QUALITY DESIGNATIONS IN DETAIL

  • Tafelwein: at least 10.6 degrees KMW .
  • Landwein: at least 14 degrees KMW. Classed as a Tafelwein. Must show wine growing region as origin
  • Qualitätswein: at least 15 degrees KMW; Origin: wine growing area. The grape must may be chaptalized (by adding sugar before fermentation) up to 19 KMW for white and 20 KMW for red wines
  • Kabinett(wein): at least 17 degrees KMW; Origin: wine growing area. Classed as Qualitätswein, but may not be chaptalized. Alcohol content max. 13% Vol.; residual sugar max. 9 g/l.
  • Prädikatswein (Spätlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese) must not be chaptalized. Origin: wine growing area. The addition of grape must for sweetening (a method used in Germany) is not permitted by Austrian law. Spätlese wines may be sold after 1 March, other Prädikat wines after 1 May.
  • Spätlese: at least 19 KMW.
    From Auslese upwards, the grape material must contain an increasing proportion of overripe, nobly rotten or dried berries.
  • Auslese: at least 21 KMW.
  • Beerenauslese (BA): At least 25 KMW.
  • Eiswein: at least 25 KMW; The grapes are frozen on the vine before harvest (thus concentrating the must in the grape while the ice and the frozen skins remain in the press)
  • Strohwein: at least 25 KMW; produced from berries which were air-dried for at least three months on straw or reed mats.
  • Ausbruch: at least 27 KMW.
  • Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA): at least 30 KMW.

 THE TASTE INDICATORS

Residual Sugar per litre (RZ/l)

  • Trocken (Dry): up to 9 g RZ/l, if there is no more than 2 g/l difference between sugar and acidity.
    Example: a wine with 8 g/l esidual sugar must have at least 6 g/l of acidity in order to be classed as dry.
  • Extra trocken (Extra Dry): up to 4 g RZ/l
  • Halbtrocken (Semi Dry): up to 12 g RZ/l
  • Lieblich (Semi Sweet): up to 45 g RZ/l
  • Süß (Sweet): more than 45 g RZ/l

 

AUSTRIAN PECULIARITIES

Bergwein is a wine made on vineyards with more than 26% incline, or on terraced vineyards.
Reserve: a maturation of at least twelve months for red and four months for white wines.

The producer association “Vinea Wachau” has created special categories for dry wines from the Wachau. Chaptalization is not allowed if the following categories are used:
Steinfeder: a light wine with up to 11% vol. Alcohol
Federspiel: At least 17 KMW, alcohol up to 12,5% vol.
Smaragd: more than 18,2 KMW.

Conversion Table for Must Weight

Ochlse
KMW
Beamué

73

15.0
9.8
84
17.1
11.2
94
19.0
12.4
105
21.0
13.7
127
25.0
16.3