Burgenland is a large wine-producing region on the eastern border of Austria. Despite the country's image as the producer of some of the world's finest white wines, Austria is also home to a thriving red wine culture: Burgenland, with its sunny, continental summers, is the country's key red wine region, with its wines based mainly on the Blaufränkisch and Zweigelt grape varieties. Sweet, botrytized wines are also a specialty of the region, particularly in the Terroir surrounding the Neusiedlersee lake.
The region occupies a narrow strip of land that runs from the Danube River down to Steiermark in the South.
On its eastern side is the border with Hungary, and to the west Lies the most eastern foothills of the Alps. Steiermark aside, Burgenland is one of Austria's southernmost wine regions, and topographically is more aligned with Hungary than with much of the rest of Austria.
Burgenland is home to four DAC appellations: from North to south; Neusiedlersee, Leithaberg, Mittelburgenland and Eisenberg. Within each of these zones, any wines which do not conform to the particular classification are labeled with the Burgenland appellation
Burgenland's Lake Neusiedl (Neusiedlersee) is one of the viticultural focus points of the region.
It stores summer heat from the Pannonian Plain, an expansive, Warm area which covers much of Hungary and eastern Austria, effectively lengthening the ripening season into autumn. Humidity from the lake promotes the spread of noble rot (Botrytis cinerea) in the regions of Seewinkel and Rust.
The Ausbruch, Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese wines that are made near the lake are among the finest and most sought-after in the world. However the Neusiedlersee DAC applies to red wines based on the Zweigelt grape variety.
Cabernet Franc is one of the oldest red grape varieties in Bordeaux. The Libourne region is its terroir where it develops best. The terroirs of Saint-Emilion and Fronsac allow it to mature and develop its best range of aromas. It is also the majority in many blends. The very famous Château Cheval Blanc, for example, uses 60% Cabernet Franc. The wines produced with Cabernet Franc are medium in colour with fine tannins and subtle aromas of small red fruits and spices. When blended with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, it brings complexity and a bouquet of aromas to the wine. It produces fruity wines that can be drunk quite quickly, but whose great vintages can be kept for a long time. It is an earlier grape variety than Cabernet Sauvignon, which means that it is planted as far north as the Loire Valley. In Anjou, it is also used to make sweet rosé wines. Cabernet Franc is now used in some twenty countries in Europe and throughout the world.
red wines from the region of Burgenland go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, veal or game (deer, venison) such as recipes of polish goulash, duck breast with black figs or rabbit italian style.
On the nose in the region of Burgenland often reveals types of flavors of cherry, non oak or spices and sometimes also flavors of tree fruit, oak or vegetal. In the mouth in the region of Burgenland is a powerful with a nice balance between acidity and tannins.
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