Touring Austria’s Wines **SOLD OUT**

This EVENT is SOLD OUT.   If you’d like to join a Wait List to be called in case of cancellations – please contact the Treasurers.

Is there anything that overwhelms with a sensation of FRESH better than the first nose of a good Austrian Grüner Veltliner in your glass?   I think not.  Lots of lovely crisp whites out there – but oh my – this is spectacular in a glass.  And it reminded me that PWS hasn’t featured Austrian wines in some time.  And so here it is – our April 1^st absolutely not foolish event!  Austrian wines—both white and red—are some of the best kept secrets for springtime or anytime sipping.

We invite you to ‘embrace the umlaut’ and join us April 1, at the Hilton Harrisburg, 7 p.m. for an introductory tour of some of the wine world’s greatest cool-climate wines.  Austrian wines are vibrant with a range of flavors to match our favorite foods of the season, from schnitzel to sushi. Austria is the world leader in organic farming. Family farms still dominate the winemaking scene, making quality the focus rather than mass production. Our tour guide for the evening is Mariel Wega from Skurnik Wines & Spirits, an importer and distributor headquartered in New York City whose goal is to search the globe to assemble the finest portfolio of estate-bottled wines and spirits available.  Mariel has worked in the restaurant and wine industry for the better part of the last two decades as a sommelier, recommending wines in some of Philadelphia’s top restaurants for over ten years and was named one of Wine Enthusiast’s Best New Sommeliers of 2016.  Mariel has chosen the ten wines listed below for us to enjoy; all of which will be coded in the PLCB system for your purchase of your favorites following the event.   We will pair these with cheeses, baguettes, and small plates of Kasesspatzle and Goulash-Braised Beef prepared by Hilton Chef Bianco.

Nigl Sekt Rose 2016  Kremstal.   Austria’s answer to Champagne. Delicate and racy sparkling rose with strawberries and cream on the palate.

Gobelsburg Grüner Veltliner ‘Schlosskellerei’ 2020  Kamptal.  From some of the oldest documented vineyards in the Kamptal, dating back to 1171. Extremely fragrant with notes of juicy mirabelle plum. Crisp, green, refreshing.

Hiedler ‘Langenlois’ Riesling Kamptal DAC 2020  Kamptal.  An excellent, dry village-level Riesling from the Hiedler family, a founding member of the ÖTW and one of the drivers of Austria’s vineyard classification since 1992.

Nikolaihof Grüner Veltliner ‘Zwickl’ 2020  Wachau.  Nikolaihof holds some of the oldest known vineyards in Europe with sites such as “im Weingebirge” being mentioned as far back as 470AD. This is a fun, playful unfiltered Grüner.

Heidi Schröck & Söhne Gelber Muskateller 2020  Rüst.  An aromatic white that will put a smile on your face from Heidi Schrock, one of the few women to be awarded Falstaff Vintner of the year. White flowers, lemon verbena, chamomile and herbs.

Bründlmayer Riesling ‘Zöbinger Heiligenstein’ Erste Lage 2020  Kamptal.  A top site for Riesling on 250 million-year-old Permian desert sandstone with feldspar (volcanic) and siltstone. Bründlmayer is arguably one of the best Austrian winemakers of the last 25 years.

Hirsch Grüner Veltliner ‘Ried Kammern Gaisberg’ Erste Lage 2019  Kamptal. From the highly regarded “Gaisberg” premier cru vineyard, this wine is herbal with a stunning mouth feel that is creamy yet invigorating with a ton of mineral freshness.

Glatzer Blaufränkisch 2018  Carnuntum.  Lip-smacking juiciness, peppers and blackberries; this is exactly what basic Blaufränkisch should be, and there couldn’t be a better introduction to this fascinating variety.

Berger Zweigelt 2020  Kremstal.  One of the best values in Austria: juicy and bright, loaded with crunchy red berry fruit, tart cherry, and cranberry.

Sattler St Laurent 2020 Burgenland.  This traditional Austrian variety is an offspring of Pinot Noir. Silky with spicy dark cherry fruit.

Heidi Schröck Beerenauslese 2020  Rüst.  A very special and elegant sweet wine made from selected berries from various vineyards on the estate. Amber colored with flavors of apricot, orange, and passion fruit, a complex and concentrated beauty.

This is a higher priced event due to the unique opportunity to taste Austrian wines not previously available in Pennsylvania stores, and pair them with Austrian-style foods while learning more about cool-climate grape growing and winemaking.  Space is limited by Hilton space, safe distancing, and wine availability; so plan now to join us at 7 p.m. Friday, April 1^st at the Hilton Harrisburg for this fun and educational tour.  It will be a great way to kick off spring in Pennsylvania!

100% current, complete COVID 19 vaccination proof is required to confirm event reservations.  All Center for Disease Control and Pennsylvania Department of Health distancing and safety precautions as well as the Hilton Harrisburg’s practices and policies will be followed as we are their guests.  Tables of four persons each may be reserved via communication with your reservation notes, or an e-mail to the Treasurers.  Click here to reserve seats online.  We look forward to sharing these wines and food with you!

Members:  $95         Patrons:  $90        Nonmembers:  $105