Austrian Wine

Austrian wine has a rich history dating back thousands of years.

There are evidence of viticulture in Austria since the time of the Celts (1200 BCE).

Austria produces a wide range of wines, but is best known for its white wines.

Austrian Grape Plantings

Grüner Veltliner is the most famous and widely planted white grape.

Other notable white grapes are Riesling and Welschriesling.

Upcoming whites are Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

Zweigelt and Blaufränkisch are the most prominent reds.

Grüner Veltliner Zweigelt Welschriesling Blaufränkisch Riesling Chardonnay Weissburgunder Sauvignon Blanc Muskateller Müller-Thurgau Merlot St. Laurent Blauburgunder Cab Sauvignon Wildbacher

Based on figures from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture/IACS 2023

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Climate and Terroir

Austria has a continental climate with warm summers and cold winters.

The weather can be quite variable, which can pose challenges for grape growers, but also allows for the production of wines with a wide range of styles and flavors.

The soils vary widely, ranging from limestone and loess to gravel and schist, contributing to the complexity of Austrian wines.

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Austrian Wine Regions

Austria is home to several distinct wine regions, each with its own unique terroir, unique grapes, and unique winemaking traditions.

The most prestigious wine regions are situated in the eastern part of the country, with vineyards planted along the Danube River.

3 federal states are defined as distinct Austrian wine regions:

• Niederösterreich (8 DAC appelations)
• Burgenland (5 DAC appellations
• Steiermark (3 DAC Appellations)

Two other wine regions are Wien (1 DAC) and Bergland (0 DAC).

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Niederösterreich (27 000 ha)

Niederösterreich, surrounding Wien (Vienna), is Austria's largest wine region.

Grape Plantings

Based on figures from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture/IACS 2023

Grüner Veltliner Zweigelt Riesling Welschriesling Müller-Thurgau Chardonnay Weissburgunder

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DAC Appelations (Districtus Austriae Controllatus)

Niederösterreich encompasses several famous subregions,

Each subregion has its own unique terroir and grapes, but Grüner Veltliner is most widely planted. Riesling, Chardonnay, and Zweigelt are also significant.

The region's diverse soils, which range from loess and gravel to limestone and granite, contribute to the complexity and character of the wines.

Soil: Varied. Loess. Loam. Primary Rock.

Climate: Continental. Cold winters. Hot summers, moderated by the Danube River.

Year	8 DACs	Ha	Description
2003	Weinviertel	13.500	Peppery Grüner Veltliner
2006	Traisental	800	Mineral driven Riesling
2007	Kremstal	2.200	Expressive Riesling and Grüner Veltliner
2008	Kamptal	3.800	Bold and spicy Grüner-Veltliner
2019	Carnuntum	900	Zweigelt, Blaufränkisch, Chardonnay, Weissburgunder, Grüner Veltliner
2020	Wachau	1.400	Steep vineyards and powerful white wines from Grüner Veltliner and Riesling
2022	Wagram	2.500	Grüner Veltliner, Riesling, Roter Veltliner
2023	Thermenregion	2.200	Zierfandler, Rotgipfler, Pinot Blac, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Sankt Laurent, Pinot Noir

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Burgenland (11 600 ha)

Burgenland, bordering Hungary in the eastern part of Austria, is known for its diverse range of terroirs, including the flat plains around Lake Neusiedl and the hilly slopes of the Leithaberg mountains.

Grape Plantings

Based on figures from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture/IACS 2023

Blaufränkisch Zweigelt Grüner Veltliner Welschriesling Chardonnay Merlot Weissburgunder

Burgenland produces a wide variety of both white and red grape varieties, including Welschriesling, Blaufränkisch, and Zweigelt.

The region is particularly renowned for its sweet wines made from botrytized grapes, known as Trockenbeerenauslese and Beerenauslese.

Soil: Varied. Sandy soil. Clay. Limestone.

Climate: Pannonian, with hot summers and cold winters, benefiting from Lake Neusiedl.

DAC Appelations (Districtus Austriae Controllatus)

Year	6 DACs	Ha	Primary Grapes
2005	Mittelburgenland	2,050	Blaufränkisch
2009	Leithaberg	2,850	Blaufränkisch, Weissburgunder, Chardonnay, Neuburger, Grüner Veltliner
2010	Eisenberg	500	Blaufränkisch, Welschriesling
2012	Neusiedlersee	6,250	Zweigelt
2018	Rosalia	250	Blaufränkisch, Zweigelt
2020	Ruster Ausbruch	250	Blaufränkisch, Zweigelt

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Steiermark / Styria (5 100 ha)

Steiermark, in the south-east, is known for cooler climate with focus on aromatic white grapes.

Grape Plantings

Based on figures from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture/IACS 2023:

Sauvignon Blanc Welschriesling Weissburgunder Muskateller Blauer Wildbacher Chardonnay

Steiermark is best known for its Sauvignon Blanc wines, which are characterized by their intense aromas of green herbs, citrus fruits, and minerality.

Wine experts consider Steiermark as one of the world's top terroirs for producing world-class Sauvignon Blanc.

Steiermark also produces excellent wines from the indigenous grape variety, Welschriesling, as well as Morillon (Chardonnay), Weissburgunder and Muscat.

Soil: Volcanic and sedimentary.

Climate: Cooler. Mix of Mediterranean and continental influences.

DAC Appelations (Districtus Austriae Controllatus)

Year	3 DACs	Ha	Description
2018	Südsteiermark	2.750	Known for aromatic white wines, especially Sauvignon Blanc.
2018	Vulkanland Steiermark	1.650	Offers white wines with volcanic minerality: Sauvignon Blanc, Welschriesling and Weissburgunder
2018	Weststeiermark	650	Most famous for Schilcher, a rosé wine from the Blauer Wildbacher grape.

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Wien / Vienna (600 Hectares)

Grape Plantings

Based on figures from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture/IACS 2023:

Gemischter Satz Grüner Veltliner Riesling Zweigelt Chardonnay

Despite being a capital city, Wien is also a wine region, with vineyards located within the city limits.

The vineyards are primarily situated in the hilly suburbs surrounding Vienna, particularly in the districts of Grinzing, Nussdorf, and Sievering.

The region is known for its Gemischter Satz wines, which are blends of multiple grape varieties grown together in the same vineyard.

Grüner Veltliner, Weissburgunder, Chardonnay and Riesling are among the grapes cultivated in Wien.

Soil: Limestone. Loess. Sandy soil.

DAC Appelations (Districtus Austriae Controllatus)

Year	1 DAC	Grapes
2013	Wiener Gemischter Satz	Multi-grape blends from the same vineyard Grüner Veltliner Weissburgunder Chardonnay

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Bergland (230 ha)

Bergland is not a well known Austrian wine region.

It is a big region covering Oberösterreich (Upper Austria), Salzburg, Kärnten, Tyrol, and Vorarlberg.

Bergland is not a DAC regions. Because of this, wines from Bergland must be labeled "Wine From Austria" (where the origin is not specified), or "Landwein" with origin Bergland.

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Quality

Austrian wine is renowned for its quality and is subject to strict wine laws and regulations.

The country has implemented a quality classification system similar to Germany's Prädikat system, which categorizes wines based on ripeness levels at harvest.

The sugar content (trocken, halb-trocken) must be stated on Australian wine labels.

Stylistic Range

Austrian wines come in a variety of styles, from light and crisp to rich and full-bodied.

Grüner Veltliner can range from zesty and refreshing to more full-bodied and textured, depending on factors like vineyard location and winemaking techniques.

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Sweet Wines

Austria is also known for its production of sweet wines, particularly those made from botrytized grapes.

These wines, such as Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA) and Beerenauslese (BA), are crafted from grapes affected by noble rot, resulting in intensely sweet and concentrated wines with complex flavors.