In Focus: Bergland Austria

Hibernation is over

23 March, 2023

of Marcus Hofschuster | Alexander Lupersböck in Tasting OeWM WSNA

The cool conditions in Austria's mountain locations have long been a handicap for viticulture. This is now changing: the wines from there are becoming more and more interesting. Yet quality viticulture is only just taking off here.

The wine region Bergland Austria unites the wines of the provinces of Carinthia, Upper Austria, Tyrol, Salzburg and Vorarlberg under one roof, whereby Carinthia is included but also retains its name as a wine-growing region. A total of 220 ha are planted in the Bergland - 123 in Carinthia, 78 in Upper Austria, 14 in Tyrol and 5 in Vorarlberg. In the city of Salzburg there is currently only one tiny vineyard on the Mönchsberg, whose 500 bottles are sold for charity.

Austria's alpine wine-growing regions often have a centuries-old wine-growing tradition, as many place and field names still indicate. In Carinthia, viticulture has been documented since Roman times, in Upper Austria it was an important economic factor. The market town of Aschach on the Danube, for example, has a grape in its coat of arms. And in Vorarlberg, the area under vines was once a hundred times larger than today, at around 500 ha.

Climatic changes such as the Little Ice Age, the phylloxera crisis and the fall of import duties on wines caused viticulture in the mountainous region to come to an almost complete standstill in the 19th century. In modern times, however, quality viticulture in particular has become really interesting again since climate change has become clearly noticeable. As a result, the number of wineries is growing quite rapidly.

We were surprised ourselves at how many producers submitted tasting samples, especially since we had never heard of almost all of them before. This is likely to be the case for most wine lovers, but probably not for much longer. Because the naturally cooler climate of the mountain locations, until now a handicap in viticulture, is slowly developing into an advantage. High sites are increasingly sought after. The highest vineyard in Austria is in the Tyrolean Oberinntal at over 1,000 m above sea level.

Even if at the moment they are mostly only available directly from the producers or in the local gastronomy: Presumably not much time will pass before some of Austria's most exciting wines come from the mountains.

At least to a certain extent, this can already be seen today. Although most of the wines are on a palatable everyday level, some Sauvignon or Chardonnay, for example, already easily compete with good Styrian representatives. We were even more surprised by some of the red wines. Some of the Pinot Noirs in particular stood out very positively. We are very excited about the future development of these wines.

The number of organic wineries is also pleasing. More than a quarter of all wines tasted are certified organic, which is surprising in view of the undoubtedly more difficult conditions for winegrowing in the mountains. The fact that here, as in nearby South Tyrol, fungus-resistant grape varieties are increasingly found is only consistent against this background.

We have tasted a good 130 wines from Carinthia and the Bergland Austria region in the past weeks, of which we present the best here. As always, you will find links to all the wines, the tasting notes and the producers at the end of the lists.

In Focus: Bergland Austria Sauvignon Blanc

Weinbaubetrieb Familie Egger - Sternberg — 2019 Sauvignon trocken "Tempus" 22.50 €

TrippelGut - Kärnten — country Austria 2021 Sauvignon Blanc trocken Alpenwein 14.80 €

Domäne Lilienberg Weinbau GmbH — country Austria 2019 Ried Rosengartl Sauvignon Blanc trocken 13.10 €

Weinbau Familie Eschlböck — country Austria 2020 Sauvignon Blanc trocken "Franz von Lothringen" 19.90 €

Armin Kienesberger - Biodynamischer Weinbau — country Austria 2020 Sauvignon Blanc trocken Up to 15.00 €

Weinbau Zoller-Saumwald — country Austria 2021 Sauvignon Blanc trocken 17.00 €

Weinhof vlg. Ritter — country Austria 2021 Ried Josefsberg Sauvignon Blanc trocken 14.50 €

Weingut Taggenbrunn — 2020 Sauvignon Blanc trocken "OPUS" 19.50 €

Weinbaubetrieb Familie Egger - Sternberg — 2021 Sauvignon trocken 19.50 €

Burgwein Laßnig — 2021 Sauvignon Blanc trocken 12.00 €

Vinum Virunum — country Austria 2017 Sauvignon Blanc trocken

All wines

In Focus: Bergland Austria Chardonnay

Chesa Druschauna Weinbau — country Austria 2021 Chardonnay Up to 15.00 €

Weingut Taggenbrunn — 2019 Chardonnay trocken 12.50 €

Weinhof vlg. Ritter — country Austria 2021 Ried Steinbruch Chardonnay trocken 13.50 €

Weingut Taggenbrunn — 2015 Chardonnay Reserve trocken 19.50 €

Weinbau Zoller-Saumwald — country Austria 2021 Ried Kirchenriese Chardonnay trocken 19.00 €

Weinbau Zoller-Saumwald — country Austria 2020 Ried Kirchenriese Chardonnay trocken 19.00 €

Weinhof vlg. Ritter — country Austria 2021 Ried Josefsberg Chardonnay trocken 13.50 €

Weinbau Familie Eschlböck — country Austria 2017 Chardonnay trocken "Barrique" 25.90 €

All wines

In Focus: Bergland Austria Pinot Blanc

Weingut Taggenbrunn — 2019 Pinot Blanc trocken 12.50 €

Weingut Taggenbrunn — 2021 trocken Gemischter Satz 9.90 €

TrippelGut - Kärnten — country Austria 2020 Pinot Blanc trocken Alpenwein "vom SCHIEFER" 13.80 €

TrippelGut - Kärnten — country Austria 2020 Weißburgunder trocken Alpenwein "vom SAND/SCHOTTER" 13.80 €

Lenzbauer Wine — 2021 Ried Vogelherd Weißburgunder trocken "Macho" 12.00 €

Weinbau Zoller-Saumwald — country Austria 2021 trocken "Passion" 16.00 €

Armin Kienesberger - Biodynamischer Weinbau — country Austria 2020 Pinot Blanc trocken Up to 15.00 €

Weingut Taggenbrunn — 2019 trocken Gemischter Satz 12.50 €

All wines

In Focus: Bergland Austria Riesling

Weingut Taggenbrunn — country Austria 2018 Rheinriesling trocken

Vinum Carinthi - Landesweingut Kärnten — 2018 Riesling Auslese 19.50 €

Weingut Taggenbrunn — 2019 Riesling trocken 13.50 €

All wines

In Focus: Bergland Austria Grüner Veltliner

Der Manfred & die Seinen - Weinbau Manfred Maureder — country Austria 2021 Grüner Veltliner 10.00 €

Armin Kienesberger - Biodynamischer Weinbau — country Austria 2018 trocken "Push the Sky away" Up to 30.00 €

Armin Kienesberger - Biodynamischer Weinbau — country Austria 2021 Grüner Veltliner trocken "Amore Naturale - naked" Up to 20.00 €

Armin Kienesberger - Biodynamischer Weinbau — country Austria 2021 Grüner Veltliner trocken Up to 15.00 €

Weinbau Rogl — country Austria 2019 Grüner Veltliner trocken 11.50 €

All wines

In Focus: Bergland Austria Cuvée / Gemischter Satz

grafenBERGERin — country Austria 2022 trocken Cuvée 16.00 €

Weinbaubetrieb Familie Egger - Sternberg — 2021 trocken "Kärntner Satz" 16.50 €

Weingut Taggenbrunn — 2021 trocken Gemischter Satz 9.90 €

Weinhof Strad - Andreas Flür — country Austria 2022 trocken Cuvée "Bergkristall" Up to 15.00 €

Weinbau Zoller-Saumwald — country Austria 2021 trocken "Passion" 16.00 €

Weingut Taggenbrunn — 2019 trocken Gemischter Satz 12.50 €

All wines

In Focus: Bergland Austria Other grape varieties

Weinbau Zoller-Saumwald — country Austria 2020 Pinot Noir trocken 24.00 €

Domäne Lilienberg Weinbau GmbH — country Austria 2021 Ried Rosengartl Gelber Muskateller trocken 15.90 €

Weingut Taggenbrunn — 2019 Gewürztraminer trocken 13.90 €

Weingut Taggenbrunn — country Austria 2018 Rheinriesling trocken

TrippelGut - Kärnten — country Austria 2021 Gelber Muskateller trocken Alpenwein 13.80 €

Weinhof Tangl — country Austria 2022 Müller-Thurgau trocken 12.80 €

Vinum Carinthi - Landesweingut Kärnten — 2018 Riesling Auslese 19.50 €

Weingut Flür — country Austria 2021 Solaris trocken "Casanova" 14.90 €

Weinbau Max Profanter — country Austria 2021 Solaris "Viller Bergwein" Up to 10.00 €

Weingut Taggenbrunn — 2019 Riesling trocken 13.50 €

All wines

In Focus: Bergland Austria Pinot Noir

TrippelGut - Kärnten — country Austria 2018 Ried Eckstein Pinot Noir trocken "PRIVAT" 32.00 €

Armin Kienesberger - Biodynamischer Weinbau — country Austria 2019 trocken "Into my Arms" Up to 30.00 €

Weinhof Tangl — country Austria 2021 Pinot Noir trocken "Kaiser Max" 19.80 €

Weinhof Tangl — country Austria 2020 Pinot Noir trocken "Kaiser Max" 19.80 €

Vinum Carinthi - Landesweingut Kärnten — 2020 Blauer Burgunder trocken "Holzfass" 14.00 €

Weinhof vlg. Ritter — country Austria 2020 Ried Josefsberg Pinot Noir trocken 20.00 €

Weingut Taggenbrunn — country Austria 2018 trocken "Cuvée Taggenbrunn" 16.90 €

Armin Kienesberger - Biodynamischer Weinbau — country Austria 2020 trocken "Nature Boy" Up to 30.00 €

All wines

In Focus: Bergland Austria Other grape varieties

Weinbau Köck — country Austria 2019 Roesler trocken "Barrique" 22.00 €

Vinum Virunum — 2017 Blaufränkisch trocken 16.80 €

Vinum Virunum — 2019 Zweigelt Reserve trocken 15.80 €

Weinbau Wild — 2020 Ried Seewiese Zweigelt trocken 17.00 €

All wines

In Focus: Bergland Austria Cuvées

Weinhof vlg. Ritter — country Austria 2021 trocken "Cuvée Granat" 20.00 €

Armin Kienesberger - Biodynamischer Weinbau — country Austria 2019 trocken "Into my Arms" Up to 30.00 €

Weingut Taggenbrunn — country Austria 2015 trocken "Cuvée Taggenbrunn"

Weinbau Köck — country Austria 2020 trocken "Kristan - olt´s Holzfassl" 20.00 €

Vinum Virunum — 2017 trocken "virunum cuvée" 16.80 €

Weingut Taggenbrunn — country Austria 2018 trocken "Cuvée Taggenbrunn" 16.90 €

All wines

In Focus: Bergland Austria Rosé

Der Manfred & die Seinen - Weinbau Manfred Maureder — country Austria 2021 "Rosé" 10.00 €

Weinhof Strad - Andreas Flür — country Austria 2021 Zweigelt trocken Rosé "Pink Lady" Up to 15.00 €

All wines

In Focus: Bergland Austria Sparkling wine / semi-sparkling wine

Armin Kienesberger - Biodynamischer Weinbau — country Austria 2021 trocken "Apollo 21" Up to 20.00 €

Weinbau Familie Eschlböck — country Austria 2020 Brut Nature "der PETNAT" 30.90 €

TrippelGut - Kärnten — country Austria Gelber Muskateller trocken

grafenBERGERin — country Austria 2022 Zweigelt Dry Rosé 16.00 €

Weinbau Köck — country Austria 2018 Roesler Grande Réserve Brut Rosé 26.00 €

All wines

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	100 WP unique Wines that can only be made differently, but not better.
	95-99 WP great World-class wines whose depth, complexity, character and expressiveness give an unforgettable, sensual experience.
	90-94 WP excellent First class wines that are among the best of their kind. They are characterized by purity, harmony, depth and character.
	85-89 WP very good Remarkable wines with personality, expression, as well as a certain complexity and depth. They deserve every wine lover's attention.
	80-84 WP good Clean, harmonious, at best typical wines.
	75-79 WP passable
	70-74 WP schwach
	60-69 WP insufficient
	50-59 WP unacceptable

Welcome back!

In Focus: Bergland Austria

Hibernation is over

In Focus: Bergland Austria Sauvignon Blanc

In Focus: Bergland Austria Chardonnay

In Focus: Bergland Austria Pinot Blanc

In Focus: Bergland Austria Riesling

In Focus: Bergland Austria Grüner Veltliner

In Focus: Bergland Austria Cuvée / Gemischter Satz

In Focus: Bergland Austria Other grape varieties

In Focus: Bergland Austria Pinot Noir

In Focus: Bergland Austria Other grape varieties

In Focus: Bergland Austria Cuvées

In Focus: Bergland Austria Rosé

In Focus: Bergland Austria Sparkling wine / semi-sparkling wine

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EVENTS NEAR YOU

100 WP unique

95-99 WP great

90-94 WP excellent

85-89 WP very good

80-84 WP good

75-79 WP passable

70-74 WP schwach

60-69 WP insufficient

50-59 WP unacceptable