I just arrived in Vienna after 3 intense and taxing, but also inspiring days tasting Riesling and Grüner Veltliner (plus a few specialities) in Lower Austria. I just had time to check into my hotel and run over to Weibels Wirtshaus in the Kumpfgasse/1. District to present my book BEST WHITE WINE ON EARTH – The Riesling Story for the first time ever. For this event I put together a list of my Austrian Riesling Top Ten and I reproduce this below for those who couldn’t attend. I would point out that this is not a hit list of the best 2013 vintage wines, rather reflects the last five vintages I was able to taste and the winegrowers are listed in alphabetical order. Pictured above is Willi Bründlmayer of Langenlois/Kamptal. Don’t worry he didn’t win the crazy cat trophy he’s holding with a Riesling, it was for his ‘L + T’ Grooner. I hope that this list provokes serious discussion, just as my book is already beginning to do here in Vienna.
Bründlmayer (Langenlois/Kamptal)
Johann Donabaum (Spitz/Wachau)
Hirsch * (Kammern/Kamptal)
Neumayer (Inzersdorf ob der Traisen/Traisental)
Nigl * (Senftenberg/Kremstal)
Nikolaihof * (Mautern/Wachau)
Rudi Pichler * (Wösendorf/Wachau)
Franz Proidl (Senftenberg/Kremstal)
Stadt Krems (Krems-Stein/Kremstal)
Wieninger * (Vienna/Wien)
* Included in the „Riesling Global Top 100“ in
BEST WHITE WINE ON EARTH – The Riesling Story
Published by Stewart, Tabori & Chang in NYC on June 17th, 2014
