Why Austria’s red wines are the stars of the show

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A series of outstanding vintages propelled red wines from Austria into the limelight, with quality that rivals the country’s world-class whites.

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Fluttering in the breeze at the top of its pole, Austria’s national flag combines the colours red and white in flowing horizontal bars. Down below in its wineries, the country’s reds are now rivalling its famed whites, with rave reviews propelling them onto the international stage.

A run of outstanding vintages since 2015 brought a ripe juiciness to many of Austria’s reds. When combined with the Alpine nation’s typical cool-climate freshness, those elements create balance in both the vineyard and the bottle. Coupled with the global trend away from the high-alcohol reds of the 1990s and 2000s, Austria has the right wines at the right moment to catch international attention.

Zweigelt wine with traditional Austrian dishes

Zweigelt has velvety tannins to pair with traditional Austrian dishes. Credit: Carletto Photography.

Zweigelt – the all-rounder

Leading that international charge is Zweigelt, also known as Rotburger, a crossing of Blaufränkisch and St Laurent. Covering around 6,000 hectares, Austria’s flagship black grape accounts for nearly half of the land dedicated to red wine production.

Zweigelt yields a wide variety of styles, from light and fresh examples that are ideal for chilling in the fridge on a hot summer’s day through to more complex incarnations, with velvety tannins to pair with traditional Austrian dishes, from Wiener Schnitzel with potatoes through to roast pork.

Decanter’s 2024 World Wine Awards not only presented the 2022 Münzenrieder Zweigelt with 95 points and a Gold medal, but also a value-for-money prize, with judges praising its ‘wonderfully fragrant cherry blossom, blackberry, and blackcurrant fruit’, ‘subtle spicy tone’, and ‘juicy, vibrant character and acidity, with immaculate tannins’.

Credit: Carletto Photography & Katharina Tesch

Going beyond Zweigelt

Yet Austria has other red cards up its sleeve. Zweigelt’s parents, Blaufränkisch and St Laurent, each excelled at the 2024 Decanter World Wine Awards, with the 2020 Hofkellerei des Fürsten von Liechtenstein Blaufränkisch picking up 92 points and a Silver medal for its ‘freshness, tension, and brightness’, while the 2022 Nestor St Laurent also carried home Silver with 90 points, recognised for its ‘velvety texture with a crunchy acidity’.

Like Zweigelt, Blaufränkisch and St Laurent produce a range of styles, with lighter interpretations of St Laurent emulating its cousin, Pinot Noir, by pairing with strongly-spiced Asian dishes, thanks to its lower tannins and fruity notes. Richer examples of both wines can match deeper flavours, including steaks, stews, and roasts.