Quality Designations in Detail

Tafelwein: At least 10.6 degrees KMW.
Landwein: At least 14 degrees KMW. Classed as a Tafelwein. Must show wine growing region as origin
Qualitätswein: At least 15 degrees KMW; Origin: wine growing area. The grape must may be chaptalized (by adding sugar before fermentation) up to 19 KMW for white and 20 KMW for red wines
Kabinett(wein): At least 17 degrees KMW; Origin: wine growing area. Classed as Qualitätswein, but may not be chaptalized. Alcohol content max. 13% Vol.; residual sugar max. 9 g/l. Prädikatswein (Spätlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese) must not be chaptalized. Origin: wine growing area. The addition of grape must for sweetening (a method used in Germany) is not permitted by Austrian law. Spätlese wines may be sold after 1 March, other Prädikat wines after 1 May.
Spätlese: at least 19 KMW.

From Auslese upwards, the grape material must contain an increasing proportion of overripe, nobly rotten or dried berries.
Auslese: at least 21 KMW.
Beerenauslese (BA): At least 25 KMW.
Eiswein: at least 25 KMW; The grapes are frozen on the vine before harvest (thus concentrating the must in the grape while the ice and the frozen skins remain in the press)
Strohwein: at least 25 KMW; produced from berries which were air-dried for at least three months on straw or reed mats.
Ausbruch: at least 27 KMW.
Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA): at least 30 KMW.

The Taste Indicators
Residual Sugar per litre (RZ/l)

Trocken (Dry): up to 9 g RZ/l, if there is no more than 2 g/l difference between sugar and acidity. Example: a wine with 8 g/l residual sugar must have at least 6 g/l of acidity in order to be classed as dry.
Extra trocken (Extra Dry): up to 4 g RZ/l
Halbtrocken (Semi Dry): up to 12 g RZ/l
Lieblich (Semi Sweet): up to 45 g RZ/l.
Süß (Sweet): more than 45 g RZ/l.

Austrian Qualitätswein (Quality Wine)

1. Prescribed information in the same visual area:

• Österreichischer... (Austrian...), Wein aus Österreich (wine from Austria), Österreich (Austria).
  

• Wine-growing area (specific area).
  
  a) Qualitätswein (quality wine) or Qualitätswein mit Staatlicher Prüfnummer (quality wine with federal inspection number) or Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete (quality wine produced in a specific region), or Qualitätswein b. A. (quality wine produced in a specific region)
  
  b) Qualitätswein (quality wine) or Qualitätswein mit Staatlicher Prüfnummer (quality wine with state inspection number) or Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete (quality wine produced in a specific region), or Qualitätswein b. A. (quality wine produced in a specific region) and, in addition, Kabinett or Kabinettwein.
  
  c) Prädikatswein (predicate wine) or Qualitätswein (quality wine) of special ripening and harvesting plus information on the level of Prädikat (Spätlese etc.).
  

• Federal inspection number.
  

• Nominal volume (e may be added).
  

• Abfüller (bottler) or abgefüllt durch (bottled by); in the case of contract bottling – abgefüllt für (bottled for): name or company name, community or area of the village/town and state of the head office and, if applicable, the actual place of bottling.
  

• Coding is permitted (company number and postal code as well as information about a marketing participant).
  

• Erzeugerabfüllung (bottled by producer), Gutsabfüllung (estate bottled), Hauerabfüllung (bottled by wine-grower); these replaced Abfüller (bottler).
  

• Alcohol content in % by volume; only full and half percentage points permitted.
  

• Trocken (sec, dry), halbtrocken (demi-sec, medium dry), lieblich (demi-doux, semi-sweet), süß (doux, sweet).
  

• Lot identification

• Red wine – rosé – white wine.
  

• Vintage (85%).
  

• Brand names.
  

• Marketing participants: position, name or company name, community or area of the village/town of the head office.
  

• Information about the composition (g/l of residual sugar).
  

• for "Landwein" and "Qualitätswein": Heuriger (wine from the last vintage) (+ vintage), Bergwein (+ region), Schilcher.
  

• Sensory qualities that are characteristic of the wine.
  

• Wine-growing region.
  

• Smaller geographic units as the wine-growing area (large vineyard site or vignoble, community, small vineyard site or cru – 85%).
  

• One (85%) or two or three (100%) and more grape varieties.
  

• Awards
  

• Number of the container or the lot.
  

• Proper names: Weinkellerei (winery), Weinhandlung (wine merchant).
  

• Weingut (estate), Weingutsbesitzer (estate owner), Winzer (wine-grower), Weinbau (viticulture), Winzerhof, Rebenhof... (wine-farm).
  

• Names and terms such as: Cuvée (blend), Gemischter Satz (mixed grape varieties from the same vineyard, vinified together), Primus (new season’s wine), Der Junge (the young wine), Der Neue (the new wine).
  

• Gelesen… (harvested)
  

• Traditional names such as Selektion (selection), Auswahl (choice), Ausstich (choicest), Erste Wahl (first choice), Klassik (classic) (or optionally Classique)
  

• Für Diabetiker geeignet (suitable for diabetics) if residual sugar is not more than 4 g (currently permitted only in Austria)
  

Austrian Landwein (Vin de Pays)

1. Prescribed information in the same visual area:

• Österreichischer... (Austrian...), Wein aus Österreich (wine from Austria), Österreich (Austria).
  

• Landwein (vin de pays).
  

• Wine-growing region.
  

• Nominal volume (e may be added).
  

• Abfüller (bottler) or abgefüllt durch (bottled by); in the case of contract bottling – abgefüllt für (bottled for): name or company name, community or area of the village/town and state of the head office and, if applicable, the actual place of bottling.
  

• Coding is permitted (company number and postal code as well as information about a marketing participant).
  

• Erzeugerabfüllung (bottled by producer), Gutsabfüllung (estate bottled), Hauerabfüllung (bottled by wine-grower); these replaced Abfüller (bottler).
  

• Alcohol content in % by volume; only full and half percentage points permitted.
  

• Trocken (sec, dry), halbtrocken (demi-sec, medium dry), lieblich (demi-doux, semi-sweet), süß (doux, sweet).
  

• Lot identification