It’s not storm, really, but Sturm, which means the same thing but also fermented grape juice, served all around Austria in September and early October and, if consumed in large quantities, making your brain a bit stormy. For whatever reason today I decided to visit the “cellar street” of Stammersdorf and landed in the middle of a huge Sturm celebration. Nearly all of the street’s numerous Heurigers were open, with the Sturm, wine and food served outside as well as in the wine cellars and in the Heurigers’ hidden gardens.
I don’t understand how I could have missed this event in the past and, to tell the truth, have never visited this Kellergasse before. Forget Grinzing, forget Neustift and other tourist-infested wine areas. Stammersdorf is where Austrians get drunk. There are no Chinese girls in Dirndl here and no bearded Sikhs selling wallets and heavy metal t-shirts; there is no need to queue up for half an hour to get a small beer in a can, and finding a table is not at all impossible. There are hardly any tourists, but best of all, the clientele is mostly young, creating a sharp contrast to some of the other Viennese wine fairs.
The Hexenhaus is situated at the very end of the street, and therefore was one of the emptier and quieter locations, sporting a very cozy garden. Its Hauerjause is a meat-only affair, representing a pig in four different forms: as Speck, Schweinbraten, Geselchtes and slices of a Stelze. Everything was very thinly cut, plentiful and very enjoyable to eat, although apart from the mustard and horseradish a “decoration” was almost non-existent. The meats tasted very fresh, however, and with an unusual wine (Zweigelt is normally red and not white) the overall experience was a completely pleasant one.
And, for sure, Stammersdorfer Kellergasse needs some very intense exploration in the nearest future.
Update from 5 October 2019: Since the first encounter with the Stammersdorfer Kellergasse four years ago, I have visited it numerous times, trying not to miss the “Stormy days” as well. Unfortunately, the subsequent “days” did not impress me as much as the first, possibly because each time I turned up too late, when the crowds of people became denser, more drunk and quite unpleasant. Today, however, was different: I was there around 16:00, the morning rains made a short pause, and the noise of the festival was quite bearable. The Hexenhaus was the only restaurant serving a Brettljause, unfortunately, but I was happy to discover that its quality did not change. If anything, the portion I ate today was bigger. On the other hand, the chilly weather meant that only one other table was occupied, and the owners, in their thick rain jackets, looked annoyed and not particularly friendly. Based on today’s experience, I would have given the place one overall point less, but the fact is, the Brettljause of the Hexenhaus remains perfectly edible.
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