140 CultureShock! Austria
average to very good. Most of the vintages are best when they
are young, and this is the reason behind the Heurigen.Heurigen
For centuries, local wine producers have served wine to
their customers right where the grapes are grown. A pine
branch hung on a pole outside a house in the wine villages
surrounding Vienna informed passers-by that the year’s wine
was available. Emperor Josef II legalised the practice in 1784.
Originally, these locales were only allowed to sell what had
been produced on their own land, so people brought along
picnics to enjoy with the wine. This continues today at certain
out-of-the-way Heurigen. The word Heurige, which refers to a
place where you can buy and drink new wine, comes from the
Austrian term for ‘the current year’, or heuer. Thus, Heurige
also means ‘this year’s wine’. The wine becomes ‘old’ after
Saint Martin’s Day on 11 November and can no longer be
called Heurige.
A refreshing way to enjoy the wine, which may seem odd
at first, is to drink it gespritzt: carbonated mineral water is
ordered separately and mixed with the wine.
In the autumn, shortly after the grape harvest, Most and
Sturm are available at Heurigen and jugs are sold to take home.
Most is semi-fermented grape juice with a very low alcohol
content, and Sturm (or storm) is fermented grape juice that is
not yet wine. Sturm may not appear to be strong at first, but
drink it in moderation because it can hit you without warning.
For those who do not drink wine, non-alcoholic beverages
are limited in certain Heurigen. True to their original purpose,
some Heurigen serve only grape juice. Others, however, also
offer apple juice, lemonade and Almdudler.
Many people visit the Heurige just to have a glass or two
of wine, but if you don’t sample the food, you’ll be missing a
real part of Austria. While wine and other drinks are ordered
from the waiter, you must head to the food counter if you
want to eat. Certain cuts of meat, like Wiener Schnitzel, are not
on display and must be ordered. Unlike the drinks, which are
paid for at the end of the evening, you must pay immediately
at the food counter. Meat is priced according to weight.