The Austrian Wine Law

Question 1

What does the 2009 Austrian Wine Law incorporate from the EU wine market organization legislations?

Answer 1

1. Production & practices such as regulation of enrichment, sweetening, blending)
2. Definition & Classification of Individual quality levels (Wein, Landwein, Qualitatswein)
3. Dictating the place of origin and name that can be used
4. Control Systems (banderole, vineyard registration, harvest declaration)
5. Fruit Wine definition & regulations for production
6. Regulations such as sanctions

Question 2

What is one of the factors that differentiate the individual quality categories?

Answer 2

Natural sugar content (weight of grape must) at time of harvest

Question 3

How is the must weight measured in Austria?

Answer 3

Klosterneuburger Mostwage (KMW), sugar content measured in degrees (1 degree=1%)

Question 4

What does the Grad Ochsle measure?

Answer 4

Potential alcohol (what would be produced if wines were fermented dry)

Question 5

What is permitted for Wein, Landwein, and simple qualitatswein?

Answer 5

Enrichment of wine with sugar (sucralose) or concentrated grape must. 2% maximum

Question 6

Who is responsible for monitoring and inspecting wines?

Answer 6

Federal Winery Inspection Service, Higher Federal Technical College, Federal Agency for Production of Wine & Fruit in Klosterneuburg

Question 7

What is traubenmost?

Answer 7

Grape must (harvested & processed in Austria); released to public between 08/01-12/31 of harvest year

Question 8

What is sturm?

Answer 8

Partially fermented grape must (grapes harvested & processed in Austria); released between 08/01-12/31 of harvest year

Question 9

What are the official areas of origin for sturm?

Answer 9

Weinland, Steierland, Bergland

Question 10

What is wein?

Answer 10

Obtained by full or partial fermentation of base wine, grape must.

Question 11

What is perlwein?

Answer 11

Sparkling wine; total alcohol content 9% must display pressure of 1-2.5 bar (max bottle content 60L)

Question 12

Where can the carbon dioxide originate for Schaumwein and Perlwein?

Answer 12

natural means or impregnation method (added)

Question 13

What is schaumwein?

Answer 13

sparkling wine; total alcohol of 8.5% , pressure of 3 bar

Question 14

What are examples of schaumwein?

Answer 14

Asti (method rurale), Pet Nat (method ancestral), Charmat Method (secondary fermentation in tank), Transfer Method, Traditional Method

Question 15

What are the conditions that need to be met for wein?

Answer 15

1. cant be more specific in place of origin other than Osterreich, osterreichischer wein
2. Grapes with PDO excluded, other qualitatswein grapes ok to use
3. 10.7 min must weight, 8.5% min alcohol
4. Wine has to show characteristics typical of designation
5. Total Acid Content-4g/l
6. Maximum hectare yields must be observed (10,000 kg grapes or 7,500 liters of wine)
7. Wine needs to be free of defects (smell, flavor, appearance)
8. Designation such as Bergwein & Heuriger allowed

Question 16

What are the conditions that need to be met for Osterreichischer Sekt (Austrian Sparkling Wine)?

Answer 16

1. Grapes have to be from Qualitatswein permitted varietals
2. Wine needs to be free of defects (smell, flavor, appearance)
3. Min pressure of 3.5 bar

Question 17

What are the conditions that need to be met for landwein?

Answer 17

1. Grapes harvested from one single winegrowing area
2. Grapes have to be from Qualitatswein permitted varietals
3. Min: 14 KMW (must weight); 8.5% (alcohol)
4. Has to show characteristics typical to desgination
5. Min acid content-4g/l
6. Maximum hectare yields must be observed (9,000 kg grapes or 6,750 liters of wine)
7. Wine needs to be free of defects (smell, flavor, appearance)

Question 18

Where can landwein come from?

Answer 18

Weinland, Bergland, Steierland

Question 19

What are the conditions that need to be met for Qualitatswein?

Answer 19

1. Grapes harvested in single winegrowing region & production in winegrowing area of that region or neighboring one
2. Grapes have to be from Qualitatswein permitted varietals
3. 15 KMW (minimum must weight)
4. Min alcohol-9%; Pradikatswein-5%
5. Maximum hectare yields must be observed (9,000 kg grapes or 6,750 liters of wine)
6. Wine needs to be free of defects (smell, flavor, appearance)
7. Distribution can only occur after inspection has been complete & wine has been approved

Question 20

What are the requirements for Kabinett?

Answer 20

1. 17 KMW (must weight)
2. No sweetening & chaptalisation
3. Content of unfermented sugar has to be 9g/l
4. Potential Alcohol-13% maximum

Question 21

What is the requirement for the DAC designation?

Answer 21

1. Requirements set by minister in decree must be met

2. DAC must be indicated in connection with individual region in question

Question 22

What is a Pradikatswein?

Answer 22

Qualitatswein produced according to levels of sugar at time of ripeness & processing/harvesting method. Wines must be submitted for certification and they cannot be added sugar. Sugar in wine must be from interruption of fermentation process

Question 23

How can place of origin be specified for Pradikatswein?

Answer 23

Can be referred to generically (Burgenland) as well as specified winegrowing area (Wagram) so long as the specified wine growing area does not have a DAC designation for another style of wine

Question 24

What are the categories of Pradikatswein?

Answer 24

1. Spatlese (perfectly ripe; 19KMW)
2. Auslese (selection of grapes; 21 KMW)
3. Beerenauslese (overripe & botrytis affected grapes, 25 KMW)
4. Eiswein (grapes harvested & pressed frozen; 25KMW)
5. Strohwein (fully ripe & dried on straw mats/hung for 3 months; 25KMW)
6. Trockenbeerenauslese (late harvest, shrivelled, affected by botrytis; 30KMW)

Question 25

What are the three quality levels for Sekt gU?

Answer 25

Klassik (any production method, 9 month on lees, grapes harvested in single federal state, labelling cant be more specific than federal state, release on or after 10/22 of the year following harvest) Reserve (traditional bottle fermentation, hand harvesting whole cluster press, 18 months on lees, harvest & pressing in single federal state, release on or after 10/22 of second year following harvest) Gross Reserve (traditional bottle fermentation; 30 months on lees, hand harvesting whole cluster press, harvesting & pressing in one municipality, release on or after 10/22 of third year after harvest; have to list Austrian federal state as PDO, mandatory indication of municipality-at least 85% of grapes must come from listed municipality) All three can only be offered once inspected & approved.

Question 26

What is the process for traditional method fermentation?

Answer 26

Base wine put into bottles; liquer de tirage input to start second fermentation in bottle, lees worked towards neck of bottle (riddling-use pupitre or gyropallet) then expelled, then liqueur de expedition may be added (determines sweetness)

Question 27

What is the process for transfer method fermentation?

Answer 27

Base wine put into bottles along with sugar, yeast. Second fermentation occurs in bottle & when done, wine dumped in tanks for filtering then returned back to bottle

Question 28

What is the process for the Charmat method?

Answer 28

Yeast & sugar solution added to base wine in stainless steel vessel. Secondary fermentation begins there then wines are filtered and bottled

Question 29

What are the levels of dosage in order?

Answer 29

``` Brut Nature (0-3g rs) Extra Brut (0-6g rs) Brut (0-12g rs) Extra Dry (12-17g rs) Dry (17-32g rs) Medium Dry (32-50g rs) Sweet (+50g rs) ```

Question 30

What is required to be displayed on a wine label?

Answer 30

1. Alcohol Content (input as either half or full percentage point-variance allowed of +- 0.5% alcohol of actual amount) 2. Residual Sugar 3. Bottle Size/Volume 4. Quality Level 5. Variety & Vintage Description 6. Origin

Question 31

What does not have to be displayed on every wine label?

Answer 31

1. Banderole & Federal Inspection # (only permitted for qualitatswein)