Paula Maia's Wine blog

The next day my friend Silvana and I took a train from Munich’s Hauptbahnhof to Vienna, capital of Austria and UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001. Founded around 500BC, Vienna was once the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire that ended after the first World War in 1918. The city though, seems to have been preserved in its grandiosity.

Culture life in Vienna is at all times sizzling. Home to a number of opera houses, theaters, museums, churches and famous for its architecture and design, Vienna is a true metropolis with a medium town feeling. With an abundance of outdoor spaces, it seems like the Viennese really know how to enjoy life. Everywhere you look there’s a Kaffeehaus, a Biergarten or a Gästehaus, where one can enjoy an Apfelstrudel, a glass of Grüner, a Schnitzel or simply stare in wonder.

We were in Vienna for only 5 days, which is enough time to get to know the city, visit most prominent sites and- if you are lucky- even catch an opera for $6 Euros a pop. However, if you fall in love with Vienna, like I did, then you probably will never get enough of it. I cannot wait to go back, but in the meantime I rejoice in local alternatives as close as a block away from home.

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Mr. and Mrs. Junk spoiled us rotten at Weingut Kranz-Yunk in Brauneberg. First there was a very long talk about their wines, the region, the soil, the climate, the VdP and then a ‘hands on’ tour of their cellar, where Josef taught us the ins and outs of his wine making followed by a barrel tasting. After selecting the wines we were buying, Mr.Junk labeled them right on the spot, just for us!

Even though Weingut Kranz-Junk is located in Mittelmosel, the wines are quite dry. The residual sugar can be high, but it goes almost unnoticed giving the high acidity that balances it out. At the time they were not a member of the VdP, but the wines were certainly one of the best we had on the entire trip.

Sadly you won’t find Junk’s wines in the US, but next time you are in the Mosel make sure you grab a bottle or stop by. For a chance to sleep amidst the vines you can stay in their gastehaus and won’t be disappointed.

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