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In Austria the colors "Red and White" shouldn't only conjure up images of the nation's flag, they should bring to mind another aspect of the country-its wine.
To some people the concept of Austrian-produced wines is merely a cheaper version of the already established German varieties. This however is not the case. Austria has a long-standing tradition of producing quality wines of a distinct character and not just as an alternative to those produced by their neighbor to the northwest.
Over the past several years the appreciation for Austrian wine has grown by leaps and bounds. As recently as 2003 the amount of wine exported from Austria has set records-the number of bottles sent to America alone increased by more than 75 percent. This was due in part to the increased presence of Austrian wine producers at seminal tastings and trade fairs. Recently at an international blind tasting at London's well-known Groucho Club, Austrian wines went home with the top four spots-competition included some of the world's best Chardonnays. As a matter of fact, seven of the top ten wines awarded were from Austrian vineyards. This result proves that Austrian white wines could successfully be judged against some of the great white wine producing regions of France, Germany and California.
Some of the buzz surrounding the performance of the wine's quality has to do with the outstanding growing year of 2003. Even more has to do with the growing popularity of wines produced by the Grüner Veltliner variety of grape. Grüner Veltliner-or Gru-vee as some have dubbed it in the spirit of the "groovy" quality of the wine-has a spicy, smoky character with a distinctive white pepper and tobacco bouquet. The fruit notes of the wine can range from citrus to a rich, peachy flavor. Gru-vee is the single most popular varietal grown in Austria, making up about 50 percent of the grapes produced in the country.
Austria is not only known for white wine, the local red wines are also gaining popularity. Blauer Zweigelt (Rotburger) together with Blaufränkish represent Austrian red wine culture. More and more red wines are being exported, and demand seems to be increasing. Approximately every fourth bottle of wine exported from Austria is a red.
So, with the extraordinary harvest of 2003 combined with the growing interest in Austrian wines it should come as no surprise to find the Austrian "Red and White" not only flying over Vienna but gracing the world's dining tables as well.
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