Wine in Vienna

Wandering around Vienna. Wandered past a few wine shops. One display window was nothing but Ridge. I felt right at home.
Off-topic: I stood in the doorway where Holly Martins first encountered Harry Lime. I shoulda brought my zither.
Phil Jones

Have you gone for Sacher torte yet?

When we were in Wien (Vienna), we took a train to Melk, then a boat back to town via The Wachau. None of the small towns had a liquor store, but they had wine bars willing to sell you what you wanted. A limited choice at exceptional prices, vs buying in the US. I purchased 3 bottles of Prager based on a recommendation of the owner. Average cost back then was roughly USD $30. When I got home, I found out they retailed in the $50 range. Look for those out of the way places to buy.

Yes, the Sacher Torte is everywhere in Vienna, including at the birthplace, the Sacher Hotel. But I make my own Sacher Tortes at home, so I have not felt the need to indulge.
Well, maybe one or two. Just for medicinal purposes.
As a friend of mine once said, red wine is a gateway drug to chocolate cake.
Phil Jones

I haven’t had hotel’s original torte in many, many years, but the imitations were never very close to it, in my experience. (We lived in Vienna through rather grim winter when I was a kid and used any occasion as an excuse to buy one of the originals. Years later I had a girlfriend airmail me one.)

That was one hell of a good movie. Hope you find some decent Gemischter Satz while you’re in town.

Vinothek St. Stephan, by St Stephen’s Square, is a very good wine shop.

I second your support, and plan on visiting them again when I am in Vienna in about a month. The only bad part is that they do not ship wine.

Funny, this is not the first time I have heard people airmail the original Sacher torte from Vienna to other countries. I too love it but feel that it is one of those things that I want to experience only when I am in Vienna.

I used to frequent the Eulenest wine bar in Vienna. I don’t think it is anything super special, but if you want to try a variety of Austrian whites, then it was good for me.

…and frankly, I thought Sacher tort was better in Budapest than Vienna…

Yeah, I know, heresy.

k.

There ain’t nothin special about a Sacher torte. Make one yourself. Not difficult. You will be fine.
But keep some dark red wine on hand, just in case of a medical emergency.
I suggest a Zinfandel or a Petite Sirah.
Phil jones

have been to Sacher many times, eaten the Torte on several occasions — dessert is not my thing; I would not expect everybody to care about it, although some certainly do. It has always been respectable and flavourful at its birthplace. My only beef about it is the tiny quantity of coffee you are given upon ordering a ‘large.’ This is nodoubt why S*******s planted their Austrian Embassy right 'cross the way…

We made our way up to the Vienna Woods or Weinerwald, just outside Vienna. Great smorgasbords, reds and whites from the hillside vineyards. Fun and unique atmosphere to soak up Austrian cuisine and wine.

Weinfach Vinothek & Bar
Taborstrasse 11a
some decent Gemischter Satz
Had one from Groiss

Wien & Co, just at the top end of the Nachsmarkt, right side when you’re walking down, just down from Karlsplatz. They have had a fine selection of stuff in the past.

Sacher Torte–bah. Eszterhazytorte at Demel. But now I hear the lines are an hour long. Eek. Still. Demel. Don’t go anywhere else.

Mike