WHAT IS A HEURIGER (what are HEURIGEN) ?
Every nation in the world has features and customs that make it unique. Austria is no exception. One of the nicest features of Austria is its wine restaurants, called Heurigen (one Heurigen is a Heuriger).
On August 17, 1784, Emperor Joseph passed an ordinance allowing winemakers to sell their own products, which is a much celebrated decision in the history of Austria. The Josephinian Ordinanceon states, "We hereby grant all subjects the freedom to sell food, wine, and fruit cider of their own production at all times of the year, however, whenever and at whatever price they want."
The word Heuriger actually has two meanings. It refers to the taverns where wine-makers sell the wine they have produced. It also refers to the "new wine" from the last vintage, which is sold from 11 November (St Martin's Day) to 31 December of the following year. Wine-makers have had the right to have their own wine taverns since 795 AD, when Charlemagne ruled. However, this right was only recognized officially by Emperor Josef II.
Typical Heurigen have large wooden tables and benches that resemble picnic tables. Visitors seat themselves and order their wine at the table. After a few glasses of wine, visitors then head up to buffet style counters to get their food and bring it back to the table. Some Heurigen favorites include:
| Geselchtes | smoked bacon and other pork parts cut thickly and served with crusty bread |
| Heurigenplatte | sausage; cold, sliced pickled meat, cheese, chopped onions, pickles and bread |
| Liptauer | soft cheese generously spiced with paprika |
| Kummelbraten | hot sliced pork with a crispy skin flavored by caraway seeds |
| Schweinebraten | cold, sliced pork with bread |
| Surbraten | meat that has been pickled three weeks and then cooked and eaten warm |
Please use your browser's back button to return to the previous page.