Austrian Wine Law Flashcards
Which are the 4 individual Austria’s wine quality category defined and classified by the 2009 Austrian wine law?
• Wein (wine)
• Wein mit Angabe von Sorte oder Jahrgang (wine with indication of grape variety or vintage)
• Landwein (wine with protected geographical indication -PGI)
• Qualitätswein (wine with protected designation of origin -PDO), including Prädikatsweine.
Which is one of the most important point of differentiation between the individual Austria’s wine quality categories?
The natural sugar content of the grapes at the harvest, also called the must weight of the grapes or the unfermented must.
How is measured the weight of the must in Austria?
Describe this scale.
Which is the conversion in the Grad Öchsle used in Germany?
In Europe, which measurement is widespread?
In degrees, by using the Klosterneuburger Mostwaage (Klosterneuburg must weight scale).
It was developed by Baron von Babo in 1896, while he was the director of the viticultural school at Klosterneuburg. The KMW scale indicates the density of the sugar content as a percentage (for example, 1 °KMW = 1% sugar).
Conversion into the Öchsle scale equals 1 °KMW at approximately 5 °Öchsle.
In Europe, the measurement of the potential alcohol (how much alcohol is produced if the available sugars were allowed to ferment dry) is widespread.
What is it “Aufbessern” or “Anreichen”?
For which wine category is permitted, and until which legal limit?
Chaptalization or enrichment, the process by which saccarose or concentrated grape must is added to the must of the only categories Wein, Landwein and simple Qualitätswein (but not in Kabinett or Prädikatswein), until maximum 2%.
Briefly describe the essential definition of the 5 wine categories (1. Traubenmust, 2. Sturm=partially fermented grape must, 3. Wein, 4. Perlwein, 5. Schaumwein) defined by EU law and further refined by Austrian national regulations.
- Traubenmust (grape must): derived exclusively from grapes that have been harvested and processed in Austria, release on the market between 1 August and 31 December of the harvest year as Austrian grape must.
- Sturm (partially fermented grape must): as the previous. The term “Sturm” means “storm”, due to the cloudiness of this still wines. They are a traditional beverage, PGI. Official areas of origin for “Sturm” are Weinland, Steirerland and Bergland.
- Wein (wine): the product of the fermentation or partially fermentation of fresh or macerated grapes, that must to show a minimum or total alcohol requirement and total acidity, according to the quality level and place of origin.
- Perlweine: wines with a pressure between 1 and 2,5 bars ascribable to dissolved carbon dioxide (that can Coe from natural fermentation or could have been added -impregnation method—>”Perlweine with added carbon dioxide”-). The extant alcohol must be minimum 7%vol and the total alcohol at least 9%vol.
- Schaumwein: this category shows a minimum pressure of 3 bars for the presence of dissolved CO2. The cuvée used for the second fermentation have to show a minimum alcohol content of 8,5%vol.
If the CO2 is added (exogenous -impregnation method-), the wine must be labelled “Schaumwein with added carbon dioxide” and is produced from wine without PDO or PGI.
Various methods can be employed in the production of Schaumwein:
• single fermentation in the bottle: méthode rural (“Asti” method), méthode ancestral (PétNat);
• second fermentation in tank: Martinotti/Charmat method;
• second fermentation in the bottle: Transfer method, Classic/Champenoise method (méthode traditionelle).
Briefly described the defined categories of Austrian wine according to origin.
A) WINE WITHOUT GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION
a) Wein: it replaces the term “Tafelwein” (table wine).
b) Österreichischer Sekt (Austrian Quality Sparkling Wine): also called Österreichischer Qualitätsschaumwein, is produced exclusively from the 40 grape varieties permitted for the production of Qualitätswein in Austria. Pay attention: this wine category is to be intended as “Wine WITHOUT PDO or PGI, WITH indication of GRAPE variety and VINTAGE”. They contain at least 3,5 bars.
B) WINE WITH GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION (PGI)
• Landwein: PGI, for which production must be based on grapes come exclusively fron one of the following 3 winegrowing areas: Weinland, Steirerland, Bergland. More detailed geographical entity (than the winegrowing area) or other product name (apart “Landwein”)
are not permitted.
C) WINE WITH PROTECTED DESIGNATION OF ORIGIN (PDO)
a) Qualitätswein: the Federal Inspection Number and the red-white-red banderol on the bottle capsule are mandatory for this category. (The indication Wein g.U. is not permitted).
• Kabinett: Qualitätswein with *minimum KMW of 17°; *no chaptalization; *maximum 9g/L of unfermented sugar; *maximum 13% of potential alcohol; *no sweetening of the wine.
•Regionally typical Qualitätswein (DAC -Districtus Austriae Controllatus-)
• Prädikatswein (Qualitätswein produced according to specific levels of ripeness and/or methods of harvesting/processing, organised in 6 categories):
- Spätlese: perfectly ripe grapes, minimum must weight of 19 °KMW (94,2 °Ö)
- Auslese: selection of grapes (removal of those that are not fully ripe, or that are spoiled/diseased), min 21 °KMW (105 °Ö)
- Beerenauslese: wine from overripe and Botrytis-affected grapes, min 25 °KMW (127,3 °Ö)
- Eiswein: wine produced from grapes that were harvested while frozen, and pressed while still frozen, min 25 °KMW (127,3 °Ö)
- Strohwein/Schilfwein: fully ripe and sugar-rich grapes dried on mats of reed or straw (or hung) for a minimum of 3 moths prior to vinification, min 25 °KMW (127,3 °Ö)
- Trockenbeerenauslese: late-harvested grapes predominantly affected by Botrytis and extremely shrivelled, min 30 ° KMW (156 °Ö)
b) Sekt g.U. (=geschützer Ursprungsbezeichnung, that means “Austrian Sekt with PDO”) (PDO) (3 categories) -for wich the additional term “Hauersekt” (tirage, disgorgement and expedition performed by the grape grower) may be used-:
- Sekt g.U. Klassik: grapes harvested (not obligatory hand harvest) in one Austrian federal state, all methods suitable for sparkling wine production allowed, minimum 9 months maturation on the lees, maximum 12,5% vol. Mandatory indication of an Austrian federal state as the PDO; a more detailed geographic indication than the federal state is not permissible.
- Sekt g.U. Reserve: grapes hand harvested (obligatory hand harvesting) and pressed (maximum rate of yield 60%) in a single Austrian federal state, exclusively traditional bottle fermentation, minimum 18 months on the lees, maximum residual sugar of 12 g/L. Mandatory indication of an Austrian federal state as the PDO; a more detailed geographic indication than the federal state is not permissible.
- Sekt g.U. Grosse Reserve: grapes hand harvested (obligatory hand harvesting) and pressed (maximum rate of yield 50%) in a single municipality, exclusively traditional bottle fermentation, minimum of 30 months maturation on the lees, maximum sugar residual of 12 g/L. Mandatory indication of the municipality or district, of which minimum the 85% of the grapes have to coming from. The additional indication of Grosslage or Ried is possible.
At which origin wine category Prädikatswein can refer to?
Both, generically, as well to a specified winegrowing region, as ling as the specified wine growing region has no DAC Qualitätswein established for other styles of wine.
Which is the unique PDO solely designated to Prädikatswein?
Ruster Ausbruch DAC (in Burgenland federal state), with Trockenbeerenauslese produced in the Free City of Rust, which hands the exclusivity to call these wines Ausbruch.
For a wine to be declared as a Prädikatswein, of who is the mandatory confirm?
Which are the general conditions for which a wine can be Prädikatswein?
The wine inspection certificate has to be issued -the so called Mostwägerbescheinigung-, confirming the quality of the harvested grapes.
(Apart some specific criteria designed for each category -see card number 6 for details, or for more in-deep details page 38 of Austrian Wine in Depth-), the grapes must not be chaptalised and the residual sugar must be attained by the (natural or premature) interruption of the fermentation (and not by the addition of unfermented grape).
Thanks who Sekt g.U. Klassik, Reserve and Grosse Reserve may be sealed on to the market?
When these categories was defined?
Thanks to the federal viticultural authorities of Eisenstadt or Klosterneuburg.
In 2016.
When the bottles of Sekt g.U. Klassik, Reserve and Grosse Reserve can be transferred to the consumer or put at the place of distribution?
Just when the bottle is provided whit the specific indicative symbol “Geschützer Ursprung. Geprüfte Qualität” (“Protected Designation of Origin. Certified Quality”).
Which are the three separate classification operating in Austria?
Briefly describe them, and make a comparison with German Classification.
- Traditional classification: modelled on the German one, it includes four principal levels based on must weight: Tafelwein, Landwein, Qualitätswein, Prädikatswein, which in Austria are properly interpreted as Wein (wine), Wein mit Angabe von Sorte oder Jahrgang (wine with indication of grape variety or vintage), Landwein (PGI) and Qualitätswein (PDO, including Prädikatswein).
The bulk of production is on Qualitätswein and Prädikatswein (given the choice, many producers prefer to label their wine as Qualitätswein to circumvent a German style of labelling).
To making a comparison with German, in addition to Kabinett (which in Austria is included under Qualitätswein rather than Prädikatswein), Spätlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese, and Eiswein, there are two additional styles, Ausbruch (‘break out’) and Strohwein (‘straw wine’). Traditionally, Ausbruch is made by adding grape must or late harvest wine to shrivelled botrytized grapes to ‘break out’ the sugars and facilitate fermentation. These days most Ausbruch is made just like Trockenbeerenauslese, but with a minimum must weight of 27° instead of 30° on the Klosterneuburg Must Weight Scale (KMW). For each classification level, minimum must weights are higher than in Germany. As in Germany, chaptalization is permitted for Qualitätswein, although not for the higher level of Kabinett. Unlike in Germany, the addition of Sußreserve is not permitted for Prädikatswein. - DAC: Districtus Austriae Controllatus, created in 2002 to identify the particular characteristics of a recognized regional style, which comprises three ascending levels: Gebietswein (regional wine), Ortswein (villages wine), Riedenwein (single-vineyard wines).
- Vinea Wachau Nobilis Districtus: only operate in the specific wine region of Wachau, an important DAC present in Niederösterreich, it comprises three categories, all for dry wines, defined by the maturity of the grapes: Steinfeder (11,5% vol, early consumption), Federspiel (11,5-12,5%, 5 years) and Smaragd (>12,5%, intended for ageing. The name refers to an emerald lizard presents in the Wachau vineyards). Outside Wachau, the Association of Austrian Traditional Wine Estates is working with the German VDP (Verband Deutscher Prädikats) to classify the vineyards of the Danube region (‘Donauraum’), including Kamptal, Kremstal, and Traisental.
When the legal basis for Austria’s vineyard classification was established? What include them?
In 2023, which will enable vineyards to be classified as “Erste Lage” (Premier Cru) and “Große Lage” (Grand Cru).
Outside Austrian Wine Law itself, which are the two most important associations that classify quality and origin for Austrian wines?
The Österreichische Traditionsweingüter (OTW) -based in Kamptal DAC, Kremstal DAC, Traisental DAC, Wagram DAC, Wien DAC, Carnuntum DAC- and Vinea Wachau -Wachau DAC-.
When a wine can be considered dry in Austria?
When it displays less than 9 g/L residual sugar.
