Located in Austria along the Danube River between the village of Melk and Krems, Wauchau is a small wine region in the Western part of the country that usually accounts for only around 3% of Austria’s wine production. Terraced vineyards consist of rock with intermittent layers of silt, clay & sand. Wauchau uses a classification system based on alcohol levels. 1) The lightest wines, Steinfeder, for wines with an alcohol level under 11.5% 2) and the ripest, Federspeil, for wines between 11.5 and 12.5% alcohol and 3) Smaragd, for wines over 12.5% alcohol. Wines from Wachau are labeled by varietal with the listed varietal needing to constitute at least 85% of the blend. Similarly, at least 85% of the grapes from a given harvest must come from the vintage year on the label.
I tried two wines from Wauchau on my recent trip through the area.
Stift Meck Jamek
Jochinger Stewwand Reisling
2013
€9.90 = $13.86
Purchased at Melk Abby
www.weingut-jamek.at
AND
Harm
Reisling Lösslagen Kremstal DAC
2013
€7.90 = $11.06
Purchased in Melk
www.weinschwaermer.at
Both wines were a dry reisling, a bit one dimensional with a grapeiness that you would expect to find in a French Hybrid from PA or NY, not from an Austrian Reisling.
While on the river cruise, their “House Wines” were a Grüner Veltliner that was at best quaffable, and a red wine that was well… a red wine. One evening they did pour a Sylvaner in a bocksbeutel shaped bottle. I didn’t get the vintner, but this was the best wine of the trip. It had several layers of ripe fruit flavors and a respectable length aftertaste. This should have been their “House Wine”.
Definitely not what I was expecting, and might I say, a little disappointed.
