Wellanschitz Klassisch Blaufränkisch 2017

Blaufränkisch. Blaufränkisch, mofos. Say it with me, blaufränkisch. Now tell me that’s not fun. It’s not all that often we come across Austrian wines in this country, admittedly. But they’re a whole lotta fun, when we do! This grape has a profile quite unlike any other. We’re talking flabbergastingly bright, juicy cherries, backed up by a uniquely peppery finish. I personally adore these wines, after trying them for the first time in Vienna. Try to picture the scene: 

I was strolling through the Nashmarkt, Vienna’s famous old market, with my brand-spanking new fiancée. It was a bitterly cold January, drizzling and windy, but nothing could dampen our spirits. There are lots of butchers in the Naschmarkt, but we spotted one that looked particularly inviting. It was tiny, most of the space inside was occupied by four friends of the owner, sharing a large platter of cured meats and some very generous glasses of wine on their lunch breaks. They beckoned to us and we went into the warmth, sharing a bottle of the most bloody delicious red I’ve ever tasted (later we found it was indeed Blaufränkisch), and some of the funniest and most halting conversation we’ve ever had with four drunk blokes on an extended lunch break who only spoke German. This wine takes me there. If it can give you even a hint of that, we’ll have done our jobs.