Austria Wine Law

Question 1

Austrian wine law is a mixture of two systems. What?

Answer 1

Germanic tradition and the Romanic system (style of wine is linked to an origin)

Question 2

What is the abbreviation for the Austrian Romanic system (where wine style is linked to an origin)?

Answer 2

DAC (Districtus Austriae Controllatus)

Question 3

Austria being a EU member also use PDO and PGI terms. List them, from less to most restricted, and explain.

Answer 3

Wein - no geographic indication
Landwein - PGI, wine with Protected Geographic Indication
Qualitätswein - PDO, Protected Designation of Origin. Must undergo government inspection (minimum quality standards). Government inspection number will be stated on the label.

Question 4

Wein and Landwein only account for how many percent of all production? Qualitätswein make up the remainder.

Answer 4

8%

Question 5

Within the Qualitätswein category you can find two other terms on the label. Which ones? What do they mean?

Answer 5

Klassik - vintage declared. Shows varietal character.
Reserve - dry. Minimum 13% abv. Typically harvested and released later than standard wines.

Question 6

Just like Germany, Austria has a higher category within Qualitätswein. What is it called and what is it based on?

Answer 6

Prädikatswein. Based on must weight at harvest.

Question 7

What are the categories within Prädikatswein in Austria?

Answer 7

Spätlese
Auslese
Beerenauslese
Eiswein
Trockenbeerenauslese
TBA from the city of Rust are labelled Ausbruch

Question 8

To promote regional typicity, an appellation system was created in Austra. When?

Answer 8

2002

Question 9

Wines that conform to the DAC legislation can display the origin on the label (for example Wachau). Those that don’t have to use the larger area, in the case of Wachau, Niederösterreich. When was the first DAC created, what place? How many are there today?

Answer 9

2001 Weinviertel. There are 17 DAC wine growing regions today.

Question 10

Only specific permitted grape varieties are allowed in a DAC to promote regional typicity. Wines that do not meet the tasting panels criteria of typicity are rejected. What is the downside of this?

Answer 10

New wave winemakers are rejected even though their quality can be at the highest level. DAC is not quality, it is typicity!

Question 11

There is an option for DAC wines to display a quality hierarchy. What?

Answer 11

Regional wines - Gebeitswein
Village wines - Ortswein
Single vineyard - Riedenwein

Question 12

Name the two most important associations that classify quality and origin outside the Austrian wine law.

Answer 12

Österreichische Traditionsweingüter
Vinea Wachau

Question 13

Abbreviation for Österreichische Traditionsweingüter?

Answer 13

ÖTW

Question 14

When was Österreichische Traditionsweingüter founded? A group of producers based in Kamptal, Kremstal, Wagram, Vienna amongst other regions classify their vineyards based on what two things?

Answer 14

1992. They classify their vineyards based on soil type and climate.

Question 15

In 2023, 90 vineyards were selected as what? by ÖTW?

Answer 15

Erste Lage

Question 16

To use a designated 1ÖTW logo on your label, what criteria do you have to fulfill?

Answer 16

Dry wine from an Erste Lage. Two of the most traditional grape varieties from the region has to be used.