Food & Wine in Austria: Top Picks

Austrian Cuisine

One of the best parts of international travel is experiencing local cuisine. Lucky for us, Austrians take their food seriously. Fresh, local produce and high quality farm products are central to any Austrian dish. Many restaurants and local inns offer outstanding regional delicacies rarely found elsewhere. Viennese cuisine in particular offers many serious classics enjoying world recognition.  One of the most traditional dishes is Wiener Schnitzel, typically made with veal scallops that are breaded and deep-fried in fresh oil. You also can find Wiener Schnitzel made with chicken or pork.  Some other traditional favorites include Wiener Backhendl, the queen of fried chicken; Tafelspitz mit Kren, boiled beef fillet with horseradish; and Frankfurter sausages, which contrary to popular belief, originated in Vienna not Germany (who knew?!!). Add some sauerkraut and spaetzle, and you have a quintessential hearty meal.

Austrian desserts, served with the ritual late-afternoon coffee or after dinner, are synonymous with Vienna. There is Apfelstrudel (apple strudel), jam-and-nut filled Palatschinken, and torte, a layered cake with a wide choice of filling. The most famous dessert is the Sachertorte, a chocolate cake filled with apricot jam and iced with chocolate. My personal favorite is Weiner Eiskaffee, Viennese Coffee, which I enjoyed on a sidewalk cafe in the heart of Vienna.  This is no frappuccino:  vanilla ice cream and iced coffee, topped with rich whipped cream and served with a long spoon. And you don’t just dump some hot coffee on top of a scoop of ice cream (my apologies to the Italians) - cold coffee is whisked together with evaporated milk and sugar and then poured over a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream before finishing with a huge dollop of whipped cream. I wish I had taken a picture of my eiskafee but I was too focused on eating it (sometimes you just have to live in the moment! :)). Do not leave Austria without trying this!

Austrian Wine

There is something unique and yet paradoxical about Austrian wine culture. It is one of the oldest in Europe, yet one of the youngest to be recognized worldwide. Austria grows over 40 different grape varieties. Fresh, aromatic and herbaceous white wines dominate, some of which are quite ageworthy.  Unique to Austria is the Grüener Veltliner grape, used in both light and full-bodied white wines. Grüener accounts for more than a third of local wine production and has only in recent years become popular in the United States. It became the darling of sommeliers around the country and now you can find Grüener on many wine lists. Austria also is known for its high quality Rieslings. Dry, zippy and aromatic, Austrian Riesling is a fabulous food wine.

Zweigelt is the most popular red wine in Austria. It is a light bodied, refreshing red wine, full of raspberry, tart cherry and spice. Keeping with the guideline of “what grows together, goes together,” it is no surprise that Zweigelt pairs wonderfully with traditional Austrian dishes like Wiener Schnizel and spaetzle. Thanks to its higher acidity and low tannins, Zweigelt is actually a great pairing with poultry and fish, especially when served slightly chilled. Many in the U.S. love to drink it with summer barbecue.

Sekt is the Austrian sparkling wine, primarily made from Grüener Veltliner and Welschriesling grapes, as well as international varieties like Chardonnay and Pinot Noir (Spätburgunder). Interestingly, some Austrian Sekt is on par with fine Champagne, yet Sekt remains relatively undiscovered outside the region.  This may be changing as Austria recently created a quality classification system for Sekt that include standards similar to the highest quality sparkling wines around the world. That being said, Austria is not interested in copying other countries. Their wines have their own distinct character and in fact, their very own day of celebration: Austrian Sekt Day on October 22nd.

Of Austria’s five major wine-growing regions, the Wachau Valley encompasses the lush Danube Valley west of Vienna and is the most prominent. The city of Vienna itself is home to dozens of winemakers, and the city hills are dotted with vineyards. In fact, Vienna is said to have more urban vineyards than anywhere else in the world. A visitor is most likely to encounter the Austrian wine experience in a local wine tavern called heuriger, which refers to both the new wines of the vintage as well as the taverns in which they are served. These are owned and operated by vintners who are eager to share their newest wines.   A sampling of local foods is often served and you will usually find a local musician playing live Austrian music. Whether the setting is in a lantern-filled garden or inside a cozy wood-paneled lounge (stuben), you can count on warm hospitality and a a festive experience. Prost!! 

No discussion of the Austrian culinary scene is complete without mentioning beer. Austria has a strong beer culture with residents having the one of the highest consumption of beer per capita worldwide. Austrian beer is very high quality, with breweries following strict standards from the 1500’s. Although most beers are full-bodied lagers, you will find many different styles: Märzen is light in color, has a hoppy aroma and a balanced malty flavor. Pils is also light colored but is strongly hoppy. Special beers are full-strength beers with an original wort of at least 12.5 degrees. Wheat beer is made using at least 50% wheat malt and
Zwickel is unfiltered, resulting in a beer that is cloudy due to the yeast. Beer drinking is definitely a social event, with many Austrians enjoying outdoor beer gardens in nice weather. Although beer is a strong part of Austrian culture, consumption is done with restraint. Public drunkenness or inappropriate behavior is frowned upon.

A Sampling of Extraordinary Culinary Experiences

• Vienna: Le Ciel is a Michelin-starred restaurant by Toni Morwald serves innovative gourmet cuisine.

• Vienna: Figlmueller is the place to go for the most famous (and likely largest) wiener schnitzel. See the photos above!!

• Vienna: Plachutta offers traditional Viennese cuisine, with a particularly choice selection of boiled beef specialties. Here locals and visitors alike share a unique dining experience.

• Vienna: Palais Coburg Hotel Residence, a five-star hotel, was voted to have the best wine list in the world by World of Fine Wine magazine. They have six cellars, some of which date back to the 16th century, and offer an incredible selection of rare, highly prized bottles.

• Salzburg: St. Peter Monastery Restaurant is the oldest restaurant in Europe and features outstanding local cuisine in a traditional setting. St. Peter is also home to the Mozart Dinner Concerts.

• Innsbruck: The Goldener Adler is a famous inn that has greeted such illustrious guests as Emperors Charles V and Joseph II, German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Leopold Mozart with his son Wolfgang, since 1390.

Are you thinking of a trip to Austria or heading to the region on a river cruise? Contact us here or send us an email for a complimentary consultation on planning a fabulous trip: info@cuveewinetravel.com.