Vorspannhof Mayr Niederosterreich Zweigelt (1 Liter) 2017
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Seductively fruity and juicy in the nose – ripe cherries, red mulberries, with a certain kick of spiciness. On the palate the fruit is still in focus. Juicy, elegant and wonderful to drink, this goes very well with darker meat such as beef, deer or pâtés, as well as all pasta variations and hard cheese. Possibly a perfect "table red".
Kremstal on the Danube was one of the first regions in Austria where wine was cultivated in the Middle Ages. The wine-growing in Dross was first documented in 1135: At that time renounced the Bishop of Passau on the toe of a vineyard in favor of the Lords of Drozze.
This winegrower's house dates back to the 15th century and once served as a horse changing station. Before the steep ascent to the Waldviertel additional horses were stretched in front of the wagons - hence the name of the house: Vorspannhof. As a result, the owners also obtained the "Maria-Theresien-Konzession", ie they no longer had to apply for a trade license - the double-headed eagle on each wine bottle of Vorspannhof Mayr still bears witness to this.
In 1898 the farm was acquired by the Mayr family. The purchase contract mentions 2 wine cellars, a press house, a farmer's stable, a banquet hall and two dining rooms. The operation away from the general agriculture and towards the viticulture led Anton Mayr, the father of today's owner Silke Mayr.
Under Anton and his wife Brigitta Mayr, the company not only specialized in viticulture, but also acquired an excellent reputation as a tavern. When the cook retired in 2012 with Brigitta Mayr, the tavern closed its doors. Today the Vorspannhof is run exclusively as a winery.
Austria’s most popular red variety, the Zweigelt grape can make a charmingly fruity, snappy and spicy wine ideal for summer sipping. Be on the lookout for the one-liter bottles—perfect for the barbecue! It is also capable of more serious, concentrated, age-worthy version that can withstand a short number of years of age. Somm Secret— While native to Austria, Zweigelt is actually a fairly recent cross bred by Dr. Zweigelt in 1922. He crossed two native varieties, Blaufränkisch, for its peppery bite, with St. Laurent, chosen for its elegance.
Appreciated for superior wines made from indigenous varieties, Austria should be on the radar of any curious wine drinker. A rather cool and dry wine growing region, this country produces wine that is quintessentially European in style: food-friendly with racy acidity, moderate alcohol and fresh fruit flavors.
Austria’s viticultural history is rich and vast, dating back to Celtic tribes with first written record of winemaking starting with the Romans. But the 20th century brought Austria a series of winemaking obstacles, namely the plunder of both world wars, as well as its own self-imposed quality breach. In the mid 1980s, after a handful of shameless vintners were found to have added diethylene glycol (a toxic substance) to their sweet wines to imitate the unctuous qualities imparted by botrytis, Austria’s credibility as a wine-producing country was compromised. While no one was harmed, the incident forced the country to rebound and recover stronger than ever. By the 1990s, Austria was back on the playing field with exports and today is prized globally for its quality standards and dedication to purity and excellence.
Grüner Veltliner, known for its racy acidity and herbal, peppery aromatics, is Austria's most important white variety, comprising nearly a third of Austrian plantings. Riesling in Austria is high in quality but not quantity, planted on less than 5% of the country’s vineyard land. Austrian Rieslings are almost always dry and are full of bright citrus flavors and good acidity. Red varietal wines include the tart and peppery Zweigelt, spicy and dense Blaufränkisch and juicy Saint Laurent. These red varieties are also sometimes blended.