To Austria and Back
Vicky Jo Varner, PhD, MA, CPCC, PCC
Part-Time Professor at University of Philosophical Research
Last time we left off, I left you guessing where we went after saying goodbye to Merle — though I gave away the answer in my title, so you already know. 😜
As recommended by the homeowners, we picked up a couple of bottles of wine on our way out of town — quite unusual ones, in fact!
“Federweisser” is a mildly alcoholic fermented grape juice that’s slightly effervescent due to the carbon dioxide released during the fermentation process. It’s also called “Neuer Süßer” (new sweet) or “Junger Wein” (young wine). Yeast is added to freshly-crushed grape juice, and the bottle is topped with an air-permeable cap.
These bottles are sold in supermarkets, but with a catch: signs warn that the bottles must be kept upright or the wine will spill out!
The federweisser continues to ferment, becoming more alcoholic and less sweet over the following days, so it should be consumed shortly after purchase. Because of these limitations, it’s only available in supermarkets near wineries and only sold in early autumn. We thoroughly enjoyed the local varieties we tried!
Click here to view the full SubStack newsletter documenting our trip to Austria and more of my adventures in the UK and Europe. I hope you enjoy it.
warmly,
-Dr. Vicky Jo