 Poster: A snowHead
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Can anyone recommend a nice white wine to buy in Austria that will be available in local shops or supermarkets. I love Chardonnay, so anything along those lines... the cheaper the better, but nice!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Austrian wine is, as is the case within other EU nations notoriously regional, with, of course, some extended exceptions. Keep it simple and go with what is locally available. Their whites are chiefly of the Veltliner variety (a "drier" Riesling), running from dry to, with age sweet, so make that differentiation at time of purchase.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Gruner Veltliner is your best bet, widely available and usually good. Wide variety of prices - but you invariably get what you pay for!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Just make sure that there's no diethylene glycol in the wine ! 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@JoyZipper, that was 1985
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Lidl and Aldi both do a coulee of nice Gewurtztraminer wines in the uk so I'm sure they'll do them in Austria too
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@jirac18, depends where I suppose - I've never seen any around my place
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@jirac18, I meant my place in Austria
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@monnydite, what i find easiest to do is to buy several different bottles and enjoy their consumption, then make a conclusion as to which you prefer.
If still undecided repeat with a different selection!
Life is too short to drink bad wine, and I have never come across any in Austria.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@holidayloverxx, fair one. I think they stock slightly differently in different regions in uk too so for sure countries are likely to be different. Always worth keeping an eye out for offers tho
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@northantsred, indeed if you have to end up sampling every wine I guess time spent in reconnaissance is seldom wasted
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Anything with diethylene glycol in it for the traditional taste of Austria. 
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You know it makes sense.
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Develop a taste for Aperol spritz, I had a most enjoyable ski holiday drinking those
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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My experience of Austrian wine is good and reasonably priced (like Swiss wine in Switzerland).
I also approve of the hotel practice of having Prosecco on the breakfast buffet...
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Poster: A snowHead
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Apart from the extremely dated and lame "jokes" about anti-freeze which I will ignore hereafter. The good knock on effect of that sad affair which really was the nadir of the Austrian viticulture, it that excellent wines can be found at extraordinarily cheap prices. So for the uninitiated and those ignorant of the rich variety of wines available here is a potted guide:
Reds - any Cuvee will be a mixture of fairly young wines made from a mixture of Merlot/Cabernet type grape varieties. usually Blauer Zweigelt and St Laurent.
Any single grape variety from the Burgenland will be light and fruity and easy on the palate. I regularly drink a mixture called Carnumtum, which is a Blauer Zweigelt/St Laurent blend and very easy on the body as well as the tongue. Carnumtum is a winemaking region between Vienna and Neusiedlersee in Burgenland
Blaufränkisch is another variety of red wine grape
Whites - the standard is the Güner Veltliner which is similar to Pinot Grigio in dryness, fruitiness and acidity. There is also a very refreshing light Rosé made from Blauer Portugieser
The Rieslings are unbelievably good, particularly those from the Wachau district of the Danube valley. Many wine experts believe the best Rieslings in the world come from this region, particularly any graded Smaragd On the wine lists you will recognise this by reference to any of the following towns Krems, Melk or Ybbs an der Donau.
Additionally there are Sauvignon Blanc type varieties for example Weißburgunder and also some amazing Muscatel dessert wines e.g Gelber Muskateller which are drop-dead gorgeous, deep golden hues and a bouquet that will knock your socks off with aromas of honey, peaches, flowers etc. Pretty heavy though so beware as it slips down o so easily!
Austrian wines are predominantly sold by grape variety and the region it comes from. Apart from the scandal where the wine brokers added anti-freeze, you are looking at a winemaking history and tradition that goes back almost unbroken for 4000 years. The anti-freeze affair led to tighter controls on the marketing of the wines via third parties, many are now sold through vineyard cooperatives. The tighter controls mean a way better product and conversely a better price on the whole. Quality wines are exceptionally good value for money.
In the supermarkets you will find a reasonable selection but by far the best selection in terms of variety as well as quality is in the Aldi chain (called Höfer in Austria). This has affected prices in the other supermarket chains so prices are very reasonable.
I make a couple of trips a year to the Krems region to collect some Rieslings and Muskatels directly from the co-operative there and then another couple to the Burgenland to explore the wines on offer. I also make a point of visiting friends in the Weinviertal on a fairly regular basis and stocking up on whatever they recommend. The Steiermark (Styria to English-speakers) also produces a wide variety of extremely robust, tasty wines as well
If you know nothing about the wines r history of wines in Austria this is a good place to start educating yourselves: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austrian_wine. Enjoy discovering the various tastes, I know I certainly do! 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Grüner Veltliner really is The Austrian whine.
Avoid 2013 and definitely 2014 though, very difficult years.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Thanks very much to everyone for your replies....all very helpful.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@monnydite, of course, you could just buy a bottle of Chardonnay!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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of course, you could just buy a bottle of Chardonnay!
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Only if you have run out of loo cleaner!!
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| If you know nothing about the wines or history of wines in Austria this is a good place to start |
I'd say Sammerberg Sue's highly informative overview (related to the above post) is the place tof start - very comprehensive  .
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@monnydite, not sure if this is available in supermarkets Josef Docker Berg Chardonnay, very nice. Also Big John Scheiblhofer Burgenland White also good, there is a Big John red as well.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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If you're on a budget, Spar are doing a very drinkable Chardonnay for €1.99...
..and they've got a pretty good wheat beer for €0.59 a 50cl can 
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@radar, we enjoyed the Big John red in January. Reduced price in M-Preis. A very fine pinot noir indeed
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Big John is not a Pinot Noir, it's a cuvee
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@Langerzug, how very true , shocking error, the punishment must be to drink more, to assist the offender in getting it right
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You know it makes sense.
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