Wines from Austria are attracting more and more attention in the international fine wine market year by year. Austrian wines are growing in popularity thanks to its complexity, purity and consistent high quality. And Austrian wine producers are continuously releasing new, exciting wines and varieties to further raise the profile of their unique wines.

The country’s most prominent white wine is probably Grüner Veltliner, which is found in most of the country’s wine regions. It’s commonly known for its rich and dry characteristics. However, this area has its wonderful variety of red varieties which many have never encountered: Zweigelt, St Laurent, and Blaufränkisch red wines. Despite its infancy, the cultivation of Pinot Noir (Blauburgunder) has gained popularity in various wine-growing regions.

Major Grape Varieties Found in Austrian Wines

Austrian wine is likely best known for its white grape Gruner Veltliner or his excellent Riesling. However, this area has its wonderful variety of red varieties which many have never encountered: The main red wines in Austria are from Zweigelt, St Laurent, and Blaufrankisch grape varieties.

There are 35 different grape varieties permitted in Austria for wine production. A major factor that contributes to the success of the Austrian wine industry is the quality of its grapes. The white grape varieties account for almost half of the country’s total grapes. Most of these are white wines, such as Riesling and Grüner Veltliner. The best white Austrian wines are from the regions around Kamptal, Kremstal, and Wachau.

They make other important white wines in Austria from white grape varieties, such as Sauvignon Blanc, Welschriesling, and Pinot Blanc. Most Austrian wines comprise Grüner Veltliner, Zweigelt and Blaufränkisch grape varieties.

Austrian wine laws are heavily influenced by those in Germany. Like in Germany, the quality of wine in Austria is determined by the sugar content of the grapes. There are three basic levels of quality that are commonly used in the country’s wine industry, in order of quality: Tafelwein, Qualitätswein and Prädikatswein.

In addition, Austrian wine laws are like those in France. Like with France, Austrian wine laws require certain restrictions on the permitted grape varieties and the alcohol levels in Austrian wines. They aim these regulations to ensure that the country’s wines are of the classic regional style.

Austria’s largest wine region is Niederösterreich (Lower Austria) for both production and exports. This includes the sub-regions of Wachau and Weinviertel. The country’s eastern border region is known as Burgenland, and it has the second-largest area of land under cultivation. Well known for its top-quality red and Austrian sweet wines. Despite its small size, the city of Vienna is also a principal wine region.