A loaf of bread, a jug of wine and…spring cheese!
[image error]So, as many of you know, I love wine. And I also lived in Austria for a time. Which, and this may come as a surprise to some of you, was the perfect combination. Girl meets her idea of the perfect way to spend an evening.
The heuriger is an institution in certain parts of Austria. Particularly in the hill country surrounding Vienna. The 19th District, Grinzing is noted for them. And in the 18th District where I lived, there was actually one next door. (Not to mention three just up the street).
So what is a heuriger, you ask? Well, many years ago when Austria was ruled by barons and emperors, the grapes and wines produced by farmers were pledged to the ruling aristocracy. Which meant there wasn't a lot left over. But, by decree, they were allowed for a short period of time after the harvest to sell their excess new wine to their neighbors. And to show these good folks that there was in fact wine to sell, they'd hang a pine bough outside of their vineyard. From that tradition come the wine taverns or heurigers you find in Vienna and the surrounding countryside.
Originally, people would bring picnic dinner to the vineyard to have with their wine. Whole families showed up and everyone had a grand time sitting out in the vineyard enjoying fresh wine, good food and[image error] great company. Over time, heurigers started serving and selling their own simple fare. Dishes like liptauer (a cheese spread), fruhlingskase (literally spring cheese, with green onion and garlic and oh my, there goes weight watchers…see recipe below), and Schinken Feckerlin a ham-noodle casserole that is out of this world. In fact, auflaufs, sort of a toss-up between a casserole and a soufflé are made from all kinds of fabulous ingredients. In addition, of course, there were all kinds of meats and vegetables, and an assortment of glorious brown breads. (All of which are displayed behind counters so that you just have to point and receive—which was a boon to our early non-German speaking days in Vienna.)
And then there was the wine! Served in pitchers, starting with a quarter liter on up, there were both reds and whites. Some of it green wine (really new) and these days some of it more aged. But all of it from the winery where you are having your feast. You can also order a bottle of freshly made soda water to cut the wine (although, not surprisingly, I preferred it straight up). The wine [image error]itself is drunk from a mug as opposed to a wine glass. I still have a couple around here that are unbroken, I think. Some of the heurigers have only outdoor tables and playgrounds for the children, and others operate year round now with indoor seating and toasty warm fires in the winter time. All of them are children friendly which made them a hit with the ex-pat-we've-all-just-had-babies crowd.
What lovely memories I have. My daughter, then a toddler, is all grown, but I still can see her, reaching for the grape leaves as we sat amid the vines, sipping wine with good food and good friends! 
Spring Cheese (Americanized):
4 oz cream cheese
1 stick butter
1 ½ oz goat cheese
1 ½ tsp dried parsley (can use fresh chopped if available)
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
[image error]Mix cheeses and butter until creamy (can use a mixer or even a food processor). Add the chopped garlic and parsley. Season with salt. If the cheese is too firm, stir in a Tbs sour cream. Should be spreadable. Serve with fresh dark bread and of course lots of wine!
So what about you? Love wine? Good food? A place to take the family? What are some of your favorite haunts when you decide on an evening out?
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