In 2025, I did a very interesting tasting of Austrian wines with Stylianos Stavridis of Wine Tasting Vienna, Hollandstaße 10/1-3, in Vienna (ph +43 650 530 5066; email info@winetastingvienna.com). I booked through GetYourGuide but it can be booked directly. This was the most in depth tasting I’ve ever had (it helped that I was the only one at the tasting). The scheduled tasting included 6 wines but Stylianos added 3 others.
The 6 wines included 4 whites and 2 reds. He added 3 whites which included an ice wine. Most of the wines we tasted were of smaller producers usually making less than 50,000 bottles per year. The 6 included wines are numbered below.
1. Christian Madl Grüner Veltliner Sekt Austria Brut Von den Weißen 2020 [12% ABV My rating - 9.5/10]
Translating an Austrian label.
- The first word(s) are usually the producer, here Christian Madl
- The second word is usually the grape variety, here Grüner Veltliner
- Sekt means sparkling wine made using méthode traditionnelle like Champagne. If not, it is called "frizzante."
- Brut means a dry wine
- Last words before the date are usually the name of the wine, here Von den Weißen
2. Hirsch Grüner Veltliner Ried Gaisberg 1OTW Kamptal DAC 2022 [13% ABV. My rating 9/10]
Some additional labeling.
- Ried means made from a single vineyard, here Gaisberg
- 1OTW is a certification as organic and hand picked
- Kamptal is the region
- DAC is a quality guarantee like AOC, DOC or VQA
3. Alzinger Riesling Smaragd Ried Loibenberg Wachau DAC 2022 [13.5% ABV. My rating 8.5/10]
- Wachau is the region
4. Pfeifer Sauvignon Blanc Vulkanland Steiermark DAC 2021 [12.5% ABV]
- Vulkanland Steiermark is the region
5. Glatzer Zweigelt Carnuntum DAC 2022 [My rating 9/10]
6. Geselman Blaufränkisch Reserve Mittelburgenland DAC 2022
- Blaufränkisch is the grape
- Reserve indicates a complex wine that has been aged
- Mittelburgenlan is the region
Other wines tasted were:
Jurtschitsch Ried Heiligenstein Kamptal 2022 [My rating 7/10]
Ehrenhausen Sauvignon Blanc Weingut Poiz 2022 - Goes great with goat cheese according to Stylianos.[This tasted like no other Sauvignon Blanc I have had. Bouquet is fruitier, like a Riesling.]
Eiswein Grüner Veltliner Tschida Burgenland 2020. 160gm sugar! Honey and fruit notes. Goes great with blue cheese according to Stylianos. [Not as sweet as expected, with notes of lychee to me.]
Tasting Notes:
Cheese with wine: the salt and protein in cheese reduces the perception of tannins and increases the fruitiness of red wines. I tasted it with a cheese that tasted like Gruyere. The Alzinger Riesling tasted great with Brie!
Austrian grape varieties: Blaufränkisch, Grüner Veltliner, Sauvignn Blanc, Zweigelt.
Note that weiber Burgunder = pinot blanc, and grau Burgunder = pinot gris.
He recommended MADL Bottle Seal as the best stopper for sparkling wines. He also noted the Wachau region is an excellent place to tour.
He also recommend a friend of his, Thierry, who does a wine tasting in Paris at Wine Tasting in Paris.
