Why Austria’s red wines are the stars of the show

Fluttering in the breeze at the top of its pole, Austria’s national flag combines the colours red and white in flowing horizontal bars. Down below in its wineries, the country’s reds are now equalling its famed whites, with rave reviews propelling them onto the international stage.

A run of outstanding vintages since 2015 brought a ripe juiciness to many of Austria’s reds. When combined with the Alpine nation’s typical cool-climate freshness, those elements create balance in both the vineyard and the bottle. Coupled with the global trend away from the high-alcohol reds of the 1990s and 2000s, Austria has the right wines at the right moment to catch international attention.

Zweigelt – the all-rounder

Leading that international charge is Zweigelt, also known as Rotburger, a crossing of Blaufränkisch and St Laurent. Covering around 6,000 hectares, Austria’s flagship red grape accounts for nearly half of the land dedicated to red wine production.

Zweigelt yields a wide variety of styles, from light and fresh examples that are ideal for chilling in the fridge on a hot summer’s day through to more complex incarnations, with velvety tannins to pair with traditional Austrian dishes, from Wiener Schnitzel with potatoes through to roast pork.

Decanter’s 2024 World Wine Awards not only presented the 2022 Münzenrieder Zweigelt with 95 points and a Gold medal, but also a value-for-money prize, with judges praising its ‘wonderfully fragrant cherry blossom, blackberry, and blackcurrant fruit’, ‘subtle spicy tone’, and ‘juicy, vibrant character and acidity, with immaculate tannins’.

Going beyond Zweigelt

Austria’s second most popular red, Blaufränkisch, like Zweigelt, is produced in almost every region of the country, offering an intensely coloured wine, with flavours of ripe black fruits and a touch of pepper. And it would be remiss to leave out St Laurent when talking of Austria’s impressive reds, with its characteristic dark-cherry, blackberries, smoke, spice and deep purple colour, it offers silky, structured wines.

Both Blaufränkisch and St Laurent excelled at the 2024 Decanter World Wine Awards, with the 2020 Hofkellerei des Fürsten von Liechtenstein Blaufränkisch picking up 92 points and a Silver medal for its ‘freshness, tension, and brightness’, while the 2022 Nestor St Laurent also carried home Silver with 90 points, recognised for its ‘velvety texture with a crunchy acidity’.

Like Zweigelt, Blaufränkisch and St Laurent produce a range of styles, with lighter interpretations of St Laurent emulating its cousin, Pinot Noir, by pairing with strongly-spiced Asian dishes, thanks to its lower tannins and fruity notes. Richer examples of both wines can match deeper flavours, including steaks, stews, and roasts – perfect for winter warming. Previous DWWA medal winners 2021 Seegut Lentsch Blaufränkisch and 2023 Weingut Pfaffl Wald St Laurent are well worth a try too.

Join Austrian Wine for an evening of wine tasting with over 100 Austrian producers at London’s Science Museum on 25th February 2025 – details here.

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