What a contrast to the Kalmuck! I am continually amazed at the
> number of Austrian winemakers who managed to produce first-class
> wine during the deluge of 2002.
Only 4% of the total wine growing area was flooded, and - except for a fortnight of rain in the summer - the weather through the growing season was not bad at all.
2003 Gritsch Riesling Eimerberg Smaragd ($25)
> ^^^^^^^^^
> 2003 Gritsch Neuberger Select Eimerberg ($19)
^^^^^^^^^
Note that it's not "Eimerberg" (bucket hill), but "Tausendeimerberg" or "1000-Eimer-Berg", ("1000 buckets hill"). The name of this hill in Spitz (also called "Burgberg", castle hill, beacuse of the castle ruins on top) refers to the fact that it used to yield 1000 buckets of wine (1 Wiener Eimer, Vienna Bucket, eqalling 56 liters) in good years.
[Neuburger]
A simpler wine than the two preceeding it, and made from a grape
> I knew nothing about. Hilarious bilingual discussion with
> Franz-Josef ensued, in which I tried to ascertain what
> Neuberger's near relations might be.
> In the end, F-J (I think) said that it's a relative of
> Chardonnay. A little post-tasting research turns up that
> Neuberger > = Sylvaner x Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc), which may
> or may not mean the same thing ;-)
Note that the name of the grape variety is Neuburger, not Neuberger, and that it's not related to chardonnay. In fact it's a Roter Veltliner x Sylvaner crossing, as research of Franz Regener from Klosterneuburg viticutural school has found out (sorry, site in German):
M.