Photo: BMLFUW/Rita Newman
Mostviertler Birnmost g.g.A.
Record number: 20
Disclosure date
‘Perry’ is first mentioned by Neidhart von Reuenthal, a minnesinger or German-language troubadour, in or around 1240.
Photo: BMLFUW/A...
Mostviertler Birnmost g.g.A.
(Mostviertler perry PGI)
Abstract or claim
Perry is traditionally produced from local varieties of perry pear, using windfall fruit from local orchards.
Mostviertler Birnmost PGI (‘‘Protected Geographical Indication’)is produced by fermenting juice pressed from perry pears. It is fully fermented, of a clear rather than cloudy consistency, and can be reddish-yellow, golden-yellow or light yellow to greenish-yellow in colour, depending on the variety of perry pear being used. It is the fruity, pure-toned flavour of perry pears that lends Mostviertler Birnmost PGI its distinctive character. Perry pears are varieties of pear not suitable for eating raw due to their astringent phenol content.
All the raw materials originate in the geographical area in question, and the steps in the production process are performed in the area. The sole exception to this rule is the bottling of the perry, which may in some cases take place elsewhere.
Name of product, product class
Perry, fruit wine
Name of region
Mostviertel, Lower Austria, Austria
Field of search
Food and Agriculture
Name(s) of information provider
Regionalmanagement Mostviertel
Names of applicant for title
----
Holder of knowledge or associated resources
About 1,000 family farms
Grantee(s), holder(s), assignee(s) or owner(s) of title, if any
----
Descriptors
- History:
The history of fruit trees in the Mostviertel area is assumed to go back to the Stone Age.
Celtic tribes in the region already knew of ‘Most’ (‘must’ which can be either cider or perry), although it was still a particularly rough drink at the time; it was not until the arrival of the Romans that the art of production, and with it processing, was refined. The Romans began producing cider (pomacium) and perry (piracium) using unmixed varieties of apples and pears respectively.
The first written reference to ‘Most’ (must) can be traced back to the minnesinger or German-language troubadour Neidhart von Reuenthal in or around the year 1240.
In the sixteenth century, the knight Philipp Grünthaler had a large ‘paumgarten’ (orchard) planted in the grounds of Castle Zeillern (in the Mostviertel area of Lower Austria); this would seem to suggest this period was when production of perry first began to flourish on any sort of scale.
One early description of must production in the Mostviertel region goes back to the mid-seventeenth century, and Wolf Helmhard v. Hohberg, a country nobleman from Haag.
Empress Maria Theresa (1740 - 1780) decreed that fruit trees should be planted in orchards. Her son, Joseph II, rewarded farmers with a silver medal if they planted more than 100 fruit trees. He also ordered that a number of fruit trees should be planted whenever a marriage took place.
Must production prospered in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and in the interwar years.
Production of must also boomed in the nineteenth century with the abolition of serfdom and the industrial revolution, as the building of new roads and the construction of railways made it easier to transport perry to outlying areas.
Perry ensured farmers a good income, something still shown by the imposing square farmhouses to this day. ‘Diese Häuser hat der Most gebaut’ – ‘Must built these houses’ – is a traditional saying that has survived to this day in the Mostviertel area.
After the Second World War, however, the population’s drinking habits changed due to enhanced mobility, the transformation in societal values and increasing use of orchards for the production of dessert fruit. Drinking must began to be viewed as old-fashioned, and it was replaced by beer, wine and soft drinks. Numerous rows of fruit trees were uprooted as a result, rapidly diminishing the stock of trees.
A small number of fruit growers modernised their fruit presses, with many opening a ‘Buschenschank’ – wine taverns located on farms selling must produced there directly to the public – in an effort to revitalise the business.
The industry has experienced a revival in its fortunes since the late 1980s.
- Region:
Photo: BMLFUW/Rita Newman
Ideally suited to cultivation of perry pear trees, the area extends from the Danube to the Alps, and from the River Enns to the Wienerwald. This corresponds approximately to the municipalities of Amstetten, Scheibbs, Melk, Lilienfeld, Tulln, the rural area surrounding St. Pölten and the suburbs of Vienna.
The Mostviertel has a surface area of 5,500 square kilometres, at altitudes ranging between 246 metres above sea level (Ardagger) and 1,893 m (Ötscher).
The Mostviertel region is characterised by numerous rivers, including the Enns, Ybbs, Erlauf, Pielach and Traisen.
The majority of orchards can be found in hilly areas lying between the Danube and the foothills of the Alps, at altitudes of between 200 and 500 metres above sea level. Avenues of pear trees can also be seen along major and local roads throughout the area.
Climate:
Photo: BMLFUW/Rita Newman
The area is particularly mild, and distinguished by its heavy rainfall (around 800 - 1,500 mm per year) and high levels of humidity.
Summers tend to be cool, and winters extremely snowy. The annual average annual temperature is 9 °C at low altitudes, and below 3 °C at higher altitudes.
Soil conditions:
The area corresponds with the Lower Austrian part of the Molasse zone and Flysch zone. The majority of soils here are brown soils and brown loams. Accordingly, they are distinguished by their depth.
The climate and soil conditions in the area provide highly favourable conditions for fruit growing, and are directly responsible for the intense and unmistakable aroma of Mostviertler Birnmost PGI.
- Mostviertler Birnmost g.g.A (Mostviertler perry PGI:
In colloquial usage, the German word ‘Most’ doesn’t just refer to pear wine, but also to pear juice. Under § 42 of the Austrian federal law defining the conditions of trade in wine and fruit wine, (Austrian Wine Act 1999), wine made from pome fruit has to be named using the words ‘Obstwein’, ‘Obstmost’ or ‘Most’ or as ‘Most’ together with a description of the type of fruit used in its production. The Austrian Fruit Juice Ordinance (‘Fruchtsaftverordnung’), meanwhile, states that unfermented, and thereby non-alcoholic, juice made from fresh fruit has to be termed ‘Süßmost’.
Mostviertler Birnmost PGI is a perry produced using traditional methods. In contrast to the production processes employed in other areas, fruit juice concentrate or apple juice may not be added.
All the raw materials used in the production of Mostviertler Birnmost PGI originate in the geographical area in question, and the steps in the production process are performed in the area. The sole exception to this rule is the bottling of the perry, which may in some cases take place elsewhere.
Pear varieties:
Photo: BMLFUW/Rita Newman
56 of these varieties are used in the production of Mostviertler Birnmost PGI.
The varieties of perry pear with a tradition of being used in the production of Mostviertler Birnmost PGI include the Pichelbirne, Amstettner Mostbirne, Dorschbirne, Honnelbirne, Speckbirne, Landlbirne, Rosenhofbirne and Schweizer Wasserbirne.
Perry pear trees:
There are around 500,000 perry pear trees shaping the rural landscape of the Mostviertel area.
The pear trees are often 100 - 150 years old. Typically they are high-stem fruit trees situated in orchards.
Often, pear trees in the Mostviertel are also planted in rows of two as a way to define borders between rural properties (traditionally referred to as ‘Neidzeiler’).
Perry pear trees are not artificially watered.
Harvest:
Perry pear trees are high-yield, and provide up to 1,000 kg of fruits per tree.
Depending on the variety, perry pears become ripe for harvest between August and November.
Perry pears are a windfall fruit, and can be gathered from the ground either by hand or mechanically.
Storage:
Pears are not usually stored between harvesting and processing, instead being processed immediately after the harvest.
Crushing:
After harvesting, perry pears are washed and chopped using what are known as ‘Birnreiben’ (‘pear graters’).
Pressing:
Usually, the pulp is pressed immediately to avoid oxidation or infection by microorganisms, so guaranteeing the quality of the final product.
Highly modern, low-pressure cider mills are used in the majority of cases.
On some smaller farms, perry continues to be pressed by hand using traditional methods to this day.
The mash produced is then pressed to win the juice.
If necessary, the fresh juice is left to stand to enable any impurities to be removed. Once firm particles have become detached, the excess is separated.
Fermentation:
Depending on the producer, the mash is then fermented in tanks made of wood, plastic or stainless steel, by adding cultured yeast within a maximum of 3 to 6 weeks.
Fermentation time is consciously kept short to avoid any degradation in the acids.
The perry is then separated from the ‘Lager’ (yeast residue), again to prevent degradation of acids.
Subsequently, sulphite is added and the perry clarified and filtered.
Filling:
The perry is bottled in perry bottles, which can be distinguished by their glass perry stamp bearing the words ‘Original Mostflasche’ (‘Original Perry Bottle’).
Around 15,000 litres of perry are produced every year in the Mostviertel area, 1,000 to 1,500 litres of which are produced according to organic guidelines.
Description of perry:
Mostviertler Birnmost PGI can be reddish-yellow, golden-yellow or light yellow to greenish-yellow in colour.
The colour depends on the varieties of pear being used and the ripeness of the fruit.
Alcohol content is 4 – 8 % alcohol by volume on average.
The regional varieties of perry pear used in production lend perry its distinctive fruity flavour and full aroma.
The region’s optimum conditions are responsible for perry pears developing enough of the acids (a minimum of 5% per litre) and tannin which are so crucial for the flavour and longevity of the perry.
Perry is offered in four flavours, ‘mild’, ‘semi-mild’, ‘strong’ and ‘tasty’.
- Marketing:
Photo: BMLFUW/Rita Newman
In addition to Mostviertler Birnmost PGI, a range of different speciality perries are offered for tasting and sale along the Moststraße (a 200 kilometre-long route running through the region, between the towns of Strengberg, Kürnberg, Stift Seitenstetten, Piberbach, Aschbach-Markt, Wolfsbach and Strengberg), through taverns selling that season’s new perry, shops selling agricultural produce directly from farms, inns and small farms.
Perry from the Mostviertel area is available year-round.
Nineteen must producers, distillers, gastronomes and hoteliers in the Mostviertel area currently bear the title of ‘Mostbaron’ (‘must baron' or ‘top-quality must producer’).
This title is an award only conferred upon selected producers in the Mostviertel area, and highlights the special commitment they have made to the region and the perry industry. Perry barons produce the best of the drinks made from local fruits (pure perries, fruit juices or spirits), and regularly organise enjoyable must tastings and culinary events featuring must.
Quality guidelines, quality control, qualification:
Perry is subject to the production criteria for fruit wine according to the Austrian Wine Act (Federal Gazette I 141/1999, Part 2: Fruit Wine § 40 ‘Definitions and Production Regulations’) and the criteria for the awarding of the ‘Must Quality Seal’ (cf. Federal Gazette I 141/1999, Annex to Point 4.9).
It is important to note that – in a restriction compared to ‘fruit wine’ under the Austrian Wine Act – it is not permitted for fruit juice concentrate to be used in the production of Mostviertler perry PGI, unlike in cider production. Perry also has to pass a sensory ‘blind tasting’ by trained tasters from the Lower Austrian Chamber of Agriculture, the precondition for gaining the Perry Quality Seal. This test assesses the colour, aroma, flavour and harmony of the product.
Connection with the geographical area and traditional knowledge:
- Specific soil and weather conditions in the production area provide the perfect
conditions for fruit trees to be cultivated extensively in orchards.
- In harmony with the native soil: Mostviertler Birnmost PGI is produced from
various traditional pear varieties which have evolved over centuries.
- Thanks to the type of culture and specific geographic conditions, perry can
be produced in a way that offers something very special in terms of flavour.
- The unique flavour and aroma of Mostviertler Birnmost PGI is directly related
to the region’s humid, mild climate.
- Production of Mostviertler Birnmost PGI is the result of traditional knowledge
passed down to those active in the sector: traditional knowledge and expertise
of fruit growers (adjustment of cultivation to environmental conditions, selection
of local varieties, genetic improvement and know-how of the harvesting process),
the expertise of perry producers, experience of wholesale buyers, and retail
sellers of marketing.
- Utilisation:
As well as Mostviertler Birnenmost PGI, other types of perry are produced in the region; ‘mixed cider’ is made using apples and pears typical of the region (at a proportion of 2/3 – 3/4), and ‘mixed perry’ combines pear varieties whose flavours can be successfully blended with one another.
Specialities of the Mostviertel include ‘Birnenmost gemischt’ (‘mixed perry’), ‘Birnenmost halbsüß’ (‘semi-sweet perry’), ‘Speckbirnen – Most’ (‘speckbirne perry’) ‘Grüne Pichlbirnen – Most’ (‘green pichlbirne perry’) and ‘Dorschbirnen – Most und Mostbaron’ (‘dorschbirne perry’ and ‘top-quality perry’).
Other speciality perries include ‘Gödnmost’ (‘young perry’), formerly only served on special occasions such as the visit of the ‘Göd’ (godparent), and ‘Schmiedmost’ (a powerful cider made using apples and pears).
Mostviertler Birnmost PGI is also used in the preparation of dishes such as ‘Mostsuppe’ (a soup of potatoes, bacon and perry), ‘Mostsauce’(a sauce made with perry used to complement a variety of savoury dishes),‘Most-Parfait’ (a frozen dessert of sugar, cream and perry), ‘Mostschnitzel’ (schnitzel with a perry sauce), ‘Mostkeks’ (biscuits made with perry), ‘Mostpudding’(a traditional cake soaked in hot perry),and others.
Regional specialities made with Mostviertel perry pears include ‘Kletzen’ (dried perry pears) and ‘Kletzenbrot’ dark bread made with these dried pears.
- Protection:
The description of the specification for the registration as PGI is located at the Austrian Patent Office. (National application no.: HA1/2003).
Key words
Food and agriculture, traditional knowledge, Austria, Lower Austria, region, Mostviertel, Most (must), pear, perry, Pichelbirne, Amstettner Mostbirne, Dorschbirne, Honnelbirne, Speckbirne, Landlbirne, Mostviertler Birnmost g.g.A., Mostviertel perry PGI
Bibliography/ References
- Council Regulation (EG No 510/2006) Application for Registration: PGI.
(National application No: HA 1/2003)
- 24. Bezirksmostkost
http://www.stadthaag.com/archiv/archiv-2003/mostkost.html
- Alte Obstsorten erhalten, bestimmen und genießen
http://www.noe.gv.at/Umwelt/Naturschutz/Schutz-der-Artenvielfalt/Schutz_der_Artenvielfalt_Obstservice.print.html
- Bezirks-Mostkost
http://www.haag.gv.at/system/web/zusatzseite.aspx?menuonr=218250947&detailonr=169267580
- Birnbäume und Vierkanthöfe
http://www.br-online.de/bayerisches-fernsehen/unter-unserem-himmel/im-mostviertel-gabriele-mooser-wo-der-bartl-den-most-holt-ID1206443252519.xml
- Bundesgesetz über den Verkehr mit Wein und Obstwein (Weingesetz
1999) § 42. Bezeichnung von Obstwein
http://aktuell.lebensministerium.at/article/articleview/29749/1/8153
- Das Mostviertel
http://schule.josephinum.at/fileadmin/data/projekt_regionalitaet/Zusammenfassung-mostviertel.pdf
- Das Mostviertel
http://www.mostviertel.at/birnmost.cfm
- Dem Schmied sein Most
http://www.landfuergeniesser.at/geniesser/default_main.asp?medium=GENIESSER&sprache=d&id=51084&tt=GENIESSER_R4
- Das Mostviertel
http://www.genuss-magazin.eu/index.php?id=2500%2C1033594%2C%2C%2CbnBmX2NvdW50ZXJbaGl0c109NTcmbnBmX3NldF9wb3NbaGl0c109Mg%3D%3D
- Dictionary of Agriculture „Georgica Curiosa oder Adeliges Land- und Feldleben“ (1682)
- Die Mostbarone
http://www.moststrasse.at/partner/moststrasse/artikel...1.asp?medium=most&sprache=d&tt=MOST_R9&id=12967#100
- Die NÖ Most-Straße
http://www.most-strasse.at/home.html
- Die Moststraße – So schmeckt das Leben…
http://www.mostrezepte.at/haupt.cfm?MenuId=12
- Herzlich willkommen im Mostviertel
http://www.mostviertel.info/mostviertel/portal/
- Most aus dem Mostviertel
http://www.naturgeniessen.at/Most%20aus%20dem%20oesterreichischen%20Mostviertel.htm
- Most-Äpfel und Birnen im Vergleich (GENUSS.MAGAZIN V/06)
http://www.genuss-magazin.eu/parse.php?id=2500%2C1008422%2C%2C%2CbnBmX3NldF9wb3NbaGl0c109Mg%3D%3D
- Mostbaron
http://www.mostbaron.at/default.asp
- Mostbirnen
http://www.schnapsnase.at/sirninger/mostbirn.html
- Mostherbstliche Genüsse: Von September bis November feiert das Mostviertel Mostherbst
http://www.openpr.de/news/98071/Mostherbstliche-Genuesse-Von-September-bis-November-feiert-das-Mostviertel-Mostherbst.html
- Mostviertel
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mostviertel
- MOSTVIERTEL IM ÜBERBLICK
http://www.niederoesterreich.at/mostviertel/texte/artikel...1.asp?medium=MVI&sprache=d&level=1&id=36106&tt=MVI_R5
- Mostviertel/Viertel ober dem Wienerwald
http://www.wko.at/wknoe/stat/bezirke/text/mbezvoww.htm
- Mostviertel: Sorge um Birnenernte
http://www.kurier.at/nachrichten/niederoesterreich/193698.php
- Mostviertler Genießereien
http://www.mostviertel.info/mostviertel/portal/default.asp?id=32740
- Mostviertler Most
http://www.niederoesterreich.at/mostviertel/texte/artikel...1.asp?medium=MVI&sprache=d&id=36109&tt=MVI_R5
- SIEVERS, G.W. (2007): Der Most. In: Genussland Österreich – Was Küche
und Keller zu bieten haben, Leopold Stocker Verlag, Graz, 156f.
- So schmeckt Most
http://www.mostrezepte.at/haupt.cfm?MenuId=12
- TASCHČE, S.J. Vom Säen, Ernten und Feiern. In: GENUSS spezialitäten.pur,
Herbst 2008, S. 22
www.spezialitaetenpur.at
- Willommen im MostBirnHaus
http://www.mostbirnhaus.at/mostbirnhaus/default.asp
- Wo der „Bartl“ den Most herholt!
http://www.mostrezepte.at/haupt.cfm?MenuId=4
- Wo der Bartel den Most holt
http://linkszeitung.de/content/view/113204/114/
- Zu Besuch im Mostviertel
http://dsr.travelmotion.de/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=45&Itemid=62
All internet references last accessed on 29 October 2008.
Language code
German
Product of www.genuss-region.at
Yes
Regional contact
Regionalmanagement Mostviertel
Gießhübl 7
3300 Amstetten/ Niederösterreich
Phone:07472/68 100
E-mail: www.mostviertel.at
office@mostviertel.at
Authors: Eva Sommer, Erhard Höbaus, Doris Reinthaler
21.02.2012, Lebensministerium III/4