Just back from a fleeting first time visit to the to the Austrian capital Vienna famous for its Classical Composer’s notably Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, Schubert, and Strauss (Nicknamed the City of Music), with Imperial Palaces, UNESCO world Heritage sites, the worlds oldest Zoo ( Tiergarten Schönbrunn), delicious Viennese cuisine, a thriving coffee house culture and of course not forgetting there’s wine which I shall get on to later
Austria itself is also alive to the sound of Music, ask Julie Andrews, and it’s where the snow globe was invented.
Our Weekend
We arrived late Friday evening and returned Monday afternoon as the title suggests a bit of a Viennese whirl.
We stayed in the bustling vibrant city centre, we did the touristy bus hop on hop off tour, saw the Belvedere Palace, and sampled some traditional Austrian fare.
Let me say straight away, what a fabulous city it was, we were welcomed enthusiastically everywhere, the Austrians we met couldn’t have been more helpful and courteous, we also felt incredibly safe even late a night, and so much history to marvel at.
Tasting Authentic Wiener Schnitzel
Couldn’t come to Vienna without sampling some Schnitzel, so we made a reservation at the traditional Figlmüller restaurant.
First thing that struck us when it arrived was how big it was, large enough that it overlapped the plate.
An authentic Austrian Wiener Schnitzel uses veal cutlets, flour, lightly beaten eggs, and fine breadcrumbs, fried rapidly in clarified butter or lard until crispy and golden.
What we had with it, Mixed tomato salad and a Potato salad with some Dinkelbrota whole-grain spelt bread known for its rich, nutty flavor, dense yet tender crumb, and high nutritional value. It typically uses spelt flour, a sourdough or rye starter.
The restaurant was bustling, and there was a constant line of people outside waiting to come in, luckily we made a reservation online and they found us a lovely table.
If you come to Vienna then I heartily recommend this Restaurant,
Top tip: if you order a whole Schnitzel - you better be hungry, there’s a lot to eat, we ordered one to share and looking around lots of other people were doing the same.
Well, you can’t come to Austria without trying Grüner Veltliner and this one was very good even for their house wine ……
Crisp and dry, flavours of green apples, limes and lemons, a little spice in the form of white pepper, finishing a little earthy and herbal.
I also tried a Weissburgunder (Aka Pinot Blanc) by the glass which was also good, green apples, ripe pear, and citrus, alongside gentle stone fruit and much more floral.
Other wines I tried……….
A crisp, biodynamic dry white wine from Vienna, Austria, crafted predominantly by producer Weingut Fritz Wieninger
Tropical fruits: Ripe white peaches and apricots, and hints of sweet pineapple with a vibrant acidity.
Vienna’s Wine types
Wiener Gemischter Satz: A protected field blend where various white grape varieties grow together in the same vineyard, get harvested simultaneously, and are pressed into a single complex wine.
White Grapes: Dominate 80% of local production, led by Grüner Veltliner, Riesling, Weißburgunder (Pinot Blanc), and Chardonnay.
Red Grapes: Account for about 20% of the total yield, highlighted by Blauer Zweigelt and Pinot Noir (Blauburgunder)
As I said it was a fleeting stop, we only had two full days but from what we saw we were impressed, the city was full of charm, food was good and hearty and the wines were very good.
While we were there it was 30°C so we drank mostly white wine and beer.
Guild members Keith and Paul have both written about Austrian wines in more depth.
Waitrose Blueprint Range, Grüner Veltliner £9.25
Grüner Veltliner is the country’s most widely planted grape and is highly praised for being a versatile food wine..
The first thing that hits you sticking your nose in the glass is Honey dew melon with maybe a whiff of pineapple. Fresh and light in the glass and when sipped that melon flavour comes to the fore.
It’s a fairly dry wine, little creamy as well with a hit of white pepper spice.
Wine Society - Germischter Satz £8.95
Ever so slightly effervescent Austrian field Blend 80% Grüner Veltliner, 15% Müller-Thurgau, and 5% Muskateller. Limes and passion fruit, hint of sweetness.
Waitrose Lentsch Zweigelt £10.25
A light red, lots of juicy sour cherry, plums, berries, faintly herbal, violets, nice slightly chilled. Similar to a racy Pinot Noir.
Waitrose Feiler – Artinger Blaufränkisch £14
Blaufränkisch, the second most widespread red (after Zweigelt), is medium-bodied with a black-cherry fruitiness, a hint of redcurrant, and a spicy, black-pepper.
And now Paul, fresh from loitering in the Spar wine aisles …
“The Legends” is the affordable premium wine range to be found in Spar shops. For more about their ranges of wine, see here.
Here are two Legendary wines!
Spar The Legends Chardonnay 2023 13% abv £7.75
The arty chessboard label features the “ King of Grapes”, a reference to the ability of chardonnay to travel and succeed anywhere.
This is a vanilla-rich, creamy and classic buttery chardonnay.
Oak is definitely evident, but kept in check and is a solid example of this style. Decent amount of alcohol.
Terrific with roasted chicken and tarragon.
Spar The Legends Côtes de Gascogne 2024 11% abv £7.50
Lovely label, the Sunflower adorned undulating hills mixed with vineyards. Made by super cooperative Plaimont. No grape details given, but I think that Sauvignon Blanc and Colombard provide the backbone to this crisp, dry and refreshing white wine. I suspect that Ugni-Blanc and Gros Manseng may also play a role, providing complexity and interest.
I do wish that grape varieties are included on the back wine labels!
Great with mussels in a creamy sauce.
I have noticed a Facebook post of a Spar shop down south having a deal of any two Legend wines for £12. At that price - an absolute steal.
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More Monday Top Tips from Brian Elliott
Keith Evans - Standing in for Sancerre? + Dave Cronin - Two wines from Valencia
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