📍 Burgenland

Burgenland is the easternmost state of Austria, on the border with Hungary and Slovakia. Its main feature is the shallow Lake Neusiedl, which creates a warm, humid microclimate. In autumn fog often hangs over the lake and causes noble rot on the grapes, so sweet wines are made here. The most famous is Ruster Ausbruch, a dessert wine from the town of Rust.

Burgenland is the main red-wine area of Austria. The main grapes are Blaufränkisch, Zweigelt and St. Laurent, giving wines from light to powerful, with scents of cherry and pepper. Among whites there are Welschriesling, Neuburger, Scheurebe, Goldburger and Muscat Ottonel.

The state is divided into several zones with their own names, among them Neusiedlersee, Leithaberg, Rosalia, Mittelburgenland and Eisenberg. In Mittelburgenland reds are made from Blaufränkisch, and Leithaberg is known for hills of limestone and slate. Eisenberg in the south gives mineral reds.

For comparison with its neighbours: to the north and west lie Lower Austria and Styria, and to the east across the border the Hungarian Sopron and Eger, where Blaufränkisch also grows under the name Kékfrankos.