Wine from Vienna: It is no coincidence that the two words can be interchanged due to a misspelling. The Viennese are often described as wine-loving. But despite their long history, the wineries are very future-orientated.
Vienna and wine: an inseparable bond. In the Middle Ages, wine was even grown within the city walls, i.e. on the site of today's city centre. Many large wine cellars bear witness to the importance of wine for the city, the only city in the world with over a million inhabitants where viticulture is of significant economic importance.
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Even the city's landmark, St Stephen's Cathedral, was built with wine - and not just in the form of food for the workers. In the 1443 vintage, the wine was so acid thin that it could not be drunk. Emperor Frederick III then decreed that the undrinkable wine, known as "Reifbeisser", had to be used to quench the lime and make the mortar for the extension of St Stephen's Cathedral instead of being thrown away.
Today, viticulture has moved to the outskirts of the city. The focus is on the suburbs in the north, north-west and south-west of the city. North of the Danube - i.e. in Bisamberg, Stammersdorf and Jedlersdorf - mainly white and red Pinot varieties grapes of the highest quality grow on flysch rock. On the right bank of the Danube, on the hills from Nußdorf to Grinzing, Sievering and Neustift am Walde, limestone-rich soils and Riesling, Grüner Veltliner, Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc characterise viticulture. In the south of Vienna, brown and black earth soils in Rodaun, Mauer and Oberlaa produce powerful wines. A total of 134 wineries in twelve wine-growing villages currently cultivate 575 hectares of vineyards. They often serve their wines in wine taverns and simple inns, the "Buschenschanken". The nice and special thing about this is that almost all of them can be easily reached using the well-developed public transport network.
Vienna is not only repeatedly voted the "most liveable city in the world", it also offers wine lovers a speciality that even enjoys legal protection of origin: the Viennese Gemischter Satz DAC. However, Gemischter Satz is not an innovation, but the old, traditional method of viticulture that can be found almost everywhere. Several grape varieties are planted in one vineyard and - in contrast to blends or cuvées - harvested and processed together. The rules for the Wiener Gemischter Satz DAC are even stricter than in Austrian wine law. Here, at least three white quality grape varieties must be planted together in a Viennese vineyard (the number of grape varieties is open at the top); the largest share of varieties may not be more than 50 per cent, the smallest not less than ten per cent. This is intended to guarantee the diversity of wine styles.
Around 220 of the 575 hectares in Vienna are planted with Gemischter Satz. The regional wines are characterised by different compositions - more neutral or more aromatic grape varieties. The different origins come into play in the stronger local wines. And the single vineyard wines become more complex and long-lasting through longer ageing.
The Hungerberg vineyard in Grinzing is close to the city's residential areas
OeWM WSNAGemischter SatzThe grapes must come from a Viennese vineyard planted with at least three quality white grape varieties, which are harvested and processed together; the largest share of a grape variety may not be higher than 50 per cent, the third largest share must be at least ten per cent.
The fact that viticulture in Vienna is far more than just show vineyards or folklore for tourists is shown by a state law that stipulates that vineyards must also be cultivated. This is intended to protect the vineyards, which are often planted in sought-after locations, from property speculation.
As culinary companions, Viennese wines - especially the Wiener Gemischter Satz DAC - are open to all sides. They accompany classic Viennese cuisine, whose most famous protagonists are probably the Wiener Schnitzel and offal, but also star cuisine and particularly good Far Eastern dishes. Viennese wines are thus a Spiegel of the melange that Vienna has always been: a mixture of many cultures that meet here and thus a link between East and West, North and South.
Tourist tips for Vienna fill entire books - there are so many museums, palaces, churches and promenades to discover. For wine fans, discovering the vineyards is particularly interesting. There are even four special wine hiking routes and a special wine hiking day in autumn. Those who are particularly interested can visit Vienna's most central vineyard on Schwarzenbergplatz, where the mayor carries out the harvest every year. Or you can visit the Liesenpfennig vineyard, which is somewhat hidden in the grounds of Schönbrunn Palace. There are wine taverns and wine bars to suit every taste. And the connection between many world-famous artists and Viennese wine culture is legendary.