Middle Ages, the church played an important role in wine production. After the vineyards were plagued by phylloxera in the nineteenth century, several new grape varieties were introduced.
Vine growing reached its first peak at the beginning of the 16th century. A world-famous batch of Trockenbeerenauslese from Donnerskirchen in Burgenland dates from this period (1526), which is said to have been drunk until the 18th century. In the 17th century, wine taxes and wars threatened Austrian wine growing.
Things improved again in the 18th century under the leadership of Maria Theresia (picture). Production processes were improved with the help of science. A general beverage tax replaced the wine tax. Winegrowers were allowed to sell their wine at any time during the production process. As a result, very young and still fermenting 'wine' from the last harvest can already be drunk in November. This tradition continues to this day in Austria and Slovakia.
In 1860, the world's first wine-growing school was opened in Austria: Klosterneuburg (photo) in Wagram. Mighty Austria played a leading role in the international wine world. Famous Austrian grapes such as Zweigelt and Blauburger were crossed from other grapes in Klosterneuburg. To this day, this monumental wine institute is a leader. Many Austrian winegrowers have been and are being trained there at the highest international level.
At that time, Austria was primarily a country of 'gemischter Satz'. Different grape varieties were mixed together in the vineyards. They were also picked in this way - one grape riper than the other. To this day, the white version of this special 'cuvee' is produced in the wine district of Vienna.
In 1872, the phylloxera - as elsewhere in Europe - destroyed a large part of the vineyards. Other grape varieties were planted that were more resistant to diseases. The Grüner Veltliner began its triumphal march and eventually became the national pride of the country.
At the time of the outbreak of the First World War, Austria was the third wine exporting country in the world. However, after the First World War the Austrian Empire fell apart and after the Second World War the Austrian wine exports came to a virtual standstill. In the 1950s, machinery was used on a large scale to rebuild viticulture and increase production. Many winegrowers focused on cheap sweet white wine, which was mainly exported to Germany and Italy.
In 1985, the ‘antifreeze scandal’ dealt a serious blow to the export of Austrian wine. A handful of fraudulent producers were found to be artificially sweetening wines. The scandal was widely reported in the international press. Exports came to an almost complete standstill.
In retrospect, the wine scandal gave an enormous boost to quality. Winegrowers started producing more and more dry white and red quality wine. The very strict Austrian wine laws that have been in place since then are strictly adhered to in order to guarantee the quality of production. Winegrowers have massively focused on high quality. And that has paid off. Austria is once again considered one of the most interesting wine countries in the world and is back on the map. Grüner Veltliner is hip, wine magazines are full of articles about Austrian wine and the general public is more interested than ever in discovering the wine country of Austria.
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