Pockl Zweigelt Classique 1998

"So what does Zweigelt taste like, you ask?" "Well…like Zweigelt, which is a cross of Blaufrankisch (Gamay) and St. Laurent, another, (typically Austrian varietal. This varietal, first conceived by Dr. Zweigelt, produces a fine medium-bodied red wine with well defined fruit in Pockl’s hands. Wild strawberry, plum and cola flavors predominate in the 1998 Pockl Zweigelt, rendering it not unlike a Grand Cru Beaujolais from Morgon after a few months in small oak barrel. Deeply colored and full of flavor, it is easy to see why this varietal now makes up as much as 25% of the Austrian red wine production. Drink this wine at cool room temperature.

Goulash, lamb stew and other highly charged, spiced dishes pair handsomely with the Pockl Zweigelt. In particular, we recommend country pork barbecue, sliced or chopped, baked beans, thick brown bread and slaw. Wurst, country hams and deli meats also complement the bold flavors of this Zweigelt. We suggest allowing the wine to breathe for a half hour while you grill or prepare some hardy, stick to your ribs fare, and enjoy!

The Pockl Zweigelt winery is located in pastoral Burgenland, about 60 miles southeast of Vienna. Burgenland is an extremely rural region of scattered small villages and family farms, with few towns of significant size. Many of the best vineyards of the region are within a few kilometers of the shores of Lake Neusiedle. The vineyards around this long, shallow lake (more than 20 miles long but no more than five feet deep at any point) have long been recognized as one of Austria’s finest growing areas for red grapes, but until recently very little of Burgenland’s wine was exported. This is a viticultural region whose image has been largely shaped by small scale, rustic wine growers rather than by any large commercial wineries. The average vineyard holding region is slightly less than 4 acres, and is typically planted with native Austrian varietals such as Blaufrankisch, St. Laurent, Furmint and the classic Zweigelt. The Pockl winery is owned by Josef Pockl and family, who are also the only employees at this 25 acre estate. Josef Pockl, long ignored by wine critics as just another country farmer, was recently voted the best red winemaker in Austria, praise well deserved. Pockl’s philosophy is to make wines retaining their traditional Austrian character, and which reflect the soil and flavors of Burgenland. His largest production is Zweigelt, the classic red of Austria, but with characteristic curiosity and imagination Pockl has also planted Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Nebbiolo, and even Zinfandel.