Section II: Wine Regions of Section II: Wine Regions of EuropeEurope

Chapter 10: Other European Regions and the Mediterranean

Central EuropeCentral Europe

Austria and Switzerland Politically stable for centuries Well-established, industrialized communities Make high quality wine Use modern techniques while honoring age-old

customs

AustriaAustria

In 1985, unethical wine merchants added a chemical to make their wines taste sweeter.

Press reported it was a far more dangerous chemical.

Public believed antifreeze had been added. Austrian exports plummeted. Results of the “antifreeze” scandal:

• Laws pertaining to wine production were made stricter.• Emphasis turned from quantity to quality.• Austrian wines now on wine lists throughout US and

Canada.

Austrian HistoryAustrian History

Under domination of Romans, viticulture expanded.

When Charlemagne became Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire in approximately 770 A.D., wine was definitely being produced in Austria.

The new King oversaw the passage of rudimentary grape classifications and wine laws.

Monks were important wine producers throughout the Middle Ages.

By the end of the Middle Ages, Austria was exporting large quantities of wine.

Austrian History (cont.)Austrian History (cont.)

After the Napoleonic Wars, many Church-owned vineyards reverted to ownership of farming families.

The Wine Laws of Austria were first enacted in 1972. Since revamping these laws in 1985, Austria’s laws

are among the most comprehensive in Europe. The name of an Austrian wine indicates:

• Varietal• Geographic place of origin• Sugar content

Austrian ViticultureAustrian Viticulture

Climate is continental, with harsher winters and hotter, drier summers

Majority of grapes are of the cold-resistant, early-ripening varietals

The most widely-planted grape is the indigenous white grape, Grüner-Veltiner.• Second most prevalent is Müller-Thurgau.• More acreage is being devoted to the noble Riesling.• The two most prevalent red varietals are Portugeiser

and Blau Zweigelt. • Pinot noir is also grown. Here it is called Spätburgunder

Austrian Viticulture (cont.)Austrian Viticulture (cont.)

Most of Austria’s wine comes from the five sub-districts within the large region of Niederösterreich.• Kamptal, Kremstal and Wachau are on the River Danube.

Vienna boasts 1,600 vineyards. The second largest wine region is Burgenland

• Produces primarily soft, fruity reds and sweet dessert wines

The third major region is Stelermark. The demand for Austrian wine has increased.

• One quarter of Austria’s production is exported.

Switzerland Wine RegionsSwitzerland Wine Regions Mountainous land is not really suitable for

viticulture, so vineyards are planted everywhere possible.

Wide variety of microclimates throughout 6 regions. Switzerland grows more than 30 different varietals. Most important indigenous grapes are:

• Chasselas• Sylvaner• Müller-Thurgau• Pinot Noir• Merlot

Common Swiss AppellationsCommon Swiss Appellations

Valais Vaud Neuchâtel Ticino

Eastern EuropeEastern Europe

Wine production disappeared during the 16th and 17th centuries under the Ottoman Empire.

Countries that obtained freedom from the Ottomans lost their vineyards to deadly phylloxera in the late 19th century.

The 20th century brought two world wars of devastation, followed by Communist rule.

Under the Communists, most vineyards became collectives for the Communist bloc of nations.

Eastern Europe (cont.)Eastern Europe (cont.)

Following the Cold War, political unrest continued.

Soviet-style wine was not popular on the international market.

Communist sub-par standards of cleanliness lead to frequent incidences of infected or spoiled wines.

Eastern European vintners got help from their governments and international agencies to address these problems.

HungaryHungary

As early as 1641, Vine Laws had been drawn up to protect the legitimacy of the rich dessert wine.

Once the Turks were defeated in 1686, vineyard plantings were increased across the country.

After the phylloxera invasion, Hungarians began planting on resistant rootstock.

By the early 20th century, there were 270,000 acres devoted to grape vines.

Hungary has also benefited from the advice and assistance of visiting winemakers, most notably Englishman Hugh Ryman.

Hungarian Wine RegionsHungarian Wine Regions The climate throughout Hungary is continental,

with cold winters and sunny hot summers. Hungary was one of the first countries to install

quality control laws. • Table wine• Regional wine• Quality wine• Extra-quality wine

Wines from Hungary are usually varietally labeled. Many indigenous varietals disappeared after

phylloxera. Red wines include: cabernet sauvignon and

cabernet franc, as well as merlot and pinot

Hungarian Wine Regions (cont.)Hungarian Wine Regions (cont.)

The wine laws divide the country into twenty official regions, spread among the three geographic sections• Transdanubia• The Great Plain• The Northern Massif

Eastern Europe: Other CountriesEastern Europe: Other Countries

There are four other countries in Eastern Europe that produce wine. All are members of the former Soviet block: Russia, Bulgaria, Moldava and the Ukraine.

After WW2, all of these countries saw their farms and vineyards organized into collectives under Soviet rule.

Emphasis was on quantity of wine, not quality. Gorbachev initiative reduced vineyard acreage

by 1/3.

Eastern Europe: Other Countries Eastern Europe: Other Countries (cont.)(cont.)

Since the ending of the Soviet regime, efforts by new governments to improve the quality of wine produced have had mixed results. • Extensive research into viticulture and vinification• Advice from visiting consultants• Investments from foreign corporations

Eastern European countries should stop abandoning their own indigenous grapes and age-old traditions in their quest for “popular” wines, and distinguish themselves from the competition by returning to the fine, unique wines they were making pre-USSR.

Eastern Mediterranean Eastern Mediterranean CountriesCountries

The eastern Mediterranean is the true birthplace of viticulture and winemaking.

Records reveal abundant production of wine in the ancient kingdom of Canaan at1200 years B.C.

Wine was an inherent part of Greek civilization from the earliest of recorded times.

Researchers have discovered evidence of wine production and consumption in Greece from as from back as the second millennium before Christ.

The countries of the Eastern Mediterranean continue their proud tradition of wine production to this day.

History of GreeceHistory of Greece

In ancient Greece’s agrarian economy, producing fine wine was a central component of economic stability.

The ability to savor and appreciate fine wine was the sign of a cultured, civilized person.

Trade in wine was an important factor in the economies of many of the city-states.

In medieval Greece, most wine was produced by small property owners, or by monasteries.

The Greeks of the Byzantine era made plentiful wine for domestic consumption and export. • The wine recognized as the finest came from the Aegean

Islands.

History of Greece (cont.)History of Greece (cont.)

During the duration of the Ottoman Empire, viticulture and winemaking in Greece were set way back. • Greece’s communications system and transportation

infrastructure was fragmented, leading to a disruption in the trade in wine.

• In the 19th and 20th centuries, Greek regressed into vinous Middle Ages.

In the 1960’s, the Greek government was finally stable enough to begin devoting some effort to the modernization of the domestic wine industry.

With admittance into the European Union in 1981, Greece marked the beginning of its modern wine era.

Greek Wine RegionsGreek Wine Regions

Four levels of quality:• Table Wine• Local Wine• Réserve on Quality • The Vins de Pays

Wine regions:• Macedonia and Thrace• Zitsa• Peleponnese• Santorini• Caphalonia• Crete

IsraelIsrael

Wine is mentioned frequently in the Talmud and the Old Testament.

Wine was produced in Palestine from Biblical times to the time of the Muslim conquest in 636 A.D.

The Crusades reintroduced viticulture under Christians.

It wasn’t until their return to the Holy Land in the late 19th century that Jews were again able to produce their own wines in their own state.

At the new Zionist settlements, the Jewish farmers were inexperienced with viticulture and the resulting wine was of low quality.

Israel (cont.)Israel (cont.)

A donation from France infused Israeli settlements.

Israel began exporting Kosher wine to Jewish communities around the world.

After the 1948 War of Independence, Israel continued to produce simple kosher wines in the same style.

Since the 1980’s, the trend has been towards making dry, multi-dimensional wines.

Israeli Wine RegionsIsraeli Wine Regions

Galilee Haifa Samaria The Judean Hills Negrev

LebanonLebanon

The Bekaa Valley in northern Lebanon has the ideal conditions for viticulture.

Both the red wine and the dry white made from local varietals are widely recognized as truly fine wines.