The AWS National Tasting Project

Wines of Austria and Hungary ~ A Well Kept Secret

August 30, 2015

Thank You Silver Coast

AWS and Chapter News We are starting to make plans for 2016.

AWS National Conference will be taking place on Nov. 4-7

Please note the change in out October meeting date from the 25th to the 18th.

Cast your ballot for the future leaders of AWS. Ballots for Secretary and Direct of Education must be cast by 9/15. Also there is a bylaw change to vote on as well.

PA Gov Tom Wolf vetoed legislation that would have closed the state’s liquor stores and allowed private sales.

Future Chapter Events Sep 27th QVC Wine

Oct 18th Virginia Wines by Mary Lou and Jeffery Salter

November No Meeting

Dec 7th Wine Dinner at Angelo’s Will need a commitment by sometime in October in order to go forward with detail plans.

Jan 17th Italian Wines by Petrea Imports

Feb 21st Bordeaux Tasting by Doug Lappins

Mar 20th TBD

Apr 24th Amateur Wine Competition Awards & Tasting

According to the U.S. Wine Market Council

• 69% of all wine is consumed in your own home

• 12% is consumed at the home of a friend or a family member

• 15% is consumed in restaurants and bars

• about 4% of the wine is consumed somewhere else Could it be at AWS tastings?

Did You Know?

OVERVIEW OF 16 WINES INCLUDED IN 2015 NTP

The tasting today is a sample of wines from this list of varietals:

Austrian Varietals: Whites Gruner Veltliner (3) Weissburgunder (1) Grauburgunder (1)

Reds Blaufrankisch (2) St. Laurent (2) Zweigelt (2)

Hungarian Varietals: Whites Furmint (1) Tokaji Aszu (1)

Reds Kadarka (2) Blaufrankisch “Bikaver” Blend (1)

Austrian and Hungarian Wine

Both countries have produced wine at least since Roman times. Hungary has a longer tradition of wine regulation than France.

Winemaking in central Europe has experienced ups and downs over time due to

social/political/economic instability as well as natural threats to viticulture.

EXAMPLES • PHYLLOXERA Epidemic late 19th century wiped out vineyards throughout Europe • COMMUNISM (Hungary) wine viewed as a commodity …overproduction,

overpasteurization yielding large quantities of cheap, unpalatable wine primarily for internal and especially for Russian use

• CORRUPTION (Austria) Diethylene Glycol scandal 1985

CURRENT PICTURE The wine industry in both countries is resurgent in recent decades….especially

Austria….more slowly in Hungary Stricter government regulation of wine industry since late 1980’s

Less emphasis on overproducing cheap wine for internal consumption and export

More emphasis on production of quality wines e.g., increase in small, artisanal wineries; more outside investment from reputable and successful winemakers

Austria accounts for less than 1% of world wine production; Hungry much less than that. Yet, these countries have a long and storied history of winemaking, and produce some very high quality wines.

Examples

In Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of 2014:

1 Hungarian Wine and 2 Austrian Wines made the list

#75 Tokaji Aszu 5p Gruner Veltliners #’s 90 and 99 94 pts $49 90 and 91 pts $14 and $22

See Jan 2015 issue of WS

WS 2015 Noteworthy New Releases had 47 Austrian Wines

GV = 21 wines Riesling = 26 wines

15 rated 90+ 25 rated 90+See Jan 2015 issue of WS

Nine Austrian DAC Regions”Districtus Austriae Controllatus”

DAC is a legal designation that a particular region has achieved a special focus (and renown) for one or more varietals. DAC identifies a region typical quality wine.

Tokaji Aszu (Tokay) Mainstay of Hungarian Wine for centuries

….sweet dessert wine highly favored by royals throughout Europe and currently considered one of the finest dessert wines in the world.

Louis XV described it as "Vinum Regum, Rex Vinorum“

Made from indigenous grapes…. primarily Furmint which is blended with other local varieties especially Harselevelu, Muscat Lunel, and Oremus

Autumn in NE Hungary is intially wet followed by an extended “indian summer” Grapes are left on the vines until botrytis (noble rot) sets in Harvest may not take place until December

________________________________________________________________________

In 2014, regulators restricted Tokaji Aszu to 4 or 5 Puttonyos, which is the Hungarian scale expressing residual sugar content of the wine. (1 p = 30g/l)

There are Tokaji wines with lower residual content. (See Total Wine graphic)

The new rule is intended to increase the quality of wine labelled “Tokaji Aszu” and further limit use of the term.

Egri Bikaver “Bulls Blood” Eger Region in North Hungary

Hungary is famous for Kékfrankos wine, which is the most widely planted blue grape, and the principal wine component of Bikaver. aka Blaufrankisch and Lemberger

Must contain three of 13 approved varietals Austria Germany

Kékfrankos is said to produce wines with smooth tannins and a very deep and rich extraction. Spicy flavors and aromas of blueberries, anise and black pepper are common.

Eger has been called the “Burgundy” region of Hungary Bikaver blends are described as elegant and complex red wines that lack the fullness of

wines produced in southern Hungary, especially Villany and Szeksard, which produce “Bordeaux-style” reds.

Kékfrankos produced in Szeksard has become a flagship fine wine of Hungary.

Southeast Hungary accounts for most of the white wines produced in Hungary, especially the Kunság, Csongrád, and Hajós-Baja regions that primarily produce quick-drinking, table wine.

Hungarian whites, which account for 70% of the wines produced there, are described as full-bodied and spicy.

AWS Wine Evaluation • AWS uses 20 point evaluation scale developed at UC Davis. The system

assigned points across 10 categories.

• For everyday use, AWS has reduced the number of categories to five: Appearance, Aroma & Bouquet, Taste & Texture, Aftertaste, and Overall Impression.

• Wines are rated in each category and the total dictates the rating of the wine according to the criteria below:

AWS Wine Evaluation Form

AWS Wine Evaluation cont.

Till next month...be good, behave and be well.

Godspeed and Best Wishes everyone!!

Wine Designations

Wine Designations cont.