What kind of Wine Food Pairing is this, you ask? Terrific wines made right on the premises and an opportunity to scout out a heurigen that only locals seem to know about. This shining gem is located in the small village of Gumpoldskirchen, Austria. Our friend, Herbert, gave us quick instructions on how to find this wine house and then, with the help of several villagers, we finally found it by looking for the lighted pine boughs over the door. This is the traditional sign that a heurigen is open for business.
Weinbau Otmar Schnitzer is open for 9 days, 6 times a year and it is the time when this wine farmer is able to sell his wines to the public.
We arrived to find our friends Herbert and Maria already enjoying a glass of Rotgipfler…….a “sweeter” white wine….a bit too sweet for my tastes, but delicious all the same! My husband and I looked at the wine menu, consulted Otmar and decided on Rot Cuvee, a medium heavy, dry red wine…YUM! Relaxation and conversation with friends are what these wine houses are all about…once you are there, you may stay the whole evening….unlike in the United States where “flipping” tables is a financial must. It is interesting to watch all the locals, young and old, come in, sit at the wooden tables and just enjoy each other’s company while swapping stories!
As the evening progresses we all decided that a bit of food might be nice. The food is reportedly the best here, but we decided on something a little lighter…a cheese and fruit plate……and along with this, a change of wines to a Gstaubter. This is a fresh young wine, one step beyond “sturm” and that has not yet been filtered. It is sometimes referred to as a “dusty” wine because of its cloudy appearance. Totally delicious with the cheese plate!
Otmar and his crew presented us with a tasty selection of cheeses ranging from dry Swiss to a “stinky” gorgonzola along with rich brie and slices of provolone …. sliced apples, olives (watch out for the pits!) and a sprinkling of walnuts right off the tree in the garden….WOW!!!!! All of this paired along with a basket of fresh breads that the Europeans are so famous for! Can it get any better?
Just as the evening was about to end (I thought!) the “house” brought over a glass of Spatrot Rotgipfler to tempt us further! This crisp, dry white wine reminded me a lot of my favorite Pinot Grigio….YUMMY! Of course we had to linger a bit longer!
