Austrian Wine Laws

Question 1

What are PDO wines called in Austria?

Answer 1

They can be classified as Qualitatswein or DAC.

Question 2

How are PGI wines and wines without a GI labelled?

Answer 2

PGI (labelled Landwein) and wines without a GI are labelled Wein.

Question 3

Who can label their wine ‘Qualitatswein’?

Answer 3

The 4 federal states and seven of the smaller areas are designated for this production of wine.

Question 4

What are the rules within Qualitatswein?

Answer 4

35 grape varieties are permitted
Wines can be made in any style
May be labelled with as a ‘Pradikat (means distinction) level wine.

Question 5

What are the two additional levels to the Pradikat levels?

Answer 5

Ausbruch: denotes a wine made exclusively from botrytis-affected berries. The most famous of these, Ruster Ausbruch, comes from the western shores of the Neusiedlersee.

Strohwein / Schilfwein: literally ‘straw wine’ and ‘reed wine’. Grapes (min. 25 KMW) are air-dried, traditionally on mats made of straw or reeds, to concentrate their flavors and sugars.

Question 6

What is determines if an area receives Districtus Austriae Controllatus (DAC) status?

Answer 6

Nine of the smaller wine regions have elected to become DAC.

• Producers in a region must agree on a grape variety (or varieties), a style of wine (and a set of regulations to go with it) that they think best reflects their area, then the region can be awarded DAC status.
• Once this happens, only wines that conform to this style can use the appellation.
• Wines that don’t conform can only be labelled with the relevant federal state.

Question 7

What are the two levels within the DAC?

Answer 7

Two levels to the DAC:
Klassik - wines must be made in a light, fresh and fruity style with not oak flavours
Reserve - wines must have a higher minimum alcohol and are allowed to be matured in oak.