WineGuessrAustrian wines
Austria is known for Grüner Veltliner, which covered 32.34% of its 44,210 ha of vineyards in 2024, and for Zweigelt and Blaufränkisch reds from Burgenland. Dry Grüner Veltliner and Riesling from the Wachau, Kamptal and Kremstal are its best-known whites, sold under DAC appellations since 2002.
WineGuessr features 9 wines from Austria, in 6 regions. Burgenland has the most, with 3.
Wine history
Modern Austrian wine was shaped by a crisis. In 1985 it emerged that several producers had illegally added diethylene glycol, an antifreeze ingredient, to make their wines taste sweeter and fuller. Exports collapsed, and Austria responded with much stricter wine laws, and growers turned to dry, quality-focused wines. In the Wachau, the Vinea Wachau association, founded in 1983, had already created its own categories, and the Wachau cultural landscape became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. The first DAC, a protected origin for a typical regional style, was Weinviertel from the 2002 vintage, and the system has since grown to 18 DACs.
Wine regions and appellations
Austria's vines grow in the east of the country. In 2024 Lower Austria had 26,723 ha, Burgenland 11,538 ha, Styria 5,109 ha and Vienna 588 ha. Along the Danube, the Wachau's terraced sites such as Loibenberg and Achleiten sit next to Kremstal and Kamptal, home of Zöbinger Heiligenstein. The Wachau classes dry wines as Steinfeder (up to 11.5% alcohol), Federspiel (11.5 to 12.5%) and Smaragd (at least 12.5%). Burgenland covers Neusiedlersee, Mittelburgenland and the sweet Ruster Ausbruch, and Vienna has its field blend Wiener Gemischter Satz.
Grapes and what to drink
Grüner Veltliner is the national grape, with 14,296 ha in 2024, about a third of the vineyard, and makes dry whites from light Weinviertel to full Wachau Smaragd. The Wachau, Kremstal and Kamptal are also prized for dry Riesling. Zweigelt is the most planted red (13.44% of vineyards in 2024), and Blaufränkisch (5.77%) gives structured reds in Mittelburgenland and around Lake Neusiedl. Wiener Gemischter Satz is a white blend of several varieties grown and picked together in the same Vienna vineyard. For sweet wine, look for Ruster Ausbruch from the town of Rust in Burgenland, made from grapes including Furmint, Chardonnay and Muscat.
Wine regions of Austria
Grapes of Austria
Burgenland: 3 wines
Kamptal: 1 wine
Kremstal: 1 wine
Vienna: 1 wine
Wachau: 2 wines
Weinviertel: 1 wine
Wine in Austria: questions and answers
What is Austria's main grape?
Grüner Veltliner is Austria's main grape, covering 32.34% of the vineyard (14,296 ha) in 2024. Zweigelt is the leading red.
What is a DAC in Austrian wine?
DAC (Districtus Austriae Controllatus) is Austria's appellation system for wines typical of a region. The first was Weinviertel DAC from the 2002 vintage, and there are now 18.
What do Steinfeder, Federspiel and Smaragd mean?
They are the Wachau's categories for dry wine by alcohol level. Steinfeder has at most 11.5%, Federspiel 11.5 to 12.5%, and Smaragd at least 12.5%.
What was the 1985 Austrian wine scandal?
In 1985 several Austrian producers were found to have added diethylene glycol to their wines to make them taste sweeter and fuller. Exports collapsed, and Austria brought in much stricter wine laws.
What is Wiener Gemischter Satz?
Wiener Gemischter Satz is a white wine from Vienna made as a field blend: several grape varieties planted together in the same vineyard and harvested together. It has its own DAC.
Wines from other countries
Sources: en.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org
Last reviewed October 2026.