Labrusca in Austria

I mentioned before a tasting we had at List's winery in Styria. At the very end, Matthias List said he had a surprise for us and proceeded to pour a rosé. It had a light refreshing taste with a bit of spritzyness, clearly different from his other wines. He asked if it seemed at all familiar and we said no. He said it should because it came from an American grape. We knew that some of the American rootstock used in combating the phylloxera epidemic in Europe had sprouted on its own. This indeed was an example. Matthias said that in contrast to the other grapes he grew this one required virtually no care. It even grew wild in the village and each year people brought their grapes to the local supermarket where they exchanged them with the Lists for finished wine. We asked what particular grape it was. "Isabella" he said and we both laughed. Isabella is of course a Labrusca native to Northeast America. So we had come more than 4500 miles to taste a wine from a grape that grows virtually in our own backyard. It wasn't clear that Matthias knew much about Isabella so we told him some of the wine making lore of Labrusca in New York State.

As we were leaving Matthias mentioned that the nearby village of Klöch was famous for Traminer. Since it was in the general direction we were headed next day we decided to go there. Unfortunately, the Vinoteka and Wine Museum was closed for renovations and most of the wineries in the surrounding hills showed no signs of life. We finally found a Buschenschanken for lunch. The friendly woman co-owner seemed curious about a couple of Americans touring out of season and struck up a conversation. At one point, she motioned to a tangle of gnarly vines growing alongside the building and said we should try some of the wine made from them. She cautioned that although the wine was very good you should have only one glass or else you would have a terrible headache next day. We asked the name of the wine. “Isabella” she said.

Great story Dan. The distinctiveness of labrusca seems to have followings everywhere.

Dan,

Last October, while visiting Piedmont, a winemaker gave me a sack full of grapes to eat. Back at the apartment, I told my host that the grapes tasted to me like American. He did not believe me.

The following day, over lunch with a bunch of people, one of them, who's from Russia, picked up some of the grapes, took a bite and yelled out: "Isabella!"

The Russian fellow talked about eating Isabella in St. Petersburg when he was young.

Isabella happened to be one of the American grapes that made the rounds in Europe in the 19th century, probably thanks to the phylloxera fix plus experiments.

I think I've posted before that the well-known Nonino grappa family in Friuli once gave me a bottle of grappa that was produced from Concord, I thought, but now I wonder if it was Isabella. In any event, I could tell as soon as I smelled the grappa!

I think I've posted before that the well-known Nonino grappa family in Friuli once gave me a bottle of grappa that was produced from Concord, I thought, but now I wonder if it was Isabella. In any event, I could tell as soon as I smelled the grappa!

Thomas,
Has there been any experiments or interest in grappa from Labrusca there in NY?? As you know, when you start distilling stuff the Feds suddenly become real interested in what you're doing w/ grapes.
Tom

Tom,

Some wineries here have branched out and distilled, but I hear the NY Liquor Authority is unhappy with Farm Wineries being licensed to distill by the feds.

These wines are called Uhudler in Austria. They were forbidden for a while after the Austrian wine scandal in the '80s, but, as it seems, they are again permitted. I have heard, however, that at least Isabella is forbidden in the EU. Read more at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uhudler
Cheers, Anders

Matthias said that in contrast to the other grapes he grew this one required virtually no care. It even grew wild in the village and each year people brought their grapes to the local supermarket where they exchanged them with the Lists for finished wine. We asked what particular grape it was. "Isabella" he said and we both laughed. Isabella is of course a Labrusca native to Northeast America. So we had come more than 4500 miles to taste a wine from a grape that grows virtually in our own backyard.

Dan, many thanks for this superb story.

I've read much in the way of anectodal comments about Europeans having an attachment to their plots of labrusca - in the case of Austria, they'd be known as the Uhudler varieties and these, interestingly enough, include Concord. Isabella should clearly count as a heritage / heirloom grape in North America; we should be growing it here too. As it stands, the Old World, with its long vinifera-based wine tradition, has found a place for these historic American varieties - even if unofficially. Official or not, whether sanctioned by bureaucracy or not, people obviously like the grapes, their vigour and their wines.

I remember the story of a Serbian fellow who was asked why he wasn't growing European grapes in his yard instead of Concord, and his answer was just wonderful, something along the lines of "why would I grow that s--- when I can have this [the Concord]!"

Fact is, the grapes do have a following in many parts of the world; it's just the official wine establishment that can't accept the bold aromatic profiles that labrusca offers and always sees the proverbial glass as half-empty.