D ELI GHT S| WINE
Austrian wines: Fresh, light and wholly drinkable
Tristan BragagliaMurdock
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Austrian wines are made using best practices that date back to the time of the Romans. Winemakers follow traditions to create wines that taste of the country’s distinctive terroir.
with big peppered-meat notes.” Trying two Blaufränkisch from separate producers highlights the grape’s versatility: Heidi Shrock’s take was rounded, full and approachable, all dark fruit and herbal. “Once it hits the palate,” explains wine representative Evan Keaschuk of the broad-shouldered leafy Blaufränkisch, “everything comes together.” Grilled steak with herb butter would go beautifully, though this wine could easily precede a meal. “This is something you slide into the middle of the meal when there’s food already out,” he laughs, speaking of the Wachter Wiesler’s Bela-Joska, a dill- and amaro-spiced Blaufränkisch. It’s a challenging bottle as it doesn’t hit on traditional “big, bold red” wine expectations, but it opens with time and is meant for savouring. “There is fruit to it,” Mant says. “There’s dark, dark cherry-like kirsch notes, a little saucisson sec and a hint of violet. I really like it.” With food — and a decant — this was an intriguing bottle. She suggested one of Soif’s dishes as a perfect pairing: lobster flatbread with brandy, sunchokes, lardons and plenty of tarragon: fresh, herbal and fatty.
Tucking into the Heinrich St. Laurent makes for a refreshing glass. With that Pinot Noir-Syrah hybrid; “it has that meaty, savoury note, with a fairly fine tannin. It’s an easy pairing wine. It goes with everything.” It makes for an enticing glass we keep reaching back to: that typical fresh acidity elevating and lending lightness. The underlying notion of Austria’s modern winemaking style is drinkability and freshness. It keeps the wines exciting, light and something to keep going back to, especially with a fatty dish, creamy sauces or anything herbal. Groupe Soleil represents two producers of Grüner Veltliner: Bernhard Ott and Weszeli. The former of the two is also offering an aged blend of top-producing parcels. Cases of 12 bottles start at $311.40. Domäne Wachau is currently available at the LCBO. Its 2018 Riesling is citrus and orchard fruit-forward, but could stand a few years cellaring. $19.95 a bottle. Context Wines carries Heidi Shrock’s portfolio, starting at $336 for a 12-bottle case of either her Muscat or Pinot Blanc; her reds will be making a return shortly. Tristan Bragaglia-Murdock manages the wine lists at Jabberwocky and Union 613. SPRING 2020 | APR-MAY-JUN
DOMÄNE WACHAU
ith centuries of grape-growing and wine-making in the region, and best practices that date back to the time of the Romans, Austrian winemakers are implementing the traditions and knowledge to make wines that taste of a place. Terroir is at the fore. Regardless of style, Austrian wines tend to have a lithe core of bright acid, savoury herbs and low alcohol that lend themselves to drinkability. Food, especially fattier foods and rich cheeses, can help take the edge off the high acidity or round out the savouriness into a more complete package. “To me, that’s a good sign: Does it make me want to eat?” asks Roxanne Mant, sommelier at Soif, a Gatineau restaurant and wine bar that offered an Austrian wine primer. Enjoyable by themselves, these wines are meant for food. An aged riesling from Domäne Wachau ticks all these boxes: lush oxidative notes of chamomile and dried hay play alongside petrol and lemon curd. The wine’s structure, centred around a powerful acidity and a touch of tarragon stem, suggest pairing it with rich, salty, aged cheeses, charcuterie and preserves. Following that up is a young Grüner Veltliner from the same producer — notes of green apple and citrus were muddied by alcohol heat. Youthful Grüners tend to be fresh and easy drinking, while finding something with age offers more depth and complexity. Grüner’s successful rise as a substitute to Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio opens the doors for drinkers seeking more Austrian wine. Thanks to this springboard grape, producers dug their heels in and moved to producing wines from other native grapes. We jump into reds Blaufränkisch and St. Laurent next. Mant describes the first as “Cab Sauv meets Syrah, [while] St. Laurent is kind of like Pinot Noir meets Syrah
