Austrian wedding celebrations
As we had friends coming from all around the world, it made sense to give them an Austrian wine indoctrination… I mean weekend long wedding celebration.
The Welcome Dinner: Heurigenhof Bründlmayer
The Heurigenhof Bründlmayer is a historic vintner’s house and gorgeous wine tavern located in the town of Langenlois.
Why: We adore the wines from Bründlmayer and at their wine tavern you can enjoy 40 estate wines by the glass either in their beautiful courtyard or beside a cosy open fireplace if it rained. Thankfully it didn’t!
Dresscode: Lederhosen and Dirndls were encouraged.
Wine: We enjoyed a range of their highly lauded wines from sparkling to old vine Grüner Veltliner, still rosé and a fantastic red made from the St Laurent grape.
My fave which is available in the UK:
Brundlmayer Brut Rosé – this has been named Austria’s Best Sparkling Rosé for a reason. It is made in the same way as Champagne, mainly from Pinot Noir with small amounts of the native grapes, St Laurent and Zweigelt I adore its effusive red berry fruit combined with subtle brioche notes, citrus zest and elegant structure.
Available from various online retailers such as Vinissimus UK
When you visit ask for:
Grüner Veltliner Alte Reben 2024 – Alte Reben translates to ‘old vines’ which is a usual tip to know!
Rosé Zweigelt 2024 – still Rosé made from the spicy local Zweigelt grape
St Laurent 2022 – A gorgeous red which Burgundian fans will appreciate.
Food: The above wine went superbly with the traditional “Jausen” buffet ( traditional Austrian fare). Smoked bacon, mountain cheeses, fried chicken, smoked trout, goats cheese salad and apple strudel to wrap up!
The Wedding: Schloss Gobelsburg
With roots reaching back to the 12th century, Schloss Gobelsburg offers an extraordinary heritage with a wide range of delicious, age worthy wines and an 850 yr old cellar!
Why:
As I mentioned above, my family have loved the wines for over a decade and have also had the blessing of being friends with the Moosbrugger family for nearly as long. We enjoyed their wine at my sister’s wedding in 2017 and we cracked open a bottle of their Grüner Veltliner when Alec and I got engaged. The wine, setting and family values perfectly aligned and there is even a church next to the winery so we could walk straight to the reception at the Schloss!
Dress code: Summer elegance but due to the dinner being in a vineyard and cellar tours on offer, we advised no high heels!
Wine: We ended up choosing 13 different wines to serve – spread out through the reception, dinner and dancing. It was just such a hard choice! From fantastic Sparkling Blanc de Blancs, single vineyard Riesling, barrel aged Grüner Veltliner, dessert wine from late harvest Riesling and a stunning Merlot from 2010! There really was something for everyone and I really can’t recommend getting a private tour and tasting in their 850 year old cellar!!
My fave which is available in the UK:
Tradition Heritage 3 Edition 853 – is a modern expression of historic 19th-century winemaking: Grüner Veltliner and Riesling are made with long skin contact, basket press, fermentation in large old oak, and then aged for three years before release. It’s also a strictly limited, anniversary cuvée created to honour the estate’s long heritage. It is family favourite wine which we open for special occasions – like my engagement!
Available from various online retailers and importers ie £55.00 at Hedonism or £57 at Clark Foyster.
When you visit:
GO ON THE CELLAR TOUR! Our guests were blown away.
Everything is delicious but definitely check out the older reds (the Pinot Noir from 2003 is a delight) and single vineyard Rieslings and Grüner Veltliner. We served Grüner Veltliner from the single vineyard ‘ Renner’ at my sister’s wedding and it is awesome!
Food: Canapés, followed by goats cheese and/or steak tartare, beef or char medallions followed by pavlova… and a birthday cake with four flavours. Plus a midnight ‘sausage party’… no one went hungry! All catering was done by Toni Morwald who runs the excellent Relais Chateau hotel Morwald which has a sensational restaurant and wine bar.
Recovery Lunch: Winery Nigl
In the steeper and more dramatic vineyard terrain of the Kremstal, Winery Nigl’s hotel and restaurant is a stunning and convivial place to eat and stay.
Why:
Beneath the 12th century Senftenberg castle ruins, Nigl pairs heritage with cosy hospitality in a way that feels both intimate and memorable. Bertram Nigl oversees the amazing dishes and his team are a delight. We loved hosting everyone in their courtyard which is surrounded by vines, ruins and the beautiful village church.
Dress Code: Nothing specific – although everyone wore sunglasses!
Wine: The wine train showed no signs of halting here which is just as well as everything from the chardonnay-based bubbles, single vineyard Riesling and Grüner Veltliner plus Pinot Noir and Zweigelt red options were fantastic.
My fave which is available in the UK:
Annoyingly, I can’t seem to find any Nigl wine in the UK… but this is your excuse to go and visit PLUS stay there! Check it out here.
Food: Carbs were definitely needed which were exquisitely presented in the form of schnitzel, parsley potatoes and then Austria’s iconic dessert, Kaiserschmarnn with plum compote and vanilla ice cream.