Falstaff Weißweingala 2025 – Austria in White

Falstaff is a very important name in the Austrian and international gastronomic panorama. I have always looked with curiosity, without however getting too close to their events, which, in the case of gala evenings, focus on white wines, reds or bubbles from Austrian producers. “With Mondovino and VieVinum, why another all-Austrian event?” I asked myself. The answer is simple and definitive: you never find so many top-level producers all together who propose not their entire catalog, but only the whites (or the reds, or the bubbles, in the case of other events also by Falstaff).

Falstaff does not provide the complete list of wines—a pity, because it would be useful—but still allows you to compare the producers, styles and identities of Austrian whites in a very focused manner. The Austrian white becomes the protagonist and not having to jump from red to white to bubble allows, despite the very high attendance at the event, to seriously listen to what the wines have to say. With the always fascinating setting of the Hofburg as an accomplice, the Falstaff weißweingala 2025 seemed to me to have worked very well.

The wines of Falstaff Weißweingala 2025

Jurtschitsch

I know the winery well. Many tastings and even some purchases. The wines encountered at the Falstaff Weißweingala are very representative of the style of this very, very good level producer.

• Ried Heiligenstein Rotfels 1ÖTW Riesling 2022: Quite rich, with apricot and a fleshy fruit. It doesn’t lack elegance.
• Ried Heiligenstein Steinwand Riesling 2022: More steel compared to the previous one, more vertical and angular. The acidity is the backbone.
• Quelle Riesling Ernte: Probably a good combination of the two previous ones: still acidic, but there are unmistakable notes of ripe quince and a pleasant oxidative note. Rustic body for medium intensity aromas.

Josef Jamek

I fell in love with Jamek’s wines at MondoVino 2024. Even in this case, while not encountering another thunderbolt, I found them excellent. A style that shows a lot, expressive, so much. But the Wachau can afford it.

• Ried Achleiten Grüner Veltliner Federspiel 2024: A Federspiel with floral notes (jasmine) and still a marked character, despite the simple apple that certainly makes itself noticed.
• Ried Klaus Riesling 2023: Stronger than the previous one, but the jasmine notes and solid structure are still there. Also gasoline.
• Ried Liebenberg Grüner Veltliner Smaragd 2023: Even in this case, the style of this winery is quite recognizable. Many powerful traits that need time to stabilize.
• Freiheit Riesling Smaragd 2023: Floral and imposing. Of structure.
• Vierblattl Gelber Muskateller 2024: I don’t love this variety and this perfectly executed example fully shows the grape variety, unfortunately.

Frischengruber

Producer from the “unlucky” shore of the Wachau, but the wines are tasted with great pleasure. Winking labels and a very valid base quality. I will gladly taste it again.

• Ried Kreuzberg Grüner Veltliner Federspiel: Simple and direct, rather dense and oily, shows more the terroir than fireworks. But not exceptional.
• Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Ried Kreuzberg: Similar to the previous one, but this time the variety emerges more with a very elegant sinusoidal acidity. Medium body, with good intensity and seductive from the texture point of view.
• Ried Kreuzberg Riesling Smaragd: In line with the company style. Silky.

Schloss Gobelsburg

A small disappointment the encounter with this producer. I had tasted some wines from the simpler lines of Schloss Gobelsburg, a historic winery in Kamptal, and they had amazed me for their quality-price ratio. These four tastings instead seemed to me not very interesting and sometimes unripe.

• Langenlois Grüner Veltliner 2024: A bit difficult to justify: so herbaceous and unripe, with notes of fresh dill. Sinusoidal acidity, but a punch in the face.
• Grüner Veltliner Lamm 1ÖTW 2023: More round, with some apple peel notes. Easy to drink.
• Zöbing Riesling 2024: Wants to be an important wine, but seems a bit rough around the edges.
• Ried Heiligenstein 1ÖTW 2023: Certainly the most complete of the battery: it is already well rounded and rich, but has structure and character to age gracefully.

Weinhofmeisterei Mathias Hirtzberger

The surprise of the day. I had heard about this producer with the important surname and the future seems bright to me. The two Smaragds were excellent, they spoke of terroir and stylistic sobriety, without however losing character. Fascinating.

• Treu Federspiel Grüner Veltliner: These are terroir wines. This one is very accessible and full of life, but speaks of the place it comes from.
• Kollmütz Grüner Veltliner Smaragd: Exceptional, decisive, refined and precise acidity. Fragrant but with enormous finesse. Oily in body, sensual!
• Kollmitz Smaragd Riesling: Super serious, but full of life. No fireworks, but a great sexy density. Stone fruit on the palate and nose and long and flavorful finish.

Weingut Knoll

Knoll needs no introduction, it is the classic essence of Wachau. And even this time they didn’t disappoint. The Riesling Smaragd was the best wine tasted during the day and we are not surprised.

• Ried Trum Grüner Veltliner Federspiel 2024: Really young, varietal in the foreground, a bit of green apple accompanies the entire sip and tea appears on the palate. Acidic, not perfectly integrated.
• Loibner Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Vinothekfüllung 2023: It is direct and precise, with a long finish all focused on dried aromatic herbs. Classic Wachau.
• Ried Kellerberg Dürnsteiner Riesling Smaragd 2023: Best wine of the day, by far. Nose of acacia honey, nuts, but also stone fruit and Mediterranean herbs. The body is well structured, but never static. Full of life thanks to perfectly integrated acidity. It is at the same time ready and with a long life ahead. Masterpiece. Gigantic and very focused finish with infinite notes of bergamot, so bitter and elegant.

Hirsch

Guiltily, I didn’t know this Kamptal producer. Even more guiltily, I wasn’t able to taste their wines with the necessary concentration. The first impressions are however excellent, so I will delve deeper.

• Hirschin Riesling: All wines that I feel I need to try again. This one is simple, but very elegant and precise in maintaining its profile within pleasant boundaries, juicy but balanced. Excellent structure and palate of delicate herbs and white stone fruit.
• Ried Lamm Grüner Veltliner: Grüner Veltliner can be ruthless when you let it freely express too much of the varietal, but here there is terroir, not steel in Jurtschitsch style, but kept vibrant in a dense body. Silky finish.
• Ried Gaisberg Riesling 2023: Again the terroir and again great elegance in the sip, also thanks to the petrol notes.

Franz Hirtzberger

Another huge certainty of Wachau. I admit though that on these occasions Franz Hirtzberger’s wines struggle to stand out. Maybe they require calm and a less agitated context. Of course, Honivogl Grüner Veltliner Smaragd 2016 is one of the best wines I have ever tasted, so from this producer I always return with trepidation.

• Honivogl Grüner Veltliner Smaragd 2024: Obviously still very young, it has all the structure of this label, only that it seemed to me not very concentrated.
• Neuburger Smaragd 2024: I understand, the hazelnut notes. But I found it really flat.
• Singerriedel Riesling Smaragd 2024: This one is serious despite the fleshy stone fruit and citrus character, acidity that is the backbone and gives freshness and vitality.

Prieler

I wanted to retaste their Pinot Blanc because, during our first meeting at A Glass of Burgenland in Vienna, it hadn’t particularly convinced me. I think I understood it better though.

• Pinot Blanc Alte Reben: I understood it better than last time: I appreciated the strength, the tension, the power. Smoky and spicy, full body and toasted. Deep and satisfying finish, savory.

Nigl

Kremstal producer, an area I don’t love. Pleasant wines, but not unforgettable.

• Freiheit Grüner Veltliner: Undoubtedly Kremstal, in the sense that these wines seemed to me timid and poorly defined.
• Gärtling Grüner Veltliner: More definition, with sweet apple compared to the one above. But same vibrancy. Light to medium body.
• Steinberg Grüner Veltliner: Not impressive. Silky, with an inviting finish.

Gross

Another producer I didn’t know. Wines of level from good to excellent, depending on how they position themselves in the company line. People who also seemed very nice to me. I was at the table when they won an award for their very valid Pinot Blanc, it was like sitting next to Di Caprio on Oscar night.

• Gamlitzer Sauvignon Blanc: Nothing exceptional: herbaceous, spices and pear on the nose and palate. Can offer nice moments, but that’s all.
• Ried Nussberg Stauder: Extremely elegant, deep without the ugly edges or unripe flavors that are sometimes found in Styrian Sauvignon Blancs. The acidity is still a spiny balloon that grows and leads the sip. Aromas of dried fruit and ripe pear.
• Ehrenhausen Weissburgunder: Quite dense, absolutely pleasant on the palate but simple flavors of apple and white peach. Juicy, well woven and with a touch of hazelnut.
• Ried Sulz: You wouldn’t say it’s a Pinot Blanc. So decisive, but with class. Aromas of lemon zest, herbaceous but elegant and reductive. To retaste.
• Ratscher Nussberg Morillon: Very serious Sauvignon, like the Nussberg Stauder. Full body and nutmeg notes. Pleasantly toasted but without leaving a mark.

Tegernseerhof

I know the winery, I have purchased from them and I liked their wines very much. This time, with the chosen bottles as accomplices (two Federspiel out of three bottles and one Smaragd possibly defective), it went badly. But I know that Tegernseerhof can offer much better.

• Ried Superin Grüner Veltliner Federspiel: Simple Federspiel, with the classic white pepper and herbaceous notes. It works in its category. Crisp and medium complexity.
• Dürnstein Riesling Federspiel: Still nothing too exciting, but I appreciated the stone fruit and the fleshy and pulpy yellow fruit. Solid acidity for this tropical wine.
• Ried Schütt Grüner Veltliner Smaragd 2023: Knowing the wine, I fear the bottle was defective, because it smelled of hospital food and was tired. Good acidity.

Tement

When Tement participates in tastings, it’s always worth stopping by the table. I find the wines a bit too expensive, but the quality is indisputable.

• Zieregg Morillon: Another classic that didn’t strike me too much. Really well balanced and the wood perfectly integrated, but it was tasted too late during the evening. Finish with grass herbs, certainly concentrated and the texture is definitely seductive.
• Ried Grassnitzberg Riff Sauvignon Blanc: Classic elegant Sauvignon from Tement: full of character and with evident acidity, but always well held together by a tense structure. Nose of chamomile and balance between intensity and grace.
• Ried Zieregg Sauvignon Blanc: Quality and incredible balance. Concentrated and juicy.
• Ried Zieregg Kapelle Sauvignon Blanc: Concentrated and still so elegant.
• Ried Sulz Weisser Burgunder: You have to take a deeper look at Styrian Weisserburgunder: this one also shows a verve (tomato leaf and spice) that I didn’t expect. Great pungent acidity.

My awards from Falstaff Weißweingala 2025

Best wine: Ried Kellerberg Dürnsteiner Riesling Smaragd 2023 by Weingut Knoll

Second best wines: Kollmütz Grüner Veltliner Smaragd and Kollmitz Smaragd Riesling by Weinhofmeisterei Mathias Hirtzberger and Ried Zieregg Sauvignon Blanc and Ried Zieregg Kapelle Sauvignon Blanc by Tement

Surprise producer: Weinhofmeisterei Mathias Hirtzberger

Wine to explore further: Styrian Pinot Blanc

Disappointing producer: Tegernseerhof

The Schaumweinfestival was wonderful as well — I wrote about it here, Rotweingala and Oh, Bordeaux!.