Did you know that there is a type of vine in Austria’s Burgenland region that should be banned again by the European Union in 2030?
We are talking about old grape varieties. Some examples are Ripatella, Concord, Delaware, and Elvira. And no, these are not the names of places or women. These varieties are very rare in Europe. In fact, many grape variety guides do not list them.
These old varieties were imported from North America to save European wine production. Towards the end of the 19th century, phylloxera destroyed almost all vines in Europe. This insect had been introduced from North America. What a catastrophe!
In order to save the remaining vines (Vitis Vinifera), they were grafted onto resistant roots of American wild vines (Vitis Labrusca). This measure effectively protected the vines from phylloxera.
So far, so good. However, there were vintners who planted the vines from overseas in their original form. After that they made wine from them. Nowadays, a wine, the so called “Uhudler”, is still produced from the “Amerikabeeren” (“American berries”). This happens especially in the southern part of the Burgenland.
Do you ask yourself: “Uhudler, what a curious name… what does it mean?”? Let us tell you about it.
One widespread legend tells that winegrowers were greeted by their wives with the words “You look like an “Uhu” (eagle owl)” after drinking too much Uhudler in their cellars.
Another story says that the name comes from a clay vessel, the “Udler” (a kind of earthenware bottle with two holes). One was for drinking, the other hole was to let air flow in.
A longtime illegal wine
The legal disputes on the topic of wild vines and Uhudler were escalating over the years:
1936– The Austrian Government banned planting new vineyards with American wild vines.
1937 – The Federal Minister of Agriculture and Forestry prohibited the blending of so-called European “noble wines” with wines made from American wild wines.
1961 – The Austrian Government banned every form of marketing of products made from American wild vines. Vineyard owners were only allowed to produce their Uhudler for home consumption.
1985 – This was a very bad year for Uhudler producers and aficionados. In fact, the production of wines made from American wild vines was banned again.
1992-1995 – The planting of new American wild vines and the production and distribution of Uhudler was legal again in a few selected municipalities.
1995 – After the nation joined the European Union, Austria had to adopt EU laws concerning wine growing. These laws stated that vines other than the European “noble” vines (vitis vinifera) were prohibited and to be cut down. During the accession negotiations, the Austrian government and the EU agreed that this law would not come into force until after 2030.
Today, 25 municipalities in the southern part of Burgenland are allowed to grow the grapes in already existing vineyards and produce and sell the ever-popular Uhudler. Whether this will continue to be legal after 2030 remains to be seen. Moreover, several Austrian politicians are trying to save the Uhudler and its vineyards from disappearing. So there is still some hope for this Austrian delicacy.