2011 Ecker Zweigelt from Wagram, Austria $10/38
Zweigelt is a red grape native to Austria.
It was actually developed by Fritz Zweigelt at the Federal Institude for
Viticulture in Austria in 1922.
The
Ecker family has been making wine and farming in Wagram since 1603! The Ecker
family plots of land are some of the best in the area. The Ecker family specializes
in the ancient grape, Roter Veltliner, which is not related to Gruner, but is a
parent to other native Austrian grapes. The family’s focus on growing the grape
helped to prevent its extinction! This shows the family’s commitment to
tradition, especially in regards to Austrian wine making. The Ecker family logo exemplifies this
commitment. Grandfather Ecker was a winemaker in Eastern Austria, where this profession
was called “Hiata,” which translates to “guard of the grapes.” The guardian
star is featured on the family’s logo today.
Wagram separates
Vienna (the capital) from two of Austria’s well-known wine regions Kamptal and
Kremstal. Wagram produces some of the
most full bodied wines in Austria. This is in part due to the region’s deep,
mineral rich soils called loess. The
soils are so rich because this land was once the shore of a river. Wagram comes from the word “Wogerain” which
means “shore.”
Additionally, an ice-age glacier created a
huge barrier of soil along the Danube river which flows through Wagram. Many
vineyards are planted on this soil-y jackpot.
Wagram tends to be relatively warm and dry,
which contributes to the region’s fuller wines. Warm breezes that flow through
the region are tempered by cool Alpine breezes. Cool nights act to further
preserve the wine’s acidity. The loess
soil retains water well, which is perfectly suited to the regions dry growing
conditions.
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