The Humble Heuriger

During my time in Vienna I visited two Heurigen, traditional Austrian wine gardens. The word is derived from the the Austrian term heurig which means "this year's." Heuriger is singular while Heurigen is plural. These wine gardens serve wine exclusively from the most recent vintage, and can only offer cold food. A typical fare at a Heuriger falls along the lines of bread rolls, various cuts of hearty meat and sausage, various cheeses, and other cold dishes such as cucumber salad. A Heuriger opens for about 3 weeks out of the year, which reduces competition among the regions vintners.

The humble Heuriger is a product of a 1784 decree by Emperor Joseph II which allowed all residents to sell self-made wines. With all of the vineyards that surround the city, you don't need to go too far to find some well-produced, relatively inexpensive varietals that are difficult to find back home.

You will mostly see white wines at Heurigen, though some reds can be found. From what I could tell, the most popular is Grüner Veltliner. You can find more information on taste profiles and food pairing with Grüner Veltliner here.