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Winery
Nikolaihof
Varietal: Riesling
The pale skinned fruits of the Riesling grapevine have been grown in and around Germany's Rhine Valley for centuries, and contributed much to the country's wine culture. Today, Riesling grapes are grown and processed in several countries around the world, where they are prized for their ability to grow well in colder climates, and their unique flavors and characteristics. Riesling grapes produce an impressive array of wines, including fine semi sweet and dessert wines, to excellent dry white wines and sparkling varieties, all which allow the grape to shine through as a premier example of an excellent white wine varietal. One of the things which makes Riesling such a special grape is the fact that it is highly 'terroir expressive', meaning that the features of the land it is grown on can come across well in the flavors and aromas in the wine. As such, it isn't unusual to find flavors of white stone, or smoky ash-like notes in a fine Riesling alongside the more usual orchard fruit flavors more commonly associated with good white wines.
Region: Wachau
When it comes to the wines of Austria, it is widely considered that the finest by far are those which come out of the grand and elegant Wachau region in the south of the country. Wachau has been an important wine producing region for over two thousand years, and was originally used by the Romans, who noticed its fine potential for producing characterful and flavorful white and red wines. Wachau benefits enormously from the beautifully sunny and warm climate which it shares with western Hungary, and the ancient and impressive river Danube which runs through it, bringing minerals and much needed nutrients to the vineyards. As such, the Gruner Veltliner and Riesling grapes which cover most of the region's vineyards are able to express some interesting features of their fine terroir, as they ripen slowly and fully under the sun each year.
Country: Austria
All over the flat parts of the country in eastern Austria, Grüner Veltliner grapevines can be found growing to full ripeness under the blazing summer sunshine the country enjoys. For over four thousand years, Austria has been an important location for wine production, with a strong sense of tradition driving the modern wine industry to this day. Now, the country has over fifty thousand hectares under vine, and wineries are beginning to experiment more and more with imported grape varietals such as Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, alongside the traditional vines associated with the country. Austria is most commonly known for their excellent dry white wines, which are extremely elegant and generally capable of expressing their fine terroir, making it a fascinating country to explore from a wine drinker's perspective.