Weinviertel DAC – whose name translates as "wine quarter" – is an appellation in Niederösterreich (Lower Austria). It is by far the largest Districtus Austriae Controllatus wine region in Austria. It was also the first Austrian wine region to be given that title, in 2002, with a DAC Reserve designation added in 2009.
The designation applies only to white wines from the Grüner Veltliner Grape variety.
There are around 6700 hectares planted to the variety in this zone, just under half the total of Weinviertel Vineyards. It is also about half the national (and therefore global) total for the grape variety.
- Minimum 12 percent Alcohol by Volume vs 13 percent
- Maximum 6 grams per liter residual sugar vs completely dry
- No Botrytis or oak aromas allowed vs subtle botrytis or oak aromas allowed
- Submission to Tasting commision from January 1 of year after harvest vs from March 15
Weinviertel is Austria's most important wine region in terms of both its area under vine and the quantity of wine it produces. With more than 13,800 hectares (34,100 acres) planted, its Vineyard area is 10 times that of Austria's most famous region, Wachau, and about the same as the entire state of Burgenland.
Outside of the DAC title, the region also produces fresh, citrusy white wines made from Riesling, and increasing quantities of bright, spicy red Zweigelt. However, non-DAC wines are labeled with the Niederösterreich designation.
Zweigelt holds a distant (but steadily closer) second place in the DAC, outnumbered four to one by Grüner Veltliner. Third equal are Welschriesling and Blauer Portugieser – both as traditional as they are unfashionable, and both declining rapidly as they are replaced with more internationally popular varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc and, particularly, Muscat.
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.
pink wines from the region of Weinland go well with generally quite well with dishes of lamb, pork or mature and hard cheese such as recipes of lamb garam massala, coconut beans or salted cake with bacon, comté and onion.
On the nose in the region of Weinland often reveals types of flavors of strawberries, raspberry or microbio and sometimes also flavors of red fruit, earth or citrus fruit.
