Wine | Not Just the Label: Seldom Seen Austrian Rieslings

We don’t see too many wine labels featuring the Patron Saint of Wine.  But in Austria, they have a brand or two that place top honors on the wonders of the grape.  Not too gaudy or ostentatious.  Rather, these are softly-stated bottlings are covered with words that don’t make much sense, until you start Googling.

One of the most interesting of these wines is from the little Austrian Danube River town of Dürnstein.  Just North of the river, on Unterloiben street, is a winery called “Emmerich Knoll”.  However, unless you visit in person, getting a chance to taste one of these could be a challenge.

That’s because these wines have a tendency to stay in Austria and get consumed by the locals.  But as with everything that people enjoy, there are deals to be made.  Good wine is no exception.

These deals move wine into the hands of distributors in large cities that make it simpler to obtain Austrian gems like Emmerich Knoll Riesling here in Arizona.  There are so many people who cherish international wines that these businesses keep thriving, in spite of intense competition.

For example, hard-to-get wines may be direct shipped to Arizona from reliable distributors such as Hedonism Wines in London.  They will ship to Arizona with shipping charges that are not as high as you might think.

Another source is Flatiron Wines in New York.  They offer a good selection of Austrian Wines and will also ship quite reasonably.  The cost of an Emmerich Riesling from them should be about $60/bottle.  There are more expensive bottles, but you will need to check to be sure it is worth it for your situation.

When serving dry Rieslings from Austria, be sure to try it with pork and Sauerkraut.  This is definitely one of the “pairings made in Heaven” and should be experienced by anyone who simply loves wine with every good meal.

The tart taste of this Riesling along with just a hint of sweetness simply merges with the flavors of the cuisine like it was designed for it, and indeed it is.  Austria and Germany both take great pride in how their wines simply “sing” along with their local restaurant favorites.

Tourism Opportunity: The Emmerich Knoll wine shown in the picture is created in a region of Austria called Lower Austria (around Vienna).  Also, a tour of this wine country is a highly recommended bucket list items for anyone who like quiet beautiful tasting spots without many tourists.  The small towns are enchanting and offer many options for wineries, restaurants and lodging with easy access to Vienna.