Menu

Lower Austria: Wines with charm and character

When it comes to Lower Austrian wines, superlatives are not far away. After all, most of the country's wines come from here - and many also have the greatest reputation. And most of the DACs are also located in Lower Austria. Discover the diverse Austrian wine-growing region with all its facets and details and let yourself be inspired.

Lower Austria is not only the largest federal state in Austria, but also the largest generic wine-growing region in the Alpine republic. With 26,732 hectares, more than half of the vineyards are located here. Due to its size, there are naturally great differences in the wines of Lower Austria. It is not without reason that the wine-growing region has been divided into eight sub-areas, each with its own unique style. The grape varieties can also differ considerably in some cases. The unifying grape, however, is Austria's flagship grape variety. The Grüner Veltliner. However, depending on the DAC (Districtus Austriae Controllatus = protected designation of origin), it also presents itself very differently in the glass.

Not so long ago, Lower Austria was considered the “poorhouse” of the Alpine republic. However, this has changed dramatically in the meantime. The wine industry has played no small part in this. Thanks to the clear commitment to origin - and making it tangible - the wines from the eight DACs are enjoying ever greater international popularity. It is interesting to note that all quality levels are covered equally, which makes Lower Austrian wines very attractive for the global wine trade.

Topics in this article

Lower Austria: Geography and climate

Lower Austria not only surrounds the provincial capital of Vienna, but also borders Upper Austria, north-eastern Styria and Burgenland. It also shares borders with the Czech Republic in the north and Slovakia and Hungary in the east. The Danube is undoubtedly the main climatic factor. The tributaries Traisen, Krems and Kamp also have a major influence. Along these rivers, vineyards are cultivated on sometimes very steep slopes. Lower Austria lies almost at the same latitude as Burgundy in France - but much further in the center of Europe. This is precisely why the climatic influences here are completely different. While the climate in the west is rather mild and Mediterranean, the climate in the east is continental-Pannonian.

The soils in Lower Austria are very different. Löss is the starting material for deep, calcareous Dolomite soils, which are characteristic of a little more than half of the vineyards. Another third of the vineyards are in the Molasse zone and the Vienna Basin. Loose rocks such as clay, sand, gravel and gravel dominate here. More than six percent of the soils are made up of crystalline solid rocks of the Bohemian mass. Granulite and Gföhler gneis are predominant here. The unit of the often sloping Paragneise has multiple variations with amphibolite layers. The Zöbinger Heiligenstein is a rock package that is unique in Austria. It is composed of erosion products from the former high mountain range of the Bohemian Mass. The boulders contained in it testify to volcanic eruptions.

Lower Austria: Good to know

DAcs

Total vine area

Annual production

Climate

Climatic influences and soils

8

 

26.732 hectare

Ø 1.6 million hectolitres

from mild maritime to continental pannonian

 

climatic influences: Rivers (Danube, Traisen, Krems and Kamp), mountains, soils: Lice, limestone, sand, sand, gravel, gravel, crystalline, gneice

Lower Austria wines: DACs

In 2003, it was the Lower Austrian Weinviertel that became the first Austrian wine-growing region to receive DAC status. DAC stands for Districtus Austriae Controllatus, which is then a protected designation of origin. Each DAC region has its own rules for grape variety selection and winemaking. However, the quality levels are mandatory for all DACs:

  • Area wine: The base of the pyramid of origin. Its style represents the entire wine region.
  • Local wine: Exhibits more body and complexity than local wine. These varieties show the typical character of a place.
  • Riedenwein: The top quality of Austrian wines that can be equated with a crus. They reflect the terroir of a particular location.

Eight of the 18 Austrian DACs are located in Lower Austria:

  • Carnuntum
  • Kamptal
  • Kremstal
  • Thermenregion
  • Traisental
  • Wachau
  • Wagram
  • Weinviertel

If a wine is not typical of the region or does not meet all the necessary rules, then it is marketed under the name "Lower Austria".

Lower Austria: wine styles

The Grüne Veltliner is the flagship of the wine-growing region. With an area of around 50%, it is the most important grape variety in Lower Austria - from the west to the northeast. The variety experienced the strongest spread in the 1950s with the introduction of high culture according to Lenz Moser. The Grüne Velt liner is the all-round grape variety for every wine style. Depending on the yield regulation, the result is fragrant-fresh wines with a lot of elegance or very independent plants with enormous density and great ripening potential. When the Weinviertel became Austria's first DAC region in 2003, it was decided to market the name "Weinviertel" with only one grape variety: the fruity-fresh, peppery-spicy Grüner Veltliner.

Even the white wine rarities Neuburger (Wachau), Rotgipfler and Zierfandler (Thermenregion) or Roter Veltliner (Wagram; not related to the Grüner Veltliner) have already been discovered by international wine connoisseurs. A special feature in the white grape variety mirror is certainly the Riesling, which produces very dense and complex wines, especially in the Wachau as well as in the Kamptal and Kremstal regions.
Among the red wines, the Zweigelt is the undisputed star. It takes up more than half of the red wine growing area in Lower Austria. The grapes ripen particularly well in the Carnuntum and yield full-bodied wines with velvety tannins. Long-lived plants also thrive in the Wagram and in the wine district around the Mailberg. One parent of the Zweigel is St. Laurent. From this, fruity wines of the highest quality are made, especially in the spa region. The Blaufränkisch island on Spitzerberg in the easternmost part of Carnuntum is a special one.

Lower Austrian wines: Top 3

Grape varieties area

DAC area

Distribution of vine varieties

Export

import and top 3 import countries

Grüner Veltliner (13,112 hectares), Zweigelt (3,397 hectares), Riesling (1,180 hectares)

Winelands (14,000 hectares), Kamptal (3,582 hectares), Wagram (2,439 hectares)

77.2% white wine, 21.1% red wine

320.000 hectolitres (20% of the production volume)

import: 860.000 hectolitres, top 3 import countries: Italy (52,331 liters), Germany (12,655 liters), France (5,321 liters)

Lower Austria: Economic factor wine

Over the past 25 years, the number of farms with an area of less than one hectare has decreased significantly. The average farm sizes have increased significantly, which in turn leads to farms with an area over five hectares. Part-time farms still often supply to one of the Lower Austrian wine cooperatives, which consumers are often unaware of, with a few exceptions. Many full-time farms have developed into high-volume farms that have gained a leading position with their name. Meanwhile, wines from Lower Austria are included in the wine lists of the best restaurants in the world.

Handling most of the work in the vineyard requires a sensitive sense of nature. Some fields, such as in the Wachau or in the Kremstal Valley, are either too steep or cannot be worked with tractors on the narrow stone terraces. The grapes are mostly still harvested by hand, which allows for the best possible selection. A high average quality is ensured by the extremely low yield per hectare by international comparison.

Your selling points for Lower Austria wines

  • From inexpensive everyday wines to top-notch plants with character, there is something for the whole clientele
  • Ideal food companions
  • Many different styles
  • On the sales shelf, Grüner Veltliner is above all a self-runner
  • Very good value for money

 
Return to Overview