Dirndl brand
The Dirndlbrand is from the fruit of Cornus produced fruit brandy ( Shot ). Good dirndl brandies are characterized by an aromatic, mild, very long finish. Due to the difficult harvest (knocking off the ripe fruits) and the inefficient production volume, this brandy is one of the high-priced specialties on the spirits market.
The focus of production is the Lower Austrian Mostviertel , especially the upper Pielach Valley (which has recently also been marketed as the “Dirndl Valley” for tourists because of this regional specialty). The Cornelian cherry grows very well in this area. The plant is called here “dirndl” (“the dirndl”, as opposed to “the dirndl ”).
history
Roman authors such as Horace, Ovid, Pliny the Elder and Virgil already mentioned the "cornus" (cornel cherry tree) in their works. In the 12th century Hildegard von Bingen (1098–1179) dedicated a chapter to the healing powers of the cornel in her medical work “Physica”. The tradition of burning Cornelian cherries goes back to the time of Maria Theresa (18th century).
Manufacturing
harvest
The fruits begin to ripen in the months of July and August. The harvest effort is high, as the ripening period extends over 6 weeks and must be harvested every three to four days. When the first fruits are ripe, half-grown fruits are still green. Since only fully ripe fruits have a good aroma, the relatively small harvest portions are often frozen and finally thawed for further processing.
Mash technique
For the distiller, mashing after picking the fruit is the decisive step in the production of fruit brandy, as nowhere can so much quality be lost. The fermentation stage is therefore more decisive for the quality of the later brandy than the distillation. The optimal consistency and the degree of ripeness of the fruit are the prerequisites for a first-class kiln.
Ripe fruits contain more sugar and have a strong and varietal aroma. Clean, selected, healthy fruits are processed. which are washed and then crushed.
Plastic or stainless steel containers are used for mashing, which can be cleaned much easier and more thoroughly than traditional wooden containers and are also easier to close airtight.
Pure yeast is added to the fruit in the barrel so that it can ferment quickly and in a controlled manner and there is no spontaneous fermentation that can lead to various types of fermentation errors.
Pure cultured yeasts guarantee a controlled, uniform fermentation without stoppages, provided the temperature in the fermentation room does not drop below 10 degrees. With the fermentation container tightly closed and provided with a fermentation bung on the lid, the yeast can now split the fructose into alcohol and the carbon dioxide escaping through the fermentation bung. Access to air is harmful to the mash because of the growth of bacteria. At an ideal fermentation temperature of 15 to 20 degrees Celsius, this process takes three to five weeks, depending on the type of fruit, before the distillation process can begin. The yield is very low - only 4-5 liters of ready-to-drink spirit can be obtained from one hectolitre of mash.
Distillate treatment
After the distillation, the distillate rests and matures mostly in glass balloons or stainless steel containers for at least 6 months, whereby the vessels are only three-quarters full. Maturation in wooden barrels is also sometimes practiced, but the internal dynamics of the fire are more or less influenced by the wood, depending on the length of time it has remained in the wooden barrel. Before filling into bottles, the fire is made "ready to drink" by diluting it.
Sense of taste
The dirndl brand is one of the "exotic" brandies. Schnapps tasters were able to determine the following aroma and taste components in dirndl brandy: Jerusalem artichoke sweet potato, almonds, marzipan, elderflower, nectar from red clover, honey spice, cocoa, peppermint, dried banana, hay, caraway and horse chestnut.
Protected trademark
The "Original Pielachtaler Dirndlbrand" is a protected brand throughout Austria, the Pielachtaler Dirndl from wild collection is included in the ark of taste at Slow Food .
literature
- Diploma thesis by Andreas Zeitlhöfler, 2002 - based on "Graf, Kreß 1996" ( Memento from October 8, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
Individual evidence
- ↑ [1] accessed on May 7, 2010
- ↑ Entry in the Ark of Taste ( Memento of the original from December 4, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
