WineGuessrWine region · Austria
Burgenland wine
Burgenland is Austria's second-largest wine region, with 11,538 ha of vineyards in 2024. It is the country's main red wine area, built on Blaufränkisch and Zweigelt, and the shallow Lake Neusiedl encourages noble rot for sweet wines such as Ruster Ausbruch.
| Country | Austria |
|---|---|
| Vineyard area | About 11,538 ha (2024) |
| Climate | Pannonian: warm, dry summers, moderated by Lake Neusiedl |
| Main grapes | Blaufränkisch, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Furmint, Muscat, Grüner Veltliner, Zweigelt, Welschriesling, Neuburger |
| Key appellations | Neusiedlersee, Leithaberg, Mittelburgenland, Eisenberg, Rosalia, Ruster Ausbruch |
| Wines on WineGuessr | 3 |
History
Burgenland is known for both red wines and sweet wines such as the Ausbruch of Rust. Its modern era was shaped by the 1985 diethylene glycol scandal, in which some Austrian wines were found to be adulterated. The crisis led to stricter regulations that ultimately raised the reputation of Austrian wine. Burgenland later adopted the Austrian DAC system region by region: Mittelburgenland from 2005, Leithaberg for reds from 2008 and whites from 2009, Eisenberg from 2009, Neusiedlersee from 2011 (with sweet wines added in 2020), Rosalia from 2017 and Ruster Ausbruch from 2020. See the Austria page for the national context.
Terroir and appellations
Burgenland lies on Austria's eastern border with Hungary and has a warm Pannonian climate. Its defining feature is Lake Neusiedl, which creates ideal conditions for botrytis, the noble rot that concentrates sugar for sweet wines. Around the lake, Neusiedlersee is the largest area and focuses on Zweigelt and sweet wines; on the western shore the Leithaberg hills give Blaufränkisch and minerally whites, and Rust makes Ausbruch. Further south, Mittelburgenland, around Deutschkreutz, Horitschon and Neckenmarkt, is the heartland of Blaufränkisch, and Eisenberg, near the border in the south, is another Blaufränkisch DAC. Rosalia, created in 2017, is also built on Blaufränkisch.
Grapes and wine styles
Burgenland is Austria's red wine region. Blaufränkisch is the leading grape in Leithaberg, Mittelburgenland, Eisenberg and Rosalia, giving spicy, structured reds, while Zweigelt is the main grape of Neusiedlersee. White varieties include Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc), Chardonnay, Neuburger and Grüner Veltliner. Welschriesling is widely used for sweet wines, and the region regularly makes botrytised Trockenbeerenauslese. Ruster Ausbruch is a sweet white from botrytised grapes such as Furmint (the grape of Tokaj in neighbouring Hungary), Gelber Muskateller (Muscat), Welschriesling and Chardonnay.
3 wines from Burgenland on the map
Other Burgenland wines
Neusiedlersee-Hügelland
Burgenland wine: questions and answers
What grape is Burgenland known for?
Burgenland is known for Blaufränkisch, the leading red grape of Mittelburgenland, Leithaberg, Eisenberg and Rosalia. Zweigelt dominates around Lake Neusiedl.
What is Ruster Ausbruch?
Ruster Ausbruch is a sweet white wine from botrytised grapes grown around the town of Rust on Lake Neusiedl. It became its own DAC in 2020.
What does DAC mean on Austrian wine?
DAC stands for Districtus Austriae Controllatus, Austria's system of protected regional origins with typical styles. Burgenland has six DACs: Neusiedlersee, Leithaberg, Mittelburgenland, Eisenberg, Rosalia and Ruster Ausbruch.
Why does Burgenland make sweet wine?
Lake Neusiedl creates reliable conditions for botrytis, or noble rot, which shrivels the grapes and concentrates their sugar, allowing sweet wines to be made reliably.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org, weinwandern.at
Last reviewed October 2026.