Austria

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Submitted by John on Fri, 07/23/2010 - 6:06pm

 
Austria
 
Classification & Wine Law

          Pradikatswein (Predicate Wine)
o   Minimum alcohol level of 5%
o   No chaptalization or sweetening by addition of Sussreserve
o   Wine must be from one delimited area specified on label
o   Wine must be vintage dated
o   Wine’s must weight required to be certified
o   Categories
§ Spatlese – Fully ripe grapes; minimum must weight – 19 KMW
§ Auslese – Minimum must weight – 21 KMW
§ Strohwein – Dried on straw mats for dehydration; minimum must weight – 25 KMW
§ Eiswein – Grapes picked and pressed while still frozen at -7 Celsius (19.4 Fahrenheit); minimum must weight – 25 KMW
§ Beerenauslese – Affected by noble rot; minimum must weight – 25 KMW
§ Ausbruch – Affected by noble rot; minimum must weight – 27 KMW (specialty of Rust in Neusiedlersee-Hugelland
§ Trockenbeerenauslese – Naturally shriveled or affected by noble rot; minimum must weight – 30 KMW
 
          Qualitatswein (Quality Wine)
o   Qualitatswein mit Staatlicher Prufnummer – quality wine with a federal inspection number.
o   Qualitatswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete (QbA) – quality wine produced in a specific region.
o   Wine must be from one delimited area specified on label
o   Wine must have characteristics of grape specified on label
o   Minimum must weight of 15 degrees KMW
o   Minimum alcohol level of 9%
o   Maximum yield per hectare – 9,000 kg or 6,750 liters
o   Kabinett – May not be chaptalized; minimum must weight – 17 KMW; residual sugar may not exceed 9 g/l.
 
          Landwein (Vin de Pays)
o   Minimum must weight – 14 KMW
o   Maximum yields per hectare – 9,000 kg or 6,750 liters.
 
          Tafelwein (Table Wine)
o   Minimum must weight – 10.6 KMW
o   No grape variety allowed to be mentioned
o   No vintage allowed to be mentioned
o   Origin may only be labeled ‘Osterreich’
o   Bergwein – Wine produced on slopes steeper than 26 degrees; only Tafelwein allowed to be sold in regular sized bottles
 
          Schaumwein (Sparkling Wine)
o   Sugar content levels
§ Naturherb (brut nature) – less than 3 g/l
§ Extra herb (extra brut) – 0-6 g/l
§ Herb (brut) – less than 15 g/l
§ Extra dry (extra dry) – 12-16 g/l
§ Dry (sec) - 17-35 g/l
§ Halbtrocken (demi-sec) – 33-50 g/l
§ Mild (doux) – more than 50 g/l
 
Label Language
 
          Wines that specify a grape must be a minimum 85% of that varietal
          Wines that specify a vintage date must be a minimum 85% of that vintage
          Sweetness Levels

o   Extra Trocken – for wines less than 4 g/l residual sugar
o   Trocken – for wines less than 9 g/l residual sugar
o   Halbtrocken – for wines between 9-12 g/l residual sugar
o   Halbsuss / lieblich / medium-sweet – for wines 12-45 g/l residual sugar
o   Suss / Sweet – for wines with more than 45 g/l residual sugar

          Other Terms

o   Weingut – estate
o   Weingutsbesitzer – estate owner
o   Winzer – wine grower
o   Weinbau – viticulture
o   Cuvee – blend
o   Gemischter Satz – field blend of different varieties vinified together
o   Primus – new season’s wine
o   Der Junge – young wine
o   Der Neue – new wine
o   Gelesen – harvested
o   Selektion – selection
o   Auswahl – choice
o   Ausstich – best cask
o   Erste Wahl – first choice
o   Klassik – classic

 
Vineyard Area

            2008: 104,000 acres (42,105 hectares)
            2007: 110,000 acres (44,534 hectares)
            2006: 108,000 acres (43,724 hectares)
            2005: 113,000 acres (45,748 hectares)
            2004: 107,000 acres (43,319 hectares)
 
Production

            2008: 2,300,000 hectoliters (60,720,000 gallons)
            2007: 2,300,000 hectoliters (60,720,000 gallons)
            2006: 2,256,000 hectoliters (59,558,400 gallons)
            2005: 2,264,000 hectoliters (59,769,600 gallons)
            2004: 2,735,000 hectoliters (72,204,000 gallons)
 
Wine Regions

            Wachau
            Traisental
            Wagram
            Kremstal
            Kamptal
            Weinviertel
            Wien
            Thermenregion
            Carnuntum
            Neusiedlersee
            Neusiedlersee-Hugelland
            Mittelburgenland
            Sudburgenland
            Sud-Oststeiermark
            Weststeiermark
            Sudsteiermark
           
Grapes

            White
 
                        Bouvier
                        Chardonnay
                        Fruhroter Veltliner
                        Gewurztraminer
                        Goldburger
                        Gruner Veltliner
                        Muller-Thurgau
                        Muscat Ottonel
                        Neuberger
                        Pinot Blanc
                        Pinot Gris
                        Riesling
                        Roter Veltliner
                        Rotgipfler
                        Scheurebe
                        Sylvaner
                        Weissburgunder
                        Welschriesling
                        Zierfandler
 
            Red
 
                        Blauer Burgunder
                        Blaufrankisch
                        Cabernet Sauvignon
                        Portugieser
                        St-Laurent
                        Syrah
                        Wildbacher
                        Zweigelt