Have We Become Wine Snobs?

 To bottle or not?

The price of empty bottles, those the winemakers use, has gone up hugely. The price of petrol too, which is going to translate into higher prices for wine.

Since moving here to Burgenland I have yet to see a boxed wine. Boxed wine was and is ubiquitous in any South African supermarket or wine merchant. Convenient, easy to use and tastes good. Three or five liters were the norm and I have to say, having a box of chilled white wine in the fridge was great. Ditto for the red boxed affair next to it.

Of course even then there was the wine elite who wouldn't be caught dead drinking boxed wine-in public! No, only bottled vino would do and the pricier the better. Look, nothing wrong with that point of view but nothing with boxed wine either.

Fast forward to today's age. Petrol prices through the roof, empty bottles almost a third more and more people in need of a nice glass or two of vino at the end of a stressful day, week or year. One never thinks about the actual logistics of getting wine from cellar to store and home. Wine bottles are heavy and transporting them around Europe or even locally, is an unnecessary expense and climate sin.

Much better to use boxes, those where one can use a little tap and save the weight of up to seven bottles. Imagine how much less pollution will be had, and how many less bottles would have to be made. Don't forget that bottles use sand,  a commodity that is getting harder to source.

I think that it is time to make boxed wine fashionable and trendy here in Austria. Boxed wine can run the same scala of tastes and flavour as bottled wine can. Having boxed wine doesn't mean one  can't imbibe in bottled wine but I can hazard a guess and say that most folks will be surprised at the taste and easy handling of a five liter box of their favourite tipple.

Biggi

A Vegan Surprise For Lunch.

 A weekend of wine tastings.

It was the annual spring wine festival again, although we can't call it that anymore due to those two lost corona years in between. Strange how we have all developed this two year gap in our life-line. Suddenly friends and people last seen before the ' gap-years ' look that much more grown up and fuller of experience. Yes, we have aged unseen similar to the Blaufränkish in many a local cellar.

Thankfully normality is back again and with that we had a lovely weekend of wine tastings with old and new friends. As per usual, less is more but we are still learning that idiom with each passing year. These wine festivals could also be used as an experiment for psychologists who need to determine our collective and individual will powers!

So there we were on Saturday, in the lovely hills of Rechnitz looking forward to a nice lunch. Bob and I had remembered from previous excursions that there was a place that sold a warm vegan meal. Well, not a meal but a langos, deep-fried flatbread, that would do us fine. Everywhere else the plates of schnitzel, Schweinsbraten and co ruled. Fair enough, it is our choice to be vegan after all.

So both of us ordered a langos and had saliva dripping out of the corners of our mouths in anticipation for this hot meal. The others were already tucking into their Schweinsbraten when eventually ours came. It looked delicicous as only a deep-fried something can.

Bob started to eat his first and as he cut a little piece off he let out a shout; 

          " Babes, don't eat this. There is ham and cheese inside it. "

Can you believe it? There they had changed the menu and not made special mention of it. No more vegan fare here! Drat how annoying. We were hungry and disappointed at the same time. Despite being cross I tried to calm down Bob ( he was blazing mad! ) and direct his attention to a bowl of sliced bread and the plate of cabbage salad his friends had given up for him. Look, we didn't starve. Bread is just fine but the disappointment vast.

During the two days of wine festival I got talking to a few vintners ( checking to see if their bread on offer was just that ) and they told me that quite a lot of vegans had been at tasting. So, there is hope for us and as I said, we had plenty of bits of bread to eat at the various stations and that was just dandy as it didn't divert from the nice taste of the wines...

Biggi

Never Forget The Wine.

Burgenland & wine, a perfect combination.

" Either give me wine or leave me alone. "

Rumi

" If we sip the wine, we find dreams coming upon us out of the imminent night. "

D. H. Lawrence 

" ...wine is a constant proof that God loves us, and loves to see us happy. "

Benjamin Franklin

" I want to start a book club. But instead of reading books, we trash talk and drink wine. "

Tanya Masse

" If you ask a server for a seriously old wine in my neighbourhood,

 they'll look at you funny then bring you a half-finished glass from somebody else's table. "

Gina Barreca

" It is no coincidence that, on all four sides, in all four corners, 

the borders of the Roman Empire stopped where wine could no longer be made. "

Neel Burton

" Anyone can produce a blend full of complexity,

 but a monovarietal that exudes complex layers is a sign of a master winemaker. "

Tony Margiotta

" The simplest definition of a great bottle of wine is when you feel sad because the bottle is empty. "

Tony Margiotta

" If there was any magic in this world that was not magic, it was wine. "

Lev Grossman

" Good wines are produced in small quantities. It is a matter of time and attention

 and picking only the best grapes. Today they get as much as they can out of the ground, and what can you expect? The wine has no taste. "

John Hillaby

Biggi

Grape Harvest Almost On Our Doorstep.

Vineyards are teeming with activity.

Well, early mornings the rows of vines are mostly quiet awaiting whatever their day holds for them while bunches dangle invitingly in the budding morning sunshine. Most of their foliage has been removed to give the sun more room to imbibe them with nature's energy. The red bunches are growing in size although to me the actual grapes still look smaller than last year at this time.

It is only a matter of days even perhaps a week before the white grapes get harvested. A game of chicken with the almighty weather often ensues as each successive day the grapes are left on the vine, the better tasting they get. A nailbiting and nerve-wrecking two step with any possible storms or early morning frost. Yes, summer is on its last legs and the mornings are delightfully chilly and often chilled. Nothing nicer than to sip a strong cup of coffee on a crisp and chilly morning.

Winecellars are another hive of activity right now. Equipment of all shapes and sizes is being given a thourough clean ( water or citric acid only ) and arranged in the order it will be used. Every move is planned ahead of harvest as it is often a very stressful time, but also a happy time as the fruits of the year's labour are revealed.

Harvesting nature's bounty of all sorts ( grapes, apples, plums or pumpkins ) is a wonderful reminder to us of how abundant nature is and how fortunate we are to be able to live of it. Let's hope this year's harvest will run smoothly and be extremely successful for everyone...

Biggi

Fire & Wine @ Eisenberg.

Another successful wine festival in Eisenberg.

First off, my camera's battery has given up its ghost and thus I can only regale you with words and not with pictures. Typical though, yesterday would have made a picture perfect kind of day.

It was the second Feuer & Wein in Eisenberg and it involved eight of our wine estates opening their doors for five hours in order for us to get a taste of their wines, some vittles and another view of life in Eisenberg. The distance between them wasn't that far perhaps a kilometer or so of walking involved for those of us wanting to taste each wine farmer's vintages. Bob and I being veterans of the wine tasting events (!) knew how to whittle it down to about four.

The weather couldn't have been more tailor made if they had tried. It was sunny alongside 16 or so degrees-don't forget it is the middle of winter- and in the afternoon many wine tasters turned into lizards trying to soak up the warming sunshine.

There were hoards of people about slowly meandering through our little bit of Eisenberg, happily coiffing on good wine and eating flame grilled bits of meat. Veganism might still take a bit of time to be thought of at events! But, not their fault that we are vegan and you know, nibbling on a few nice slices of freshly baked bread is a much better way to honour and taste their wines. Personally I never liked how wine tasted whilst eating a smoked piece of ham or a hot dog of sorts.

Bob and I went home just after six but even though it was early, the sun had gone to other parts of the earth and darkness had taken its place. Rather romantic as all along various wine farms and roads they had put up big logs of wood, split down the middle and lit for fire and warmth. A perfect way to end the day because the image of those burning logs lighting the darkness was memorable and has left a nice impression on most of us. Well done to Eisenberg and the organizers of this year's Feuer & Wein.

Biggi

A Delightful Day Harvesting White Wine.

A family tradition has set in.

As a scale of reference, Bob's work will harvest white grapes for over a week whereas we harvested the white grapes in just under two hours. All seven of us. But, to us it was still a good day's work and tonight many a back will make itself known.

For me it must have been my eighth white grape harvest ( can't really call it white wine yet ) and by now the routine involved has become familiar and rather fun. It is a time when friends and family come together to help out. A jovial catching up on annual news and a time to have a nice lunch halfway through the day's work. Not often we all sit around a big table!

The weather made an effort to be obliging even going so far as to make us feel cold this morning. Much better than to frizzle and the news must have spread as most of the vineyards were teeming with activity. Picking was on the go, tractors were collecting grapes and odd snippets of conversations were the order of the day. Amazing what one picks up when walking past a busy vineyard.

The miracle of grapes turning into wine never ceases to amaze me. To think that bunches of grapes get picked, de-stemmed, pressed and then stored in a barrel for a year or so before being dolled out like the proverbial happy pills one glass at a time is stunning bordering almost on magical. What the Romans started all those millenniums ago has been repeated harvest after harvest and been perfected vintage after vintage. Long may the wine making continue and more importantly, long may we enjoy the precious wine created.

Biggi

Wine And The Sign Of The Times.

Aging and wine.

It was the annual Bergfest yesterday evening and by the sheer number of people there, a success. Bob and I went with family and friends and had a good time, meeting new villagers and catching up with ' old ' ones. As one does at parties.

As it was a wine fest, organized by the young guns of Deutsch Schützen's wine scene, wine was the center piece although the wine bar was tucked away on the side. The good vintages had to be collected in person. No waiter to do it for us and one just hopes that no one kept track of the number of times we visited the wine bar.

My luck that I drew the designated driver stick but honestly, at 3 euros per achtl I was happy to do so. Now and then my penny pinching alter ego popped into my thoughts comparing the price of a liter of house wine ( 3 euros ) to the hefty price for this eighth of a liter. Quality I know.

Anyway, I took the first trip to buy wine for us at the wine station. One of the young guns was stationed there dispensing wine with alarming accuracy. You know an eighth of a liter isn't that much when one is chatting to friends at a party and often one hopes that the barman has a heavy hand.

He poured my wine first and I was alarmed to see that he poured straight down from above my glass, resulting in a rather skeleton pouring. Good for the liver but not for the soul. Oh well, I got back to our table and saw that our friend who is twenty years my junior had also a glass of wine in front of her. Hers of course was wonderfully full, overstepping the measure mark on the side of the glass by miles. Or rather half a centimeter.

It just goes to show that aged wine is priceless and coveted but alas, aged wine drinkers get reminded that age isn't an advantage for them...Nevertheless, it was a good Bergfest and we look forward to next year's.

Biggi

Roses And Wine, Suit Me Just Fine.

The rains egged it along.

They seem rather normal in our everyday supermarket shopping excursions but, actually, they are an intricate arrangement of petals, not to mention the adorable perfume they waft about.

Oh how fabulous. The first signs of grapes are marking the passing of time in order to make wine.

Along my route this morning I had the fortune of walking past this ensemble on one of the neighbourhood hedges. Only three primary colours create such an inspiring image.

The sun reflecting off this vine leaf might give a hint to how incredible hot it was today. A welcome change after our recent bout of less than perfect weather.

A hint of flowers to emerge. The next few days it will be a pleasure to walk past this hedge.

It does look as if this year will be a good one for wine. A few more months and this tiny grape-lets will be fully grown, containing the liquid gold that makes our region so special and a great place to live...

Biggi

Day Two Of Weinfruehling On The Cards.

A successful first day for all the wine farmers.

Despite the rain it was a good start for all our wine farmers. To me it felt as if there were even more partakers than last year but maybe I based this on seeing the bus filled to capacity. Many expectant faces rearing to taste their first sip of the good stuff.

Rechnitz was on form again what with the ease of transport. If the bus didn't drive there, the local taxi would, free of charge. Funny thing about the taxi. It was a new owner/driver and the only words I spoke with him was the polite " Thank you very much for driving us " as I got out the back seat and straight away he said:

" You aren't from here, are you? You must be a Bavarian! "

How perceptive of him...turns out he is from Salzburg which is only a hop skip away from where I grew up. Small world and good hearing.

Eisenberg, the parts of it where I tasted wine, was great too. Many people were milling about with obligatory wine glass dangling from their necks. A real successful crush indeed and hopefully the tills were ringing for our wine farmers. Those that drove themselves did buy a lot of wine to take home.

Luckily I had an excuse to leave early to feed our cats, who by the way where overjoyed to see their mummy. Day two today and I think we are sampling some of Gaas's and Deutsch Schützen's wines. The weather isn't going to fantastic but it is the company that counts after all...

Biggi

Walking In The Rain With A Glass Of Wine In Hand.

Yet another interesting wine event.

Weinfrühling is upon us again and I for one can't believe how quickly one year melts into the next. But, there it is. We are mere hours away from the start of our wine tasting weekend and rearing to go. One slight complaint is that rain is accompanying us the whole way.

It started yesterday afternoon and hasn't stopped since. Our friends from London have arrived and this time in a deluge of water and not the usual sunny sky. Gosh, they feel almost at home because isn't that sort of normal English weather? Good for the complexion at least.

Somehow we have started a tradition of eating at our ' local ' restaurant in Hungary and last night we ate in yet another hither undiscovered room. The cellar, and literally the wine cellar which proved to be a stellar evening. They ordered their platter for two and luckily they knew to wear stretch pants...of course not but it was a lot of food indeed.

This morning after breakfast will see us heading out to Rechnitz by bus and it should prove to be a great day despite the rain. We all have umbrellas and honestly, after a few wine tastings one tends to forget the climes around one!

Biggi

Finding The Brightness Among Wintry Paleness.

Nature, always there to brighten one's day.

Forgotten grapes or ingredients of next year's ice-wine? This morning we walked among bitter cold and rather grey surrounds so that the solid colour of the grapes stuck out.

This made me chuckle...a tempting red apple dangling in front of the local church!

One of the neighbourhood walls is covered with these stunning wee grapes. Edible or not, they made quite an impression as we meandered past.

A well that has been there for over a hundred years must hold many a secret wish...or secret!

A waving shrub of ' feather-dusters ' holds a certain attraction.

How amazing to see those bright red stalks giving life to these bunches of grapes. Makes me think of a musical sheet which is fitting in a way as each wine has a symphony of flavours...

Biggi

Bottling Wine.

From the barrel into the bottle.

Wine is so easy to drink yet most of us don't realize how much blood sweat and tears go into making it. We've become spoilt by having wine on tap or rather unscrewing a top and pouring a glass never giving any thought to the labourious process gone on before.

Once the wine is ready to be bottled from vast vats it only denotes the end of a long year of pruning, harvesting, pressing and resting. But of course even the step of bottling is fraught with effort. Nice effort but a hard workout nonetheless.

Yesterday we preset the stage for today. Got the empty bottles sorted, organized the pump and filter machine and put everything into the right order so that this morning we could literally start the moment we arrived. Eight 'o clock was the start and the four of us ( my parents, Bob and I ) got cracking right away. The weather made it comfortable to be inside a warm wine cellar as today was a Baskerville kind of day - foggy and cold.

It took us five hours to fill most of the red wine and an additional fabulous hour to eat lunch at a local Buschenschank. Bob and I were just saying that this is our eighth year of helping out with making wine and it kind of feels great to have a new tradition of something both of us had never dreamed of back in South Africa. You know, drinking wine is easy but being allowed to help in creating wine is a step above...

Biggi

Wine, Of Course.

A bit more wisdom!

" Give me books, French wine, fruit, fine weather and a little music played out of doors by somebody I do not know. "
John Keats

" Wine is one of the most civilized things in the world and one of the most natural things in the world that has been brought to the greatest perfection,
and it offers a greater range for enjoyment and appreciation, than, possibly, any other sensory thing. "
Ernest Hemingway

" Age appears best in four things: old wood to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust and old authors to read. "
Francis Bacon

" It is no coincident that, on all four sides, in all four corners, the borders of the Roman Empire stopped where wine could no longer be made. "
Neel Burton

" Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, with fewer tensions and more tolerance. "
Benjamin Franklin

" Wine... the intellectual part of the meal."
Alexander Dumas

" Wine makes a man more pleased with himself; I do not say that it makes him more pleasing to others."
Samuel Johnson

" When it comes to wine, I tell people to throw away the vintage charts and invest in a corkscrew. The best way to learn about wine is the drinking. "
Alex Lichine

Biggi

The End Of Harvesting Is Near.

An abundance of grapes.

The air and chardonnay seem to have the same temperature. Crisp, cold but surprisingly bright. Most of the vineyards have been picked by the various troupes of pickers. Faster by the ' pros ' and more sedately by the amateurs, into which category yours truly falls. Thank goodness we picked on Friday as this week it would have been outrageously cold.

Rows upon rows have been harvested with the odd sporadic few rows still bending under the weight of an abundance of grapes. The tractors bearing green vats filled with grapes are ubiquitous on the byways and honestly, driving fast should be scraped during harvest. Overtaking tractors on curvy roads is a no no for me and driving more sedately suits me just fine.

Harvesting means long days but everybody enjoys these times despite being tired. Grapes translate into wine which is what provides either a livelihood, salary or drinks at home. After a few horrid seasons in regards to weather, each and every vintage picked however long it takes is a blessing and everyone sees it as one.

Wine farmers the world over are a rare breed of passionate and ardent viticulturists who put their life and soul into each and every vintage and I think if you have the opportunity to meet a vintner, please take the time to thank them for it. Imagine a world without them? Horrible thought indeed...

When this year's harvest is all over though, I am certain that many will take the time to sit and relax while sipping on last year's spoils...

Biggi

Wine Harvest Round Two.

Today it was the Uhudler's turn.

Funny how much easier the harvest seemed this time around. It has only been a week since we've successfully harvested all of the white grapes ( more than the year before ) and the adage of practice makes perfect holds true.

There were seven of us and somehow we all knew which grapes to snip, buckets to empty and crates to carry. Gosh, if I think back to our first time harvesting, all was blurred in a haze of mystique, even the rather easy part of cutting the bunch of grapes from the vines.

The weather gods were kind to Eisenberg. The sun was out all day, perfect harvesting conditions which most of Eisenberg's vintners took advantage of. Wine farmers do live at the mercy of the weather and every harvest successfully completed is a huge worry off their shoulders. Grapes in particular need every last ray of sunshine to ripen and often the longer they are left on the vine the better the taste down the line. But it takes strong nerves to play chicken with the weather.

I can only say that these Uhudler grapes tasted as nice as they looked. It took us about four hours to harvest all the grapes with an additional two hours to start the first leg of their transformation. De-stemming and cleaning everything thoroughly afterwards.

A divine combination of viticulture and agriculture.

The chapel of Deutsch Schützen has been there for so many centuries and given refuge and faith to wine farmers of yore.

Biggi

A Day Of Harvesting The White Grapes.

Fun in the sun.

It is only a short four rows of vines and yet it took the whole day to pick and press them. We started at nine, five of us, and snipped the last bunch of grapes just before noon. Who would have thought it would take so long? The white vines were extremely abundant this year and when I happened to glance over to the reds, they looked even more plentiful. Ah, a good vintage ahead.

This time I was towing the precious grapes back to the cellar. Not as easy as Bob makes it look...driving with a full trailer of grapes is not for the faint of heart. Bob was at work of course, harvesting all over the various vineyards.

Vines are an object of beauty and when harvesting coincides with a warm and sunny day, work turns into meditation.

After de-stemming the bunches of grapes they were left for a couple of hours to settle and absorb the individual flavour from the skins. It gave us enough time to scoot over to Hungary to eat lunch at the " Yellow Hotel" in Grossdorf. Nice, and I wouldn't mind going there again.

After lunch we pressed the crushed grapes. Hard manual labour and it is a wonder wine is as cheap as it is. If only you knew how much work goes into making each and every bottle of wine, you'd never pour wine down the drain.

White wine is done and dusted which leaves the Uhubler grapes and of course the red ones. That might take longer than a day, but then again...Rome wasn't built in a day either.

Biggi

Observations & Revelations Gleaned From A Wine Festival.

The many sides to wine.

As you know Bob, two good friends from London and I have been meandering about the various vineyards in search of the perfect sip, along with what seems like a thousand other wine lovers. One could have called us the clones from planet wine as we all walked, talked and drove about with a pouch holding our wine glass dangling around our neck bouncing merrily against the stomach. Just to clear up any misunderstanding...most of us guarded that wine glass with our lives as we understood that without it, no tastes would be forthcoming.

Day one saw everyone in good cheer and excited about the forthcoming attractions. The last time many of us sat on a bus might have been in our school days and at least for me, sitting in a bus took me back to high school and observing life passing by the window. Buses haven't changed much and after the first few corners even I instinctively knew how to lean into them. A few brave ones were obviously not so long out of school as they were perfecting the art of standing on a bus with a glass of wine in hand...

This year the crowd was more on the younger side which I realized when an email was sent to us, extolling the need, demand and virtue for the newly created app ( bus schedules and locations of wine estates ) for this event. Let's be honest, it was most likely due to the fact that reading maps and bus schedules is a dying art.

Our friends downloaded this app but as it turned out the old school bus timetable was much easier and faster to decipher. Remember, if we had read it wrong a long walk would have been our reward. After seven all bus services stopped. Walking home after a long day spent sampling wine is not that fine. On Saturday I took my step counter along and lo and behold we clocked up over 15 kilometers. Thankfully between the four of us we managed to hop onto the last bus to Eisenberg from Deutsch Schützen on Saturday and Rechnitz on Sunday.

A wine festival such as ours is a great equalizer as wine was the name of the game and people from all walks of life were happy to strike up conversations, give recommendations and most importantly, drop their urban shield of protection for a more trusting demeanor. Just about everyone we met, passed or sat next to in the last two days was happy, cheerful and carefree...there's more to wine after all.

Biggi

The Start Of Wine Tasting In Gaas.

With picture perfect weather to boot.

Once the rape seed fields have taken colour, the whole area alights in beauty, tranquility and contentment.

Doesn't life look more rosy through the prism of a wine glass? The first of rather a few tastes atop of the Gaas vineyards.

Most of the local pastures, fields and meadows seem to have been sculpted by the hands of artists. Isn't that oasis of trees amid the fields a dream?

Fish ponds perhaps? There is quite a large local fishing contingency where some take it to the next level with all the bells, tackles and whistles...

An achtle of Uhudler turns a mere glass into an old fashioned movie maker...the emerald green grass giving a home to dandelions, daisies and co is one of natures special treats.

Biggi

A Wine Weekend Is Beckoning.

The annual wine festival has arrived.

This year will be Bob and my third wine festival - Wein Frühling - that we've taken part in. Two days of unlimited transport and wine tasting around our wine area for the princely sum of 39 euros.( I say princely as last year it was 28 euros which could be a classic example used in Economics 101 / demand and supply ). Almost impossible to see them all yet, some die hard's have succeeded. No, not us...

Our good friends from London are arriving on Friday especially to spend the May day weekend sipping the delightful wines of our region. Our third one together and I can't wait to see which route we'll choose. Rechnitz is old hat to us but then again, much can be forgotten in the space of a year. Wherever we end up, will be fun to get to as it's about the journey and not just the destination.

All accommodations are booked out and this weekend our village could easily be mistaken for an university campus as most of the wine lovers will happily wonder about with a glass of wine in or on hand.

Spending a few days ambling seven hours per day to various wine estates in order to taste numerous wines will be an experiment in defying human nature...just picking one or two vintages at each place is akin to standing in front of a huge buffet and only choosing a bowl of soup. The other option of a spittoon has crossed my mind but honestly, each time I've tried it, any semblance of dignity has been sabotaged by the traitorous path of wine dribbling down my chin...

Biggi

A Day Of Bottles And Wine.

Tonight I'll dream of bottles for sure.

Bob and I have just come home from a day spent at the cellar, bottling numerous wines. Uhubler, Blaufränkisch and Grüner Veltiner. It was a gorgeous day outside and as we had the cellar doors wide open we didn't miss anything or anyone. The vineyards were teeming with visitors, cyclists and those looking for a boozy lunch.

The odd few slowed down enough in order to look into our cellar but as we were really tethered to bottles, we couldn't take note. At one stage mum and I each had two bottles hanging off the filling contraptions, one eye each on turning the pump on and off and the other on making sure enough empty bottles were on hand.

It sounds deceptively easy but at high speed it got a bit frenzied resulting in a few wine puddles on the floor. There were five of us and we made a good team where each knew more or less what to do. At one stage mum and I resembled a sketch straight out of Dinner for one and if only one of us had had a free hand we'd have set records on YouTube. At least the five of us had a good giggle at all of our antics...

The cleaning up afterwards is not that nice but needs to be done regardless of how tired one is. The men drove the filled bottles slowly to another cellar for storage. Even that is hard going as the heavy crates need to be taken down a set of old stone steps. But all's well that ends well.

The final task for the day was a debriefing at Bruni's over a big slice of Kümmelbraten Brot and a few spritzers. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday!

Biggi