In 2024 Austria had 44,210 hectares of vineyard, almost all of it in the east of the country.
Lower Austria 2 Kremstal 3 Kamptal 4 Traisental 5 Wagram 6 Weinviertel 7 Carnuntum 8 Thermenregion 9 Neusiedlersee 10 Leithaberg 11 Rosalia 12 Mittelburgenland 13 Eisenberg 14 Wien 15 Vulkanland Steiermark 16 Südsteiermark 17 Weststeiermark Wachau This narrow valley of the Danube around
Melk is reminiscent of the great wine areas of the Rhine, with steep terraces that produce world-class
Grüner Veltliner and
Riesling wines. Climatically and geologically it marks the transition from the Alps to the Hungarian plains, leading to a diverse array of
microclimates and
terroir, with the river moderating the effects of the cold Alpine winds. As mentioned above, the Vinea Wachau Nobilis Districtus still clings to its own classification of Steinfeder, Federspiel and Smaragd, reserved for wines that are made 100% from Wachau grapes.
Kamptal To the north of Krems lies
Langenlois, which is the main town of Kamptal, the valley of the river
Kamp. The sandstone slopes are so steep that only a thin layer of soil is retained, and exposure to the sun is high. Riesling thrives on these steep slopes; closer to the Danube the valley broadens and more red grapes are grown.
Traisental To the south of Krems lies Herzogenburg, at the centre of Traisental, which was only designated as a wine district in 1995. Mostly Grüner Veltliner is grown here, which is made into a fresh style for drinking young.
Wagram Between Krems and Vienna lies the Wagram, which covers two very different areas. North of the Danube is the plateau of
Wagram, where the Grüner Veltliner is a bit more full-bodied and aromatic, and Roter Veltliner is something of a local speciality. Blauer Zweigelt and Pinot noir wines are also made here, as well as a little Eiswein. Further downstream, just outside Vienna lies
Klosterneuburg. As the biggest private wine estate in the country, the
abbey has played a formative role in Austrian wine for the last 900 years. The Federal Institute for Viticulture and Pomology was the world's first college of viticulture and continues to play an important part in the development of wine in Austria.
Weinviertel The Weinviertel lies in the northeast corner of Austria, between the Danube and the Czech and Slovak borders. The biggest single wine region in Austria is home to half the Grüner Veltliner in the country (subject of the first DAC), and considerable amounts of
Welschriesling, but most of Austria's varieties can be found here. Even
sparkling wine is made from Riesling and Grüner Veltliner in the far northeast around Poysdorf.
Carnuntum The deep soils between Vienna and the Neusiedlersee have established a reputation for well-balanced red wines made from Zweigelt and Blaufränkisch. Being close to Vienna and full of history, the area is a popular area to visit.
Thermenregion The spa region south of Vienna saw two wine regions,
Gumpoldskirchen and
Bad Vöslau, merged in 1985. Climatically similar to Burgundy, with a wide variation in soils, all kinds of grape varieties are made here, many being made into elegant wines. Perhaps the most interesting wines are local varieties Zierfandler (Spätrot) and Rotgipfler, both of which are white grapes despite their names, and the red St. Laurent variety.
Burgenland Neusiedlersee The east side of the
Neusiedler See is home to fruity, fresh Zweigelt wines and rare sweet wines. The shallow Neusiedler See (Lake Neusiedl) is one of the few places on earth where
noble rot attacks grapes reliably every year. This means that
botrytised dessert wines can be made more easily, and hence sold more cheaply, than in other areas famous for this style of wine. Increasingly, red wine is also being made in this region.
Leithaberg The "hill country" to the west of Lake Neusiedl offers a diversity of terrain that is reflected in the number of grape varieties and styles of wine made here. Perhaps the most famous is the Ruster Ausbruch dessert wine from the western shore of the lake.
Mittelburgenland The Mittelburgenland is a southern continuation of the forested hills to the west of the Neusiedlersee. The nickname "Blaufränkischland" reflects the dominant variety here, which is the subject of the red wine DAC and can be very good, the Bordeaux varieties also do well here.
Eisenberg The most famous wine-growing region of the South Burgenland, Eisenberg, reflects the red, iron-rich soil which imparts a distinct spiciness to the Blaufränkisch grown here. A speciality here is
Uhudler wine, made from hybrids with North American species such as
Isabella,
Concord,
Delaware,
Noah,
Elvira and
Ripadella, which was banned for a while after the 1985 scandal.
Vienna There are 588 ha of vineyards within the city limits of the Austrian capital.
Styria Under a 2002 amendment to the wine laws,
Steirerland (the modern Austrian
state) replaced
Steiermark as the name for Styria on wine.
Steiermark encompasses the accumulated area of the three specific wine-growing regions.
Vulkanland Steiermark The many extinct volcanoes east of Graz give a rich soil which imparts a spiciness to the variety of grapes grown in Southeast Styria. The climate is a little cooler here, especially at night, giving a long
growing season resulting in wines that are crisp, aromatic and full bodied. 1,657 hectares of vineyards Some vineyards are up to 650 m above sea level. The main grape varieties grown in this region are
Welschriesling,
Chardonnay (called Morillon),
Weißburgunder (Pinot blanc) and
Grauburgunder (Pinot gris),
Gelber Muskateller, the
Traminer family,
Sauvignon blanc and
Riesling; red wines feature
Zweigelt as well as other grapes, including
St. Laurent or
Blauburgunder (Pinot noir).
Südsteiermark Südsteiermark (South Styria), near the
Slovenian border,
Weststeiermark Southwest of Graz lie ancient vineyards which mainly produce a cult rosé called
Schilcher. Made from the indigenous
Blauer Wildbacher grape, Schilcher is a true terroir rosé. ==See also==