Austria
Classification & Wine Law
Pradikatswein (Predicate Wine)
o Minimum alcohol level of 5%
o No chaptalization or sweetening by addition of Sussreserve
o Wine must be from one delimited area specified on label
o Wine must be vintage dated
o Wine’s must weight required to be certified
o Categories
§ Spatlese – Fully ripe grapes; minimum must weight – 19 KMW
§ Auslese – Minimum must weight – 21 KMW
§ Strohwein – Dried on straw mats for dehydration; minimum must weight – 25 KMW
§ Eiswein – Grapes picked and pressed while still frozen at -7 Celsius (19.4 Fahrenheit); minimum must weight – 25 KMW
§ Beerenauslese – Affected by noble rot; minimum must weight – 25 KMW
§ Ausbruch – Affected by noble rot; minimum must weight – 27 KMW (specialty of Rust in Neusiedlersee-Hugelland
§ Trockenbeerenauslese – Naturally shriveled or affected by noble rot; minimum must weight – 30 KMW
Qualitatswein (Quality Wine)
o Qualitatswein mit Staatlicher Prufnummer – quality wine with a federal inspection number.
o Qualitatswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete (QbA) – quality wine produced in a specific region.
o Wine must be from one delimited area specified on label
o Wine must have characteristics of grape specified on label
o Minimum must weight of 15 degrees KMW
o Minimum alcohol level of 9%
o Maximum yield per hectare – 9,000 kg or 6,750 liters
o Kabinett – May not be chaptalized; minimum must weight – 17 KMW; residual sugar may not exceed 9 g/l.
Landwein (Vin de Pays)
o Minimum must weight – 14 KMW
o Maximum yields per hectare – 9,000 kg or 6,750 liters.
Tafelwein (Table Wine)
o Minimum must weight – 10.6 KMW
o No grape variety allowed to be mentioned
o No vintage allowed to be mentioned
o Origin may only be labeled ‘Osterreich’
o Bergwein – Wine produced on slopes steeper than 26 degrees; only Tafelwein allowed to be sold in regular sized bottles
Schaumwein (Sparkling Wine)
o Sugar content levels
§ Naturherb (brut nature) – less than 3 g/l
§ Extra herb (extra brut) – 0-6 g/l
§ Herb (brut) – less than 15 g/l
§ Extra dry (extra dry) – 12-16 g/l
§ Dry (sec) - 17-35 g/l
§ Halbtrocken (demi-sec) – 33-50 g/l
§ Mild (doux) – more than 50 g/l
Label Language
Wines that specify a grape must be a minimum 85% of that varietal
Wines that specify a vintage date must be a minimum 85% of that vintage
Sweetness Levels
o Extra Trocken – for wines less than 4 g/l residual sugar
o Trocken – for wines less than 9 g/l residual sugar
o Halbtrocken – for wines between 9-12 g/l residual sugar
o Halbsuss / lieblich / medium-sweet – for wines 12-45 g/l residual sugar
o Suss / Sweet – for wines with more than 45 g/l residual sugar
Other Terms
o Weingut – estate
o Weingutsbesitzer – estate owner
o Winzer – wine grower
o Weinbau – viticulture
o Cuvee – blend
o Gemischter Satz – field blend of different varieties vinified together
o Primus – new season’s wine
o Der Junge – young wine
o Der Neue – new wine
o Gelesen – harvested
o Selektion – selection
o Auswahl – choice
o Ausstich – best cask
o Erste Wahl – first choice
o Klassik – classic
Vineyard Area
2008: 104,000 acres (42,105 hectares)
2007: 110,000 acres (44,534 hectares)
2006: 108,000 acres (43,724 hectares)
2005: 113,000 acres (45,748 hectares)
2004: 107,000 acres (43,319 hectares)
Production
2008: 2,300,000 hectoliters (60,720,000 gallons)
2007: 2,300,000 hectoliters (60,720,000 gallons)
2006: 2,256,000 hectoliters (59,558,400 gallons)
2005: 2,264,000 hectoliters (59,769,600 gallons)
2004: 2,735,000 hectoliters (72,204,000 gallons)
Wine Regions
Wachau
Traisental
Wagram
Kremstal
Kamptal
Weinviertel
Wien
Thermenregion
Carnuntum
Neusiedlersee
Neusiedlersee-Hugelland
Mittelburgenland
Sudburgenland
Sud-Oststeiermark
Weststeiermark
Sudsteiermark
Grapes
White
Bouvier
Chardonnay
Fruhroter Veltliner
Gewurztraminer
Goldburger
Gruner Veltliner
Muller-Thurgau
Muscat Ottonel
Neuberger
Pinot Blanc
Pinot Gris
Riesling
Roter Veltliner
Rotgipfler
Scheurebe
Sylvaner
Weissburgunder
Welschriesling
Zierfandler
Red
Blauer Burgunder
Blaufrankisch
Cabernet Sauvignon
Portugieser
St-Laurent
Syrah
Wildbacher
Zweigelt
