Interview with an Importer: Winemonger Imports Regional Manager, East Coast James Wright

Austrian wines have exploded on to the wine scene in the past few years which can often leave unfamiliar consumers confused and overwhelmed by the plethora of Grüner Veltiner and Blaufränkisch wines - many organic, most from small, single vineyard plantings. One of the best resources Austrian wine consumers can turn to are those that import the wines - the ones that really know them inside and out, know the market and know the potential each has to become your new favorite wine.

In the Interview with an Importer series, I'll be sitting down with one or two importers of Austrian wine monthly in order to enhance the public's knowledge of each importer's portfolio, distribution, wine preferences and more.

Our first: James Wright of Winemonger Imports:

What makes Austrian wine so unique? What makes it stand out from other regions? 

The first thing to say about this is that Austria is made up of more than a dozen distinct regions, many of which grow distinctive autochthonous grape varieties under different climate conditions. In fact there is likely great wine made from as many different grape varieties as is done in France, which has a vastly greater area under vines. And it's worth noting that Austria is very much a wine-culture like France.

What influenced your decision to work with Austrian wines? 

Proximity and place of wine within the culture—I like going to the opera and symphony in Vienna, and since Vienna is part of the wine-country, I'm right there. I love Burgundy, but Paris is a bad hike away—same thing in Germany, both favorite playgrounds Berlin and Munich are equally inconvenient to the wine regions. And I'm okay with the language in Austria.

Which producers do you import? Highlights? 

Stift Göttweig, Ebner-Ebenauer, Malat, Neumayer, Alphart, FJ Gritsch, J. Högl, J. Donabaum, Moric, Umathum, Wenzel, Feiler-Artinger, Etz, Rosi Schuster—highlights would be individual wines like the Neuburger from Alphart, the Moric Blaufränkisch 07, Weißburgunder Der Wein vom Stein 08 by Ludwig Neumayer, the Etz litre GV which is ridiculously delicious—and any St Laurent from Rosi Schuster; her son Hannes has become a master at working with this finicky grape.

Which states are you distributed in? NY NV NJ AZ WI CA DC VA MD PA MT WY IL

What’s your favorite Austrian varietal? Region? Why?

GV, Niederösterreich: great variety of expression within a small area—Blaufränkisch, Burgenland: which just sort of came out of nowhere and is now represented by a very rewarding stylistic variety of top-quality very expressive wines

What’s your favorite food & wine pairing for the season? 

Stift Göttweig Pinot Noir Rosé 2009 with Wolfgang and Eddie's Soft-Poached Egg with Maitake, Porcini and Lobster at Restaurant Seasonal in West 58th St NYC

Where do you see the future of Austrian wine heading? 

Here in the USA we shall see the fashion pass and the wine remain. The position of gastronomy within Austrian culture is so strong and the wines are customarily made with the realization that they're going to be consumed alongside other foods. This is very important, the affinity of wine for a culinary culture that remains very true to its heritage. So, we shall patiently await a bit of refinement and Sankt Laurent will take its place alongside Blaufränkisch as a premium red.

Anything else you’d like to add? 

Within the past year I've done two blind jury tastings for the Viennese publication Österreichische Gastronomie Zeitung—more than 400 wines on each occasion—and even though there is still a fair amount of [low quality wines] being bottled, the general standard of wine in Austria is improving steadily. It is frequently more often the concept at fault than the execution—for example most Pinot Noir seems still to have more in common with Santa Barbara than they do with Europe…

**Winemonger is owned by Stephan Schindler and Emily Weissman, James Wright is the Regional Manager for the East Coast

Austrian Wine Fact of the Day: Kremstal

Today's Austrian wine fact is Kremstal, particularly noted for Gruner Veltliner and Riesling and full bodied reds. The Kremstal's terroir is "soft loess" (half stone, half soil) of clay and limestone as the region spans a significant portion of the Danube.

The region is located in between Kamptal and the Wachau. Noted producers are: Salomon-Undhof (Michael Skurnik Wines), Weingut Malat (Winemonger), Weingut Martin Nigl (Michael Skurnik Wines), the Weingut Stadt Krems (Emerald Wines of Winebow) and the biggest producer, Weinkellier Lenz Moser (Folio Fine Wine Partners)

You can find many or all of these great wines at local shops near you!

Austrian Wines Magnum Party

As promised, here's the recap on the Austrian Wines Magnum party.

Friday night the Austrian Trade Commission and Austrian Wine Marketing Board hosted an Austrian Wines Magnum party held at the Hearth Restaurant in the East Village in New York City at 11pm. Friends of Austrian Wine and the top Sommeliers in Manhattan gathered to taste and impressive array of wines that consisted of 41+ magnums and super magnums of a variety of Austrian wines supplied by key importers: Winemonger, Frederick Wildman, Select Wines, Vin Divino, Michael Skurnik, Domaine Select, Folio Fine Wine, Winebow, Darcy & Huber Selections, Circo Vino, Blue Danube Wine and Weygandt-Metzler Wine Importing.

The room was quite crowded when we arrived. The wines were lined up on tables in ice buckets that encompassed the room; each was tagged with its respective number, origin, grape variety, name/style, vineyard and vintage. The oldest wine we could find was from 1990, a Riesling from the Wachau, Vinothek imported by Michael Skurnik wines. Quite developed, the wine was rich with honey, but with a great balance of acidity.

Next we found our way to number 28: a Gemischter Satz from the Wien region, Bisamberg Alte Reben, , 2002, imported by Darcy & Huber Selections. Darcy & Huber import a great deal of impressive Germischter Satz and this was no exception.

The reds were brought out later and placed on a single table. Blaufrankisch was the dominant variety, but we managed to try a Neusiedlersee Reserve Sankt Laurent, 2006 imported by Blue Danube that was to our liking as well.

Only two desert wines were served and they were placed toward the back of the room, theoretically to be sipped on last. However, these went faster than any other wine. A 2005 Edellage Traminer from the Wien region, imported by Darcy and Huber and 2004 Grade Cuvee TBA Chardonnay/Welschriesling imported by Vin Divino wowed the group as both portrayed deep honeyed fruit, but accompanied by enough acid to bit through the sweetness and make it feasible to return to tasting dry white wine.

Throughout the night, various Austrian dishes were served. An array of cheeses and smoked sausage, freshly cooked salmon with a variety of toppings, a whole fried pig, carved on the center table and various condiments were enjoyed by all. A few desserts and Austrian cookies were also located on the dessert table.

By 2am, most of the wine was gone and host, Willi Klinger brought up reserves from the Hearth Restaurant Wine Cellar to be enjoyed by the crowd and the party continued on. By 4:30am, we called it a night, but there was still a significant crowd socializing and talking about the impressive collection the Austrians had shown that night.