🍷 Heuriger
Austrian young wine of the current year, and also the wine tavern that serves it.
Heuriger is Austrian young wine of this year, and also the wine tavern where it is served. The word comes from the Austrian heuer, meaning this year. Young wine appears after the harvest and is considered ready by 11 November, St Martin's Day, although other dates exist. The season lasts until the next autumn.
Heuriger taverns are especially common in and around Vienna, and in other Austrian wine areas. The winemaker-owner sells his own wine and serves cold food with it: cheese, sausages, bread and pâtés. The right to sell wine this way was set by a decree of Emperor Joseph II in 1784. A branch or wreath is hung over the entrance to show that the tavern is open.
Heuriger is tied to young wine and to Austrian wine. In Vienna such a tavern often serves the Viennese Gemischter Satz, a blend of varieties picked together. It is not only a drink but part of local culture, in which people gather at tables in the open air. Wine should be enjoyed in moderation.
How it connects to Wine
🍷 Heuriger → kind of → 🍷 New wine → kind of → 🍷 Types of wine → kind of → 🍷 Wine
Links
- Next step
- 🍷 New wine
- Part of
- 🍷 New wine
- Where it is made
- 🗺️ Austrian wine
- Similar and different
- 🍷 Wiener Gemischter Satz
Frequently asked questions
Where does the word Heuriger come from?
From the Austrian heuer, «this year»: it names both this year's young wine and the tavern that serves it.
Is it true that a Heuriger is just a wine, not a place?
No. The word means both the young wine and the wine tavern where the owner serves his own wine.
When is the young wine considered ready?
By 11 November, St Martin's Day, although other dates exist; the season lasts until the next autumn.
Similar
🍷 New wine still in fermentation · 🍷 Federweisser · 🍷 Vin nouveau · 🍷 Field blend · 🍷 Wiener Gemischter Satz · 🍷 Partially fermented grape must
⚠️ Wine contains alcohol: adults only, drink in moderation. Wine usually contains sulphites; egg white or milk proteins are sometimes used for fining — important for allergies and for vegans.