Living nearby in Germany, we always knew that we enjoyed Austrian wine, but it wasn’t until we moved here that we truly understood how great of a wine culture Austria has. Exploring the different regions, learning about winemakers, and taste testing varietals has been far and away our favorite cultural activity since relocating to Vienna. Austrians are quite fond of pairing wine and hiking, and so are we.

We thought we were going to experience an entirely new world of cured meats when we moved to Germany, but instead we were genuinely and repeatedly let down by their sausage game. Imagine our surprise then to get to Vienna and learn that their sausage culture is totally on point and a crucial component of their “fast food” scene. Würstelstands serve up a variety of delicious sausages and leberkäs along with cold drinks on street corners all over the city, and to be frank, they put the German sausage situation to shame.

To be fair, it’s hard to say we “love” this one, though it’s starting to grow on us. Döner is the food of Berlin, and in our opinion, one of the greatest cheap sandwiches on the planet. Vienna’s version of the döner is comprised of the same basic elements and yet somehow vasty different. Specifically, Vienna’s version is served on bread resembling a French roll, not Turkish flatbread, and the result is something closer to a French Dip than a traditional Berlin döner. Ferhat Döner, pictured above, claims to be the best döner in the world, with lines that stretch down the block daily. While it is certainly delicious, Kirb is still struggling with being a döner purist after a decade in Berlin. 

Despite a high general quality across Austrian wins, they clearly can’t all be winners. That’s why we’ve taken it upon ourselves to take a photo of each bottle we taste and then sort those photos into one of three folders: Pleasant Austrian Wines, Neutral Austrian Wines, and Unpleasant Austrian Wines. We are happy to announce that as of the time of this writing, we still have not deemed an Austrian wine that we have sampled to be “unpleasant”.

There is an unmistakable old-world charm to walking into a wood-paneled heuriger after a long walk, ordering a glass of wine, and seeing that the snacking options at that establishment are a giant slab of pork and some potato salad. We will always take a slice of that pork and a bowl of those potatoes and be pleased with the decision.

Spiced, mulled wine - or Glühwein - was something we discovered and loved in Germany, so we are happy that it’s just as prevalent here in Vienna. You never have to walk far to find some sort of wooden shack or timeless restaurant slinging the stuff on a cold evening.