Wine General Discussion

As we’re wrapping up the spotlight on Austria, let’s explore a few lesser-known topics and wine styles with the resources from Austrian Wine, who have generously agreed to share their content with the Berlin Wine School Community.

🍾Sparkling wines:

• Austrian wine laws distinguish between Austrian Sekt and Sekt Austria PDO.

• Austrian sekt can be produced from grapes or base wines sourced anywhere (including imports) using any sparkling winemaking methods.

• Sekt Austria is a protected designation of origin (PDO) established in 2015 and must meet strict criteria. Only varieties approved for the production of Qualitätswein are allowed.

• There are 3 levels of this designation - Sekt Austria PDO/ PDO Reserve / PDO Große Reserve.

• Sekt Austria (PDO): Grapes must be sourced from a single Austrian federal state. Any sparkling wine production method and all sweetness levels (dosage) are permitted. It must be aged on the lees for a minimum of 9 months (or 6 months if tank-fermented). These wines are usually light and fresh.

• Sekt Austria Reserve (PDO): Grapes must be sourced from a single Austrian federal state, hand-harvested, whole-bunch-pressed, and matured for at least 18 months on the lees using traditional bottle fermentation (no other production methods are allowed). Only brut nature, extra brut, and brut sweetness levels (max residual sugar content 12 g/l) are permitted. These wines are versatile and provide a wide range of pairing options.

• Sekt Austria Große Reserve (PDO): Grapes must be sourced from a single municipality or a single vineyard, hand-harvested, whole-bunch-pressed, and aged on the lees for 36 months minimum. Only brut nature, extra brut, and brut sweetness levels (max residual sugar content 12 g/l) are permitted. These wines are complex and have long aging potential.

• On average, Austria produces 165,064 hl of sparkling wine per year.*

*As of 2023/2024 Austria Wine Statistics Report.

🍯Sweet Wines:

• Production of sweet wines has a long tradition in Austria, dating back to the 16th century.

• Austria has good natural conditions for the development of Botrytis cinerea (noble rot) - in particular in the Neusiedlersee area.

• Austrian sweet wines balance sweetness and acidity, have long aging potential, and offer many options for food pairing.

• Typical varieties used for production of sweet wines in Austria include Muskat Ottonel and Welschriesling (Burgenland), Gewürztraminer (Steiermark), Neuburger, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Grüner Veltliner, Riesling (across all regions) and two speciality varieties – Zierfandler and Rotgipfler (Gumpoldskirchen area). 

• Prädikatswein rules set various sweet wine categories and their requirements, including the must weight level.

• Sweet wines with natural sugar level: Spätlese minimum must weight 19° KMW; Auslese minimum must weight 21° KMW. Both categories have a distinctive fruity character (unlike wines affected by noble rot).

• Wines affected by noble rot (Botrytis cinerea) include the Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese categories. Grapes are partially or completely covered with mould at the time of harvest.

• Botrytized wines are produced in all winegrowing regions, but mainly in Burgenland and the Neusiedlersee area, where sunny autumn days and humidity coming from the lake favor the development of noble rot.

• Neusiedler DAC and Ruster Ausbruch DAC are the most famous denominations for botrytized wines. These wines are often dense, have concentrated aromas and flavours, and balanced sweetness and acidity.

🔎Did you know?

• 22nd October is the official Day of Sekt in Austria. 

• There’s a dedicated association, the Austrian Sekt Committee, responsible for improving the know-how and transparency in the production and marketing of Austrian sparkling wines.

• “PDO” for Sekt Austria appears on the label as g.U., which is an abbreviation for "geschützte Ursprungsbezeichnung", certifying the wine’s origin and quality.

• The first Trockenbeerenauslese in the Pannonian region was produced as early as 1526. 

• The introduction of Neusiedlersee DAC in 2020 was the first official protected origin recognition for Austrian sweet wines.

🎓Learn more:

• Browse the site of the Austrian Sekt Association. 

• Browse the list of Austrian Sekt producers.

• Explore the Sekt Austria serving and storage tips.

• Read more about the history, types, and characteristics of Austrian botrytic wines.

• Browse the Austrian vintage reports to find the best sweet wine vintages.

💭Share your thoughts! Have you ever tried Sekt Austria at any of the PDO levels? How would you describe it? How does it compare to sparkling wines from other famous regions? Have you ever tried any Austrian sweet or botrytized wines? How would you describe them? Can you suggest any food pairings for both Austrian sparkling and sweet wines? Share your thoughts and experience in comments or with the Berlin Wine School summer contest for a chance to win.

All resources, maps, images, and data courtesy of Austrian Wine.