Ultimate Wine Guide 2018/19

BURGENLAND
One finds white, red and noble
sweet wine specialties of world class in Rust
FIRST CLASS SWEET WINES
The beautiful “royal free city” of Rust on the western shore of Lake Neusiedl is
a popular tourist destination. A unique specialty called “Ruster Ausbruch”
matures in the cellars of the city. This noble sweet wine brought the city wealth
and international fame.
The vineyards within the city limits of
the historic wine community Rust comprise
an enclave within the Leithaberg
DAC wine-growing area. The gentle slopes of
the Ruster Hügelland surround the city like
a natural amphitheatre and offer an optimal
macroclimate for viticulture. The enormous
diversity of grapes for first-class white and red
wines that grow here has a long tradition. The
most famous wines are made from grapes that
are infected with Botrytis cinerea in autumn.
This desirable noble rot causes grapes to shrivel
and thus concentrates acid, extract, aroma and
sugar naturally. This wine was called “Ruster
Ausbruch” in the Middle Ages and was made
similarly to its role model Tokaj, at that time
presumably the most expensive wine in the world.
Ausbruch also brought the vintner families
of Rust wealth. They were able to purchase numerous
privileges that allowed them to sell their
highly sought specialty far beyond the borders
of Hungary. In 1524, Queen Maria of Hungary
granted permission for the export barrels of
Rust to be marked with a branded “R”. This
was important recognition for the city, because
Rust was always a guarantor of the highest
quality and emphasis on origin was therefore
always an important concern for the winegrowers
of Rust. Today one still finds the famous
“R” stamped on the corks and labels of the wines
from Rust. The city purchased rights a royal
free city from Emperor Kaiser Leopold I in 1681
for the price of 60,000 guilder and 500 “eimer”
of Ruster Ausbruch, the equivalent of around
30,000 litres of very valuable wine.
The Austrian Wine Academy was established
in Rust in 1991. It is a daughter organization
of the Austrian Wine Marketing and offers seminars
and wine education to an international
public.
© Tourismusverband Freistadt Rust
306 falstaff WINE GUIDE 2018