Red or white? Both can work
Around St Martin's Day on 11 November, roast goose appears on the menu of many Austrian inns, and with it the question of which wine to choose. There is no single answer. In its article on goose season, the Carinthia tourism board states explicitly that both suit Martinmas goose and names white as well as red wines. For wine, Gault&Millau recommends Pinot Noir or St. Laurent in its Martinmas article.
For us, that means there is little point in hunting for the one right bottle. It makes more sense to start from the plate: the side dishes, the sauce and how well browned the goose is.
The cabbage rule of thumb
The Carinthia tourism board offers a simple guide: white wine with white cabbage salad, red wine with red cabbage. It is a rule of thumb rather than a law, but it helps when there are several bottles to choose from or different side dishes on the table.
Our suggestion: when buying wine, mention whether the goose comes the classic way with red cabbage and dumplings, with a cabbage salad or with a rich roasting sauce. That way a recommendation relates to your meal rather than to goose in general.
From the Wachau: Grüner Veltliner or Riesling
Our suggestion when buying in the Wachau: ask about Grüner Veltliner or Riesling, and discuss the preparation and side dishes before choosing a bottle. Among other white wines, the Carinthia tourism board specifically recommends Riesling with a fresh, mineral character. That refers to Carinthian wineries, but it describes a style you can also ask for in the Wachau.
Our suggestion for choosing: goose is a rich dish, so we would ask for a wine that does not taste thin next to the food but still stays fresh. This is our suggestion for choosing; we have not tasted a specific bottle with this dish.
Federspiel or Smaragd?
Vinea Wachau uses Steinfeder, Federspiel and Smaragd to distinguish lighter, medium-bodied and fuller-bodied wine styles. Our suggestion: for goose with sauce and side dishes, start by asking about Federspiel or Smaragd rather than a light Steinfeder.
The style designation cannot tell you how an individual wine will taste with your food, though. A Smaragd is not automatically the better choice just because the meal is festive. Our separate introductory article explains the three terms.
If you prefer red
If you would rather drink red with the classic red-cabbage version, the recommendations mainly name Pinot Noir and St. Laurent (Gault&Millau) as well as Zweigelt and Pinot Noir served cool (Carinthia tourism board). Zweigelt is also widespread in the Wachau's neighbouring regions: according to Austrian Wine, it covers around 11 per cent of the vineyard area in the Kremstal and 13 per cent in the Kamptal.
The Carinthia tourism board explicitly suggests Pinot Noir served cool with goose. When buying, you can simply ask how warm the individual red should be served.
Martinmas, young wine and wine christenings
St Martin's Day falls in the period when the young wine is presented and blessed in the wine regions. Our events calendar lists, among others, the Wachau wine christening in Weißenkirchen on 7 November, the young wine blessing at Schloss Rossatz on 11 November and the Rupertiwinzer wine blessing in Arnsdorf on 12 November, plus the wine christenings in Langenlois and Nußdorf ob der Traisen.
Our suggestion: try a young wine to start, then see whether you also enjoy it with the goose dish. Having a second bottle ready for the main course does no harm.
Three questions to ask when buying, and a small test
First: does the wine suit goose with red cabbage, with cabbage salad or rather a lighter version? Second: how do its acidity and body feel now, and would you open it today? Third: what alternative would you suggest within my budget, including a red?
At the table, a simple comparison helps: first a sip on its own, then with the meat and the side dish. Does the wine stay pleasant, or does it suddenly seem thin, bitter or overpowering next to the food? Our suggestion: make a short note of the combinations you enjoyed, so you know for next Martinmas.