447068 Tue Oct 02 17:15:02 -0700 2007 14 34 Wine 0 2998089 The recent posts regarding the merits of various Rieslings, as well as the fall weather, has me thinking (and craving) great Austrian wines. So- who are your favorite producers? This would be my "top 5" list for a few types: RIESLING Hogl Donabaum F.X. Pichler Knoll Gritsch Mauritiushof GRUNER VELTLINER Donabaum Hirtzberger Hogl Prager Knoll (maybe Gritsch here too...love their federspiels) OTHER WHITES Sabathi Jaunegg Gross Wenzel Schrock REDS (Blaufrankisch, Zweigelt, St.Laurent, etc.) Moric Umathum Schwarz Feiler-Artinger Wenzel LATE HARVEST Wenzel Heiss Schrock Feiler-Artinger Kracher Tue Oct 02 17:15:02 -0700 2007 20598 OliveBelle 1 2998237 Most of the Austrian wine I drink is Riesling. For Riesling I have a CLEAR pecking order. #1- FX Pichler #2- Prager #3- Rudi Pichler #4- Hirsch #5- Brundlmayer I don't drink much Gruner, but I stick with those producers when I do, and would keep the order the same, I think. I also really like Tement's Sauvignon Blancs Of course Kracher's sweet wines are delicious... Tue Oct 02 18:00:27 -0700 2007 2998089 50041 whiner 1 3002038 J. Heinrich for reds. Wed Oct 03 18:03:06 -0700 2007 2998089 11369 Robert Lauriston 2 3005305 Heinrich is my #6 Thu Oct 04 14:24:20 -0700 2007 3002038 20598 OliveBelle 1 3002053 No Nigl?! No Gobelsburg?! Huber's one to keep an eye on. Ditto Rainer Wess. Wed Oct 03 18:10:09 -0700 2007 2998089 10520 carswell 2 3002072 LOVE Hiedler "Maximim" Gruner, & Gritsch Smagard Gruner is vibrant too. Wed Oct 03 18:16:35 -0700 2007 3002053 104459 drumwine 2 3002884 OOOooooo.... HOW could I have forgotten about Nigl?!?! Wedge tha in just after Prager on my list! Thu Oct 04 01:37:30 -0700 2007 3002053 50041 whiner 2 3005289 I'm not one for oaked Gruner, so no Gobelsburg. That said- if I were going to choose a Gruner with a bit of barrel aging, I would go with the Melusine. Thu Oct 04 14:21:22 -0700 2007 3002053 20598 OliveBelle 3 3005397 Gobelsburg also makes world-class Riesling. And strange that no one's mentioned the uneven but endearing Nikolaihof. Thu Oct 04 14:48:46 -0700 2007 3005289 10520 carswell 2 3005308 Don't know Wess. What region? Thu Oct 04 14:24:48 -0700 2007 3002053 20598 OliveBelle 3 3005365 Wachau. First vintage was 2003, if I recall correctly. www.weingut-wess.at Thu Oct 04 14:40:01 -0700 2007 3005308 10520 carswell 1 3002057 For Gruner Veltliner I would add Schloss Gobelsburg. Their single vineyards Lamm and Renner are frequently at or near "best of vintage" for me. Their rieslings are excellent as is H u M Hofer's Vom Statz. Kracher stands alone for stickies. I generally skip the reds altogether. Wed Oct 03 18:11:37 -0700 2007 2998089 113095 jock 2 3005295 I'd recommend giving the reds another chance. Quality has jumped dramatically! Wine Advocate called the Moric wines as being on par with a Grand Cru Burgundy. Thu Oct 04 14:23:01 -0700 2007 3002057 20598 OliveBelle 2 3005314 Also, though I know this is going to spark a huge uproar, I think only Krachers top bottlings deserve all the hype. Thu Oct 04 14:26:37 -0700 2007 3002057 20598 OliveBelle 1 3179660 Where can I find Donabaum in SF? I looked it up on K&L's web site and on DeeVine Wines web site and didn't find it. Tue Dec 04 15:23:31 -0800 2007 2998089 14374 Mari