Wines of Austria
Austria is acclaimed worldwide for the quality of its wines, especially for those made from white grapes. There’s evidence that Austrian winemaking dates back to 700 BC when vines were planted by the Ancient Romans and Celts. Its signature grape variety, Grüner Veltliner, has been grown since the 10th century and, today, makes up about 37% of its vineyards.
The western part of Austria is home to the Alps where viticulture is impossible so grape growing and winemaking are found across the eastern part of the country. Most of the country has short hot summers and long winters, resulting in fresh, aromatic wines. In terms of production volume, Niederösterreich is the largest wine region. Most vineyards here line the banks of the Danube River, a position that helps to ripen grapes with sunlight reflected from its waters. Out of several sub-regions, Wachau is the most prestigious with a fine reputation for Grüner Veltliner and Riesling wines.
Other important white varieties include Welschriesling, a grape used to make finessed dessert wines in more temperate Burgenland found on the shores of the Neusiedlersee. While the indigenous Zweigelt is the most widely planted black grape, Blaufränkisch (also local) is the most highly regarded with its elegant tart cherry flavor and high acidity. St Laurent is another Austrian grape with qualities similar to Pinot Noir. These local varieties are sometimes blended with international black grapes like Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Austria has a classification system to categorize wines according to quality level. If you see DAC on the label (standing for Districtus Austriae Controllatus), it means the wine is of the highest standard.