Weingut Prieler Blaufrankisch 2017

Reviewed on November 15, 2019

The Prieler Blaufrankisch comes from Austria which is a relatively small player in the world of wine production. Austrian wine was badly scarred by a scandal in the mid-1980s when a few unscrupulous producers added diethylene glycol to their wines to sweeten them for the German market. I should point out that diethylene glycol is not antifreeze. The press confused diethylene glycol with ethylene glycol! No one died but a few people got sick and they halted exports. As a result, they created the Austrian Wine Marketing Board and Austria tightened up their wine laws. They now have some of the strictest in the world!

When people think of Austrian wine, they think whites. The reds are now coming on strong. This wine highlights the beautiful Blaufrankisch grape - the second most planted red grape in Austria. Blau means blue in German referring to the deep blue colour of the grape skin. Frankisch dates back to the middle ages and refers to the noble French wine grapes. Winemaker Georg Prieler, told me that Blaufrankisch is not an easy variety to grow but it is worth the effort. He described it as capricious, stubborn and challenging. It is a late ripener that demands sun, heat and patience.

The Prieler estate is located in Schuetzen in North Burgenland. This is the sunniest region in central Europe. This wine is textbook Austrian. It is a medium bodied red wine with spicy, juicy red and black fruits (raspberry, blackberry and cherry) The tannins are fine, a bit grippy, and nicely woven into the fruit. The thing that stands out here is its lively acidity. Its the acidity that makes it such a good partner with heavy rich food.

Traditional pairing -mushroom or beef goulash
Modern pairing - nachos, burgers, bratwurst sausages

Region - North Burgenland, Austria