There are enough wines from Austria in our market to cover without including Hungary but I’m not sure it’s the case when you reverse the scenario, so I’ve lumped these neighbours together for this column. The last time I was there on a media trip we found ourselves crossing those borders a few times without notice, even though the trip was based on Austria and their wines. Historically, the two countries formed the Austro-Hungarian Empire, a dual monarchy, that existed between 1867 to 1918, and jointly they were a major force in Europe.
Today, both countries are members of the EU (since 2007), and the Schengen Agreement allows citizens of both countries to travel freely between the two nations. From a wine perspective, those in Burgenland can make wine in Hungary, and several Austrian growers have either bought or leased Hungarian vineyards. Lately, I have tried some great wines from both countries that are brimming with personality and charm and worthy of exploration.
Austria may be best known for producing high-quality riesling and gruner veltliner but there are a couple of indigenous red grapes – most notably blaufrankisch – that can be a revelation. One producer in particular – Moric – is making red wines from this grape that have critics and writers such as Jancis Robinson swooning. Moric is the brainchild of winemaker Roland Velich who started the winery in 2021 and, within a short period, people were comparing his wines to Grand Cru Burgundy, not because .