Vienna is the world’s best city to live in it said in the papers last week, and they banged on about the choirs, the orchestras, the architecture, the chocolate cakes, the fairground…Missing out the most important thing. It’s the Heurigen stupid. A genius idea every city would/should copy if they were bright enough. And had the climate.
What, you might say, is a Heurigen? Or more correctly, are they? They are small wine grower’s homes and they encircle the city with their vineyards and cellars. This is the only city I know where the suburbs are more fun than the centre. You and your mates catch a tram out to the vineyards and have a party. Not expensive.
I remember being shown around a few on my first visit. There are some set up for and specializing in tourists. My guide preferred to show me the real ones that locals frequent. Family run. Come into the old wooden barn or the winery. A long trestle table or two. Very communal. Roast meat, cabbage, potatoes cheese and wine straight from the vat. Rieslings, Gruner Veltliner, or field blends of everything in the vineyard. Whites usually. But also reds and rosé.
Thing is nobody fusses much. It’s not wine bore stuff. What everyone relishes is the newness of the wine. Which is something you cannot bottle. It’s too unstable. So the wine won’t come to you. You must go to it. It’s sheer happy youthfulness. Untouched by hand or machine, young virgin wine. Sometimes, right after harvest the wine isn’t yet clear, it looks like milk. It’s still fermenting. Don’t drink too much of this delicious half juice half wine or you’ll be a day or so stuck in the loo…fermenting yourself.
It’s very good for the growers. Some reckon to sell their entire crop between harvest and Christmas. No bottling costs at all…so farmers can do what they love most… just get on with their farming until next vintage.
Could it be done in England, these warmer days? I’ll suggest it.
