Vienna is the only metropolis in the world that cultivates wine within its city limits. Where best to enjoy the local harvest than at heurige, local wine taverns? What used to be a shack in a vineyard or a few tables by a wine press have now evolved into bobo wine estates with organic barbecues and fussy designer wine cellars serving nouvelle cuisine viennoise.
Good traditional heurige still exist though they are increasingly rare, while many deliberately court younger cosmopolitan Viennese who are no longer content with sour Grüne Veltliner wine and stale dark bread. Two driving forces behind the new popularity of the heurige culture are the next generation of ambitious young vintners and the renaissance of the beisl (Viennese restaurant) cuisine.
One of the greatest charms of heurige is the al fresco setting, be it on a green meadow overlooking the city or in a grapevine-trellised courtyard shaded by ancient chestnut trees. As such, summer is the perfect time to visit heurige, when balmy evenings under the stars could only be complemented by bottomless carafes of good wine.
The ultimate Viennese chill-out, if you will.
About
Heurige first originated from wine farmers who found a way to conveniently purge remaining surplus. By hanging fir tree branches out front, they signaled that the farms were “ausg’steckt,” i.e. open for business and serving beverages to customers, who brought their own food.
Heurige are also sometimes known as buschenschank (heurige regulated by certain ordinances) which are only allowed to serve their own production and are open only few weeks in the year. The name “heurige” is derived from the “heurige” wines it served, the young wines of this year (“heuer” in Austrian), most typically Grüne Veltliner. While traditional fare at these establishments are cold cuts like ham with dark bread from a help-yourself buffet, nowadays, almost all offer warm food, if not even gourmet cuisine, and the wine selection can be extensive and sophisticated.
A few tips…
1) Be sure to avoid places with musicians, unless you’re lucky enough to find the few with original Wiener Lieder musicians (try the 10th or 16th Districts).
2) Run far away if you see the red flag: tourist buses
3) We have to say it: If you drink, don’t drive—Viennese police are immune to charm.
