Fans of Pinot Noir — This Affordable Austrian Red Is Your New Favorite Summer Wine

Ask a sommelier about what’s in their glass on a sticky, summer day, and there’s a strong chance it’s Zweigelt, an Austrian grape that’s also known as Rotburger and has an easy-drinking appeal.

“It checks all my boxes: savory, salty, and fresh, with a little grip,” says Alana Steele, general manager and sommelier at the Ostrich Club in Halifax, Nova Scotia. 

“Rotburger is like the Pinot Noir you ordered three glasses of because it was simply too crushable,” says Steele. “It’s that red wine that works every pizza night, and it’s the bottle that never bores your cool friends.”

What is Zweigelt?

Zweigelt was created in the 1920s, when Dr. Friedrich “Fritz” Zweigelt looked to find new varieties that would suit Austria’s climate. He crossed two Austrian grapes, Blaufränkisch and St. Laurent, a light, aromatic grape in the Pinot Noir family. Zweigelt is now one of the most widely planted red grapes in Austria. 

Though Zweigelt is still found predominantly in Austria, mainly in Burgenland, the grape is also cultivated in cooler climate regions like Canada, Germany, the Czech Republic, and New York’s Finger Lakes.

Producers gravitate toward the grape for its bright, fruit-forward qualities. “[Zweigelt] is a fruity, light-hearted, and spicy grape varietal,” says Daniel Cools, beverage director at Juniper and Ivy in San Diego. “Even though alcohol tends to be lower, the color presents darker cherry to sometimes purple.”

The grape shines in single-varietal wines, or it can be found as a blending partner with Blaufränkisch or other Austrian varietals. 

Producers also appreciate its adaptability and resiliency, increasingly important in the face of climate change. “Rotburger is much easier to grow in a wider range of climates and has lower susceptibility to disease than some of our more popular light- to medium-bodied wines,” says sommelier Keenan Davis. 

The grape is more commonly referred to as Zweigelt than Rotburger. However, within the wine community, the name Zweigelt has been controversial. Dr. Zweigelt was a card-carrying member of the Nazi party.  

As Davis researched Eastern European Nazism for school, he found the records from the Imperial School of Viticulture and Horticulture in Vienna. “Dr. Zweigelt was leading the institution with his Nazi beliefs, muscling out detractors,” says Davis. 

Because of this history, many sommeliers and producers seek to use Rotburger as its name. Others argue that to change the grape’s name would slow its popularity and exposure, and it serves to erase a part of wine’s history, albeit a horrific one. 

“The history of its crossing and its namesake are important parts of not only wine history, but history itself,” says Steele. “We can’t look back at World War II without recognizing the long-term effects it had on society, [and] the culture of wine.”

What does Zweigelt/Rotburger taste like?

Whether you call it Zweigelt or Rotburger, the grape tends to be fruity, bouncy, tart, and, when done right, highly elegant. 

“I like to call Zweigelt a big wine hiding in a bottle of a light wine,” says Davis. “They pour deep in color and have dark fruit and peppery tones while exhibiting a freshness and tart character that is almost deceptive. It’s like we took Syrah’s fruit and pepper but kept Pinot Noir’s body.”

“Imagine your favorite middleweight workaday reds: Côtes du Rhône, Merlot, Zinfandel,” says Morgan Harris, master sommelier and wine director at Prelude in San Francisco. “Then take it sideways. Mix juicy, brambly red-and-black fruit, tune up the acidity slightly, and add some low-level meatiness and spice notes.”

Zweigelt is friendly, fruity, and finessed, a laid-back wine for serious drinkers. 

“Rotburger isn’t built for deep complexity, and not all wine should be,” says Steele. “It’s a juicy cherry bomb seasoned with salt and pepper that packs a punch. It’s not pretentious, it’s approachable and most importantly, crushable.”

What to serve Zweigelt with?

Zweigelt pairs best with an occasion. Serve it with a slight chill on a sunny day. The wine works well with aperitif snacks and finger foods. It also shines alongside Austrian-influenced dishes like schnitzels or cheesy spaetzles. 

“I wish people knew how food-friendly it is,” says Davis.

“Rotburger can do wine gymnastics for picky drinkers,” says Steele. “You can throw it at any dish and make it work.”

If you pour Zweigelt with food, Steele recommends to adjust its temperature to match what is being served. “I serve it chilled with grilled fish or savory vegetable dishes to play up the minerality and freshness,” she says. “I decant it and let the oxygen round it out for charred chicken or dry-aged red meats. Or I just let it vibe on the table when a group wants a bottle everyone can enjoy.”

Zweigelt is a Goldilocks-styled wine. “It’s not too thin for Uncle Bob, who only drinks Cabernet, and it’s not too tannic for your friend [who] only drinks Pinot Noir,” says Harris. “There’s also tremendous value in it, as it’s not a variety that the public generally seeks out.” 

“Stop being scared of the new,” says Harris. “The joy of wine is the discovery and trying something different. You don’t know if you’ll like it or not until you try it, but Zweigelt definitely deserves a shot.”

“Just let Rotburger change your life already,” says Steele. 

Zweigelt bottles to try

Claus Preisinger Puszta Libre!, $33

“Served in a vintage Coke-shaped bottle and meant to be served cold, this wine is an iconic party wine,” says Steele. “It’s got crunchy red fruit, dried black pepper, black licorice, and salty, bright tannins. It’s perfectly light-bodied with enough tension to hold your attention. Drink it with a margarita pizza, umami-heavy charcuterie, and anything salty.”

Neon Eon Zweigelt Pét-Nat, $30

Zweigelt can be more than a light red. It also drinks beautifully as a pét-nat. “This is from a single vineyard in British Columbia,” says Davis. “It’s unfiltered, unfined, free of sulfur, grown organically, and spontaneously fermented.  Lemon zest and raspberry shine high, with a distinct slate character on the finish. It’s everything I love in a pét-nat: natural, but not too funky.”

Weingut Pittnauer Pitti, $20

Zweigelt is a stellar blending wine, as shown in this Blaufränkisch blend. “The fruit is more on the tart black-cherry side, which makes it the perfect food pairing wine for a variety of fare, due to the racy quality of the wine,” says Cools.

Weis Vineyards Zweigelt, $30

The year 2021 was a tough one in the Finger Lakes. “It was an absolutely soggy growing season that created thin and flabby reds from all except the most aggressive pruners,” says Davis. This remains one of his few favorite reds from that vintage. “Weis showed the American potential of Rotburger even on a challenging vintage,” he says. “Tart cherry, plum, leather, and a deepness unexpected from a grape prone to high yield.”

Judith Beck Cherry Bomb, $25

“The name says it all,” says Steele. “The carbonic maceration of this Rotburger really pulls confected candy notes out of the wine. It’s like cherry juice, candy floss, and red fruit leather with a little velvet grip. This wine is meant to be served cold with tomato-based pastas, park pizza, and at book clubs.”

Gut Oggau Winifred Rosé, $50

This wine is an iconic blend of Blaufränkisch and Zweigelt from one of Austria’s vanguard natural wine producers. “I love a rosé that has the power of a red and the slinkiness of a medium white wine,” says Steele. “This wine tickles my senses. The texture and finesse is elevated, but the flavor isn’t overly complicated. It’s like salty, sun-kissed strawberries and sage over poetry.”