Vienna: das Ende für Österreich

Last post from Vienna!

 All good things must come to an end, and with a heavy heart, the group said good-bye to Vienna. We will not miss the snow, cold, and more snow - but - we will miss the sites, food, drinks and friends. Today's topics: a sneak peek at the inside of the Belvedere Palace, Weissburgunder, and the weird and wonderful Austrian breakfast - featuring melange.

Last post, I introduced the Belvedere Palace and Prince Eugene's desire for a bigger and brighter palace that would easily have made it on

MTV Cribs

. (Full Disclosure - at first I could not even remember the full name of this show, so I had to google - the wikipedia description is somewhat humorous and provided for those can't remember either). What you did not get to see were some images from the inside! There are two reasons for this: (1) I had to take these pictures secret-agent style because we were not allowed to take pictures, even without flash, and, (2) The main rooms were so beautiful - they deserved their own separate post. 

Featured below is the grand staircase (left) and the main ballroom (right). Now, I have seen a few castles in my day... Versailles (twice), The Louvre, Neuschwanstein... just to name a few. But this summer residence of Eugene's still managed to show me something awesome and different - uniquely vaulted ceilings. If you look at the windows in the main ballroom, those were on the third floor and allowed visitors to look both down into the ballroom and out to the view of Vienna. Definitely a sight worth seeing.

Next, a topic for my most dedicated readers (and newbies who love fermented grapes) - wine! More specifically, what is weissburgunder? On our last day in Vienna, we stopped at a local wine store. Of course, I went straight to the

b

laufränkisch

 and grabbed a bottle. On my way there, I saw a bottle of weissburgunder, and thought: I have no idea which grape this is exactly, but it looks interesting, so why?! I had never seen this name on the label before and initially thought maybe it was a translation for white burgundy. But, I definitely had my doubts because I found it highly unlikely that anything French

and

wine-related would be in any other language besides French. With some research, I learned that weissburgunder is actually how the Germans/Austrians refer to

pinot blanc.

Pinot blanc is a white grape and produced in several countries (in order of estimated quantity): Alsace (France), Italy, Germany, Austria, Hungary and others. Generally, pinot blanc has a medium-dry to dry taste and oak is not typically used during maturation. Its flavor profile includes: citrus, melon, pear, apricot and perhaps smoky/mineral undertones combined with high acidity.

Other synonyms for pinot blanc include: 

 pinot bianco (

Italy

), pinot branco, rulandsky bile (or Rulandské Bilé in the 

Czech Republic

), Rulandské Biele (

Slovakia

), and 

Feher burgundi (

Hungary

).

For my third and final topic, Austrian breakfast. To some Americans (and other non-natives) breakfast in Austria may seem weird. Well, maybe not weird, but more like - lunch? It's true, if you have not been to Germany or Austria before, the breakfast spread includes: rolls, meat, cheese, yogurt, vegetables and other similar items Americans would rather see around noon. Personally, I think it is the best breakfast around and would back the movement to serve this style breakfast in the US tomorrow. There is one caveat though, today I saw a new breakfast item that was somewhat strange (and may not need to jump the pond) - tiny chocolate cakes/truffles. I grabbed a few (merely for experimental purposes), despite my sentiment that chocolate truffles are a bit too decadent for breakfast, and they were surprisingly good! The taste was no where near as sweet as a similar item in the states would be. So definitely worth a try for the adventurous breakfast lover.

Speaking of breakfast, this brings me to my last topic, melange. If you visit one of Vienna's many cafes, you will definitely see melange on the menu. I have ordered this traditional Viennese coffee drink on several occasions during my trip and it is always great. But, it also tastes similar to a cappuccino and I wondered what was the difference. From what I read (and if any of my European readers want to correct me - feel free!) classic melange differs from cappucino because the strength of the coffee brew is less pronounced and it may be served with whipped cream instead of frothed milk. All differences aside, melange is delicious and I will definitely miss it.

Other places to see in Vienna: 

Zum Schwarzen Kameel (high end food store/restaurant), Figlmuller (traditional schnitzel - the size of a plate), MuseumsQuartier, and basically any bakery.

And with that - stay tuned for new posts on my adventures in Spain!

Cheers!

Vienna: Engelszug

Fifth post from Vienna!

So the results are in and unfortunately my team did not advance to the next rounds. However, we are proud of our effort and definitely thankful for the the opportunity to participate. Our consolation prize = touring Vienna with new friends.

Cardozo vs. Silesia - and our arbitrators.

(Don't worry Silesia didn't get through either)

UChicago & Cardozo Joint Team Dinner <3 

It has been said all along (and its true) that one of the greatest benefits of participating in the Vis are the people that you meet. After the results, we met up with the lovely team from UChicago for a team dinner. We headed to an Austrian restaurant for local fare, complete with 

Blaufr

änkisch

. The mandatory food and drink photos are featured below. I was excited because we finally found an Austrian restaurant that served German-style dumplings known as 

spätzle. I was surprised how uncommon it is to find this dish on the menu. If you have not tried them before - you should... maybe right now! Regardless, the food and company were both excellent and it was a great way to end the competition.

Paprika chicken with dumplings;

Opposite picture = celebratory team drinks

to start of the night.

From the dinner, we headed out for our last night at the Vis Bar. While some of my group members may disagree, it was about time to say auf widersehen to Ost Club. For those of you who are unfamiliar, Ost Club can best be described in one word ... sweaty (Though I would use shady in the alternative). Additionally, one person can only spend so many nights in a row ... in the same club ... with the same people.

Now for liability reasons, I never take pictures in these establishments. You never know who, what, where, or why those pictures will come back to bite you later. But, I know that some of my readers are on the edge of their seats waiting for a description of what goes down at Ost Club, so I will give you a taste, gossip-girl style:

Cardozo team arrives at Ost Club and heads to the bar. This will likely be a crazy night - their goal... to stay out until morning. Spotted on the dance floor - Cardozo ladies teaching the Swiss a few moves, while the Germans are popin' & lockin' - funny yet impressive all at the same time. If you are wondering where the French are - check the smoking room. And did you see that they opened another back room? I am just thankful they played some hip hop songs tonight. xoxo KC

All jokes aside - the Ost Club was a fun scene and great place to unwind with fellow Mooties. But don't put us in the bar rat category just yet! We still got up the next morning to see some more sights in Vienna. First, we headed to the nachsmarkt. It is an open air street market with restaurants, food vendors and a few stores. We stopped to buy some dried fruit and stopped to have lunch at a Thai restaurant. The food was great and it was nice to be outside on a sunny day.

View of Belvedere Palance from the courtyard

Then, we walked to the Belvedere Palace. This palace was originally built for Prince Eugene in the 18th century who believed the old palace was to small for his taste. Thus, he built the two building complex as a more extravagant summer residence. Today, it is now an art museum. The museum features a little bit of the essentials - medieval, 18th/19th century, impressionism and modern art. In fact, the title of this blog post was inspired by the title one of my favorites from today which, loosely translated, means "Angels flight." The crown jewel of the collection is the museum's Gustav Klimt collection - which was very impressive to view in person. This palace is worth the trip alone just to view the extensive grounds and architecture, but the fact that it doubles as a diverse art museum is an added bonus.

For my last photo - Prince Eugene must have been thinking right - check out the view from his front yard...

Cheers!

Vienna: Schnee und Eis

Fourth post from Vienna!

“Neither a lofty degree of intelligence nor imagination nor both together go to the making of genius. Love, love, love, that is the soul of genius.”

  -Mozart

As much as I love Mozart - his hometown could use some sun! There is less than a week left of March and it is freezing here in Vienna! And I'm not talking light jacket with a cute scarf cold - I am talking leave the cute scarf at home and break out the parka because I need function over fashion cold. In fact, it has even snowed the last two days! I don't think Austria subscribes to the predictions of the disinterested groundhog known, not-so-lovingly, as punxatawney phil - but phil definitely blew it again this year by calling for an early spring. 

Not only must we brave the elements simply heading from point A to point B, but we also thought it would be a good idea to take a walking tour of Vienna at night in this weather. Do not get me wrong - it was a great activity! I learned a lot about the history of this beautiful city. But this was no ordinary walk in the park on a summer night. Frankly, we spent most of the day preparing for the walk by buying provisions. Since it was palm sunday, this meant we mostly walked around searching for any store that was open. But we ultimately stopped by the Easter market and purchased some hats and scarves from a local vendor (more on the market to come soon!).

Once bundled up, we headed out to meet the tour group. And the tour started off well - we learned about architecture, royals, plagues, art and culture. 

One of my favorite sites was the Hofburg Palace (seen below on the left). The former home to many monarchs,  including the Habsburg dynasty, this palace is now home to the President of Austria and several interesting museums. Also, the guide told us about interesting square with the statue see on the right. Criminal trials used to occur in that square - either publicly or before the church. Despite any

star chamber

 concerns, most Austrians actually preferred a trial before the church because it was private. All public trials occurred in the square where locals could throw rocks and spit on the accused. Given those options, I guess I would prefer a secret trial to public humiliation too.

Hofburg Palace

Statue representing the old trial space of the church - used to have three stones where defendants could wish for luck

The local fare des tages.

 Before we hit the walking tour we did have an awesome lunch and one of the more famous historical spots in Vienna -

Cafe Central

. (Check out the link for pictures that really show off the interior). It is a must see if you visit Vienna! Cafe Central is simply a coffeehouse that has been around since 1876. It is famous because it was the regular meeting spot for many intellectuals during the 19th/20th century. 

In January 1913 alone, 

Josip Broz Tito

, 

Sigmund Freud

, 

Adolf Hitler

, 

Vladimir Lenin

, and 

Leon Trotsky

 (the latter two being regulars) were patrons of the establishment. Now it is a popular tourist spot with great food. My lunch order seen below - I had square noodle with saurkraut and a yogurt sauce. It was different but I definitely recommend it!

Finally, and somewhat randomly, check out this interesting development in the wine industry. Heading to a local baseball stadium near you (well really only if you are a Mets fan because they are starting with Citi Field), a company called Zipz is introducing sealed single servings of wine. Check it out

here

. As much as I think serving wine in individual servings, like beer cans, is a brilliant idea (definitely shark tank worthy), I would almost guarantee the wine would be lacking in quality. Love to here your thoughts on this!

Cheers!

Vienna: Das Tigra

Third post from Vienna!

 As a resident of the great New York City, I get a lot of house guests. With every visitor I frequently hear the same question - "So what do you do for fun  on a typical weekend." Since I have been there for years and hit most of the typical museums, theaters and attractions, I am now proud to announce that my most common answer is... "um, go out to eat."

Fish Sandwich and Gerkensalat from a local fast food joint.

You may scoff at my choice of dining and wine over the cultural hustle and bustle that is New York City. But it is a passion of mine to research the best kept secrets, newest innovations and traditional favorites within the restaurant community. Which brings me to today's post! Naturally, this passion for restaurants doesn't stop with the five boroughs of NYC but follows me abroad, more specifically to Vienna. 

So our first stop was at a local fast food place that features fish (the name escapes me right now - but it was something Nordic if any Vis Mooties* want to check it out). I would describe it as a classier long john silver's - for those familiar with the seafood featuring fast food chains of the U.S. Be ware - the line moves swiftly - unless there are Americans trying to pay with their credit cards in front of you. But the food is affordable and tasty.

RH in front of CHAMPIONS - head there

 for overpriced "American" food

Then, I hit the town to explore with RH and we stumbled upon Champions - the "American Sports Bar and Restaurant." I always find these types of establishments comical. I wonder if the locals really like going there or if it is just a place for Americans to go when feeling nostalgic while abroad. Either way, I hope the locals come visit Philadelphia for a real Philly Cheese-steak (that is way cheaper that 16 euros they would pay at Champions) and the Americans hold out until their return and stick with the local fare. Unless they play Journey there - because that changes everything.

After a lot of exploring and a successful return to our neighborhood without looking at our map (all thanks to the expert - RH!) we headed to a local market for the essentials - candy and pastries. NYC has some great bakeries - but German/Austrian bakeries may ... (sorry I have to say it) ... take the cake! Everything is just better. Fresh bread, pastries, chocolates - the list goes on and everything just seems like a little more heart went into it than in most American supermarkets. No specific recommendations needed because everything is exceptional! Yes, even the haribo gummy bears that are available in the states are better here.

The essentials: apple turnover and gummiberkin

S

ome of you may be wondering - what is with the pizza? I can hear my younger sister pointing out, "C'mon K - I thought you only stuck to local fare when abroad." I know, I know - I blame the hotel concierge for this one. RH and I were in search of somewhere quick, cheap and good before we hit the Vis Bar. The hotel directed us to Vapiano. When he said the name, I thought - ok, Italian in Austria, this will be interesting. But, when I turned the corner I finally put two and two together - he sent us to

Vapiano

a chain Italian restaurant present in the U.S. where you are given a swipe card and order directly from the chef's station. 

To clarify, I am not hating on Vapiano. It is a great place to go with a large group, the food is affordable and tastes great. I just found it hilarious that I have been to the same chain restaurant (excluding typical fast food) in three large cities (NYC, D.C. and now Vienna).

I will end with a glimpse of what is to come in my next post. RH and I randomly walked by this restaurant, in basically an alley, with a line out the door (And its freezing and snowing in Vienna right now). I later learned that this was 

Figlmüller

, a famous Austrian schnitzel house that has been making this traditional dish since 1905. Get excited for this one folks!

The line for Figlmüller - a local hotspot that we plan to visit soon!

Cheers!

*Vis Mooties

- a colloquial term to describe student participants in the Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot, whose common characteristics include, but are not limited to, desire to be best friends with E.B. (Eric Bergsten that is); heard a law professor from Pittsburgh sing at least three songs on arbitration (yes ... songs); likely sang along with these songs, whether or not they will admit it; know honestly more than any normal person should know about witness statements, article 96 CISG, breach (whether fundamental or not), delay, avoidance and (of course) child labor; fierce competitors by day; people just searching for good times, a party or even (dare I say it) love around the corners of the Vis bar by night.

Vienna: Grüß Gott!

Second post from Vienna!

If any of my readers have been to Austria/Germany - then you know that most people do not greet you with the typical

good afternoon

(you would think guten tag)

but Grüß Gott! (literal translation "good day" or its variants "gods greetings to you"). Since I am a huge nerd, a little research revealed that this welcome is mostly used in southern Germany and Austria. Even the Swiss use a closely related welcome - Gr

üess-ech.

So what is with the language lesson?!

 When I travel abroad, I try to immerse myself in the culture and language. In Austria, it is somewhat hard to do this because nearly

everyone

 (at least those under 30) speaks English. In fact, some of my German relatives even question why I am interested in learning German as no one really knows the rationale behind der/die/das. As the suedo-german expert in my group (and I am by no means an expert) I translate for the group when I can (and let's be honest.... mostly with the aid of a dictionary). Recently, I let one of my group-mates borrow my German-English dictionary and she came up with the following essential list of German phrases to know:

Moot Welcome Ceremony - Vienna Symphony House

Hallo!

- Hello!

Sprechen Sie Englisch?

- Do you speak English?

Wo ist...?

- Where is...?

Wie viel kostet das?

- How much...

Ohne Fleisch/Vegetarier

- Without meat/Vegetarian 

mit

- with 

Die Weinkate, bitte

- wine list please

Prost!

- Cheers! (And the Germans basically require you to yell this - don't be shy!)

Die Rechning, bitte!

- The check please!

I shared this list with you because it is - by far - an extremely accurate description of our first two days in Vienna. Though, I still maintain that you only need three words to survive Austria -

ein bier, bitte!

Group in front of another beautiful statue in Vienna.

For my wine enthusiasts! You know I can't go too long without mentioning wine. Don't worry, I am taking plenty of notes to share with you when I return. But this post features one of my favorites - Blaufränkisch! I recently went out to dinner with my group-mates at a nicer restaurant and chose a blaufränkisch for the table. The label was

Paul Kerschbaum - Blaufränkisch Classic and this bottle did not disappoint.

Blaufränkisch is known as the pinot noir of the east because it is intensively grown in Eastern Europe (Its grown in Germany, Austria, Washington State, Slovakia, Croatia, and Hungary). The grapes flavor is truly intriguing - it has strong acidity, but a medium body and the flavor grows in complexity over time. Further, this grape is SPICY, and I love it! This interesting flavor and medium body makes it an extremely versatile wine that can pair well with almost anything. Whether in Austria (the primary home of blaufränkisch) or back in the states - I highly recommend this grape! 

Stay tuned for more adventures on food, wine and international commercial arbitration from Vienna!

Cheers!

Willkommen in Wien!

A picture of the dome in front of Heldenplatz and the grounds of the Imperial Palance

Today, I landed in Vienna! And I am so pumped for this trip!

For those of you who do not know, I have significant ties to Germany and I am proud of it! So when the chance came to participate in an international commercial arbitration competition in Germany's closet neighbor (Austria of course) - I jumped for it!

The group landed this morning and to kill time before check in we walked around. We walked through Stephansdom (or

St. Stephan's Cathedral

). This is one of the most important Gothic buildings in Austria. Construction for the first church was completed around 1147 and it has grown ever since. It currently is the home of the Metropolitan Archbishop of Vienna. Then, we walked through Heldenplatz, viewed the extensive grounds, and snapped the picture featured above. 

The streets are also lined with a few street markets which featured two drinks that I am interested in learning more about: (1) Glühwein and (2) Eiergrog. 

Glühwein (or mulled wine) I have had before - actually my Oma made it! It is a hot alcoholic drink typically made during the Christmas season. It can be made with red or white wine (I've typically seen red) and includes a variety of spices like: cinnamon, cloves, lemon peel and star anise. A must try! I had never heard of eiergrog - but some quick research suggests its just an eggnog type drink. Not my usual cup o' tea - but if I convince one of my travel buddies to try it - I will let my readers know how it tastes!

Last but not least - the real reason to visit Austria - sandwiches!! Some of you may be thinking - whats the appeal?? We can get that in the U.S. - but it is not the same! The bread is fresh! The meat is awesome! And there is a cheese/butter spread used instead of mayo! I know - I am getting a little sandwich crazy - probably because it just reminds me of the good times I spent around the table with my Oma and German cousins - but you should definitely try it if you are in Vienna.

More details on life in Vienna, wine pairings and featured wines generally to come!

Cheers!

The Enthusiasts! NYC Wine Club: Introduction to Italy

Chi ha pane e vino, sta meglio del suo vicino*

Photo Source: http://www.kairos-holidays.com

/greek-god-of-wine.html

If you take away only one thing from this post, it should be this... 

Italy is complex.

Seriously. In Italy there are more than two thousand different wine labels, twenty wine producing regions and ninety six provinces. Even the wine classification system is so complicated that  some of the finest sommeliers may break a sweat.

So today, we are going to keep it simple with a little history and an overview of the wine regions, grapes and producers you are more likely to see outside of Italy.

The History of Wine in Italy

Oh those Romans...

 we cannot talk about wine in Italy without mentioning the Romans. After the Romans defeated  the Carthaginians around the second century B.C., they expanded wine on slave-run plantations. Eventually, so much wine was produced that laws were enacted requiring the destruction of vineyards  in order to free land for food production.

A turn towards Modernity...

Italy finally introduced DOC legislation in 1963. The DOC laws (which stands for

denominazione di origine controllata

) were modeled after the French laws to standardized quality. However, the original Italian attempt was flawed because it failed to establish a small number of easily identifiable regions with an identifiable style (like the French law). As a result, the Italian wine became increasingly dominated by mass production and most wineries became passionless factories.

Current Situation...

 However, in 1992 the Italian wine classification was overhauled to comply with EU law (aka Goria's law). This change incorporated a category of wine called IGT, which fell into the system below:

• DO - Denominazione di origine (vini da tavola or "table wine") 
• IGT - Indicazioni geografiche tipiche, established to form a buffer between the DOCs and table wine categories
• DOC - Denominazione di origine controllata (controlled designation of origin)
• DOCG - Denominazione di origine controllata e garantita (controlled designation of origin guaranteed) 

Frankly, this overhaul will not fully transform the Italian wine industry until, like France, the industry is organized into a few major regions with a recognizable style and reputation.

The Basics in Italian Wine

Photo Source: http://my.opera.com

Tuscany - The Home of Chianti

There are three levels of chianti: (1) chianti, (2) chianti classico, and (3) chianti classico riserva, which must be aged  a minimum 2 years and 3 months.

Grapes?

 Under the DOCG, chianti is required to be made at least 80% of sangiovese. 

Other Tuscan wines to watch for:

Other quality reds from Tuscany include: Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, and Carmignano.

Piedmont - Big Reds

Piedmont is famous for producing fine red wine, specifically Barolo and Barbaresco.

Grapes?

 The major grapes in Piedmont are dolcetto, barbera and nebbiolo.

The Details on Barolo:

 Barolo is made with the nebbiolo grape, consists of at least 12.5% alcohol, contains a more complex flavor and body, and aged at least three years (one in wood). If the wine is a "riserva" it is aged for at least five years.

The Details on Barbaresco:

Barbaresco is also made with the nebbiolo grape, consists of at least 12.5%, contains a lighter body than barolo, and requires at least two years of aging (one in wood). 

If the wine is a "riserva" it is aged for at least four years.

Photo Source: http://www.smh.com.au

Veneto - The Home of Amarone

Veneto is known for producing wines like valpolicella, bardolino and soave.

What is Amarone?

 Amarone is a type of valpolicella wine made with only the ripest grapes (the grapes used include corvina, rondinella and molinara). Then after harvest, the grapes are left to "rasinate," which ferments the sugar and ultimately raises the alcohol content.

Final Notes:

• Italian Wine Labels: Italian wines are named in three different ways: (1) by grape variety, (2) by village or district, and/or (3) by proprietary.
• Other Wine Regions to Look for: Abruzzi, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Lombardy, Umbria, Compania, and Sicily.
• What about Italian Whites? Many wine educators do not address Italian white wine with the same depth as red wine because the majority of Italian white wines are simply less complex then the red wines (and most Italians will admit it). Leave a comment if you disagree! Some known Italian white wines to try include: pinot grigio, soave and gavi.

For more information on Italian wine, check out my ever-awesome sources: Kevin Zraly's Complete Wine Course 2012, The Sotherby's Wine Encyclopedia 5th Edition, and 

winefornomalpeople

.

For those of you looking for a translation of the quote at the beginning of the post, here it is: "

Who has bread and wine is better off than his neighbor." 

Cheers!