00:00How does having a glass of wine surrounded by vineyards sound?
00:04Come along to a Buschenschank, a typical Austrian wine tavern
00:08and a focal point of tradition and ritual.
00:11We'll explain what to look for, what to look out for,
00:14and what these branches mean, and why you'll never find warm meals there.
00:21I'm Fritz Wieninger, the proprietor of this Buschenschank.
00:24A Buschenschank is a wine tavern where you're only allowed to serve wine
00:28you've produced yourself, and in just a moment I'll tell you all about it.
00:33The Wieninger vineyard wine tavern is perched on the Nussberg slopes
00:37a few kilometers from Austria's capital Vienna,
00:40reachable with a short hike or taxi ride.
00:43And you can chat with local people on the way.
00:47The Viennese actually have the reputation of being hard to connect with.
00:52But I'd say when people get together in a Buschenschank,
00:56everyone talks to everyone.
00:58You can get away from the city for a while.
01:00A green oasis. The freedom.
01:04This Buschenschank wine tavern seats 350 on beer benches.
01:08It's self-serve here.
01:10And it's all in the open air, so there's no shelter from wind and rain.
01:14That's why these taverns don't open until spring, usually in April.
01:19And they give a clear signal when they do.
01:22That bundle of pine tree branches we mentioned.
01:27This is a pine branch, the official sign of a real, authentic Buschenschank.
01:32People have been using them for more than 200 years.
01:35And it's even written into Buschenschank law.
01:37Austrians call this bundle of branches a Buschen.
01:41And that's where the name of this wine tavern comes from.
01:44The essence of any Buschenschank wine tavern is, of course, the wine.
01:48Only the wine made by the vintners from grapes grown in their own vineyard.
01:53The soil around Vienna is full of lime and clay.
01:56Which grapes thrive best here?
01:59We're actually standing here in a Zweigelt vineyard.
02:04Right now it's all still green, but soon the grapes will turn blue and become a fine red wine.
02:10On the other side I've got Grüner Veltliner and a bit further down some Riesling.
02:17Patrons who don't drink alcohol can try some of the grape juice also made from the local harvest.
02:26Soft drinks are not allowed here.
02:28We'll explain why later.
02:30First, we'd like to know how many glasses of wine an average patron drinks on an evening.
02:37Ah, three, four.
02:39I had three, so that's enough for me.
02:43You're talking to the wrong people.
02:46A bottle each.
02:49It's not a question of glasses, but of bottles.
02:53So how many bottles per person?
02:56I'd say one to one and a half, right?
02:59A glass of wine here starts at four euros forty.
03:04The wine quenches thirst, but what satisfies hunger?
03:07Wine taverns serve little snacks like lip tawas, slices of bread with a butter, cream cheese, bell pepper and caper spread, and char or trout on top.
03:17Did you notice?
03:18All the food items are cold.
03:20Bush and shanks are not allowed to sell warm dishes, and so they don't need gastronomy licenses.
03:30Even so, the rules concerning beverages are quite strict.
03:35Only regional drinks are allowed, which rules out all soft drinks.
03:41The Bush and shank tradition began in the 18th century.
03:45According to legend, Emperor Joseph II permitted vintners to serve wine publicly because the drinking water in Vienna was dangerous.
03:53To this day, these taverns have never lost their appeal, even with young people.
04:00That makes me especially proud, because it's such an essential part of carrying this piece of cultural heritage into the future.
04:08But at some point, the time for the last glass has come. When exactly?
04:14Officially at 10, but it depends on the weather. On a mild summer night, we might keep going till 11.
04:22Once the wine season is over, the Bush and shanks close and stay closed until the next spring.
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