A few weeks ago, I wrote an article about Blaufränkisch, central Europe’s best-kept red wine secret. A few months ago, my article was on Grüner Veltliner, Austria’s favorite grape. Today, I thought it would be a good idea to explore Austrian wine more fully. I hope you enjoy this.
Austrian Wine Map – from Wine Folly
A Well-Kept Secret
While wine making in Austria dates back 4,000 years, The Wine Society tells us that “Austria is considered by many to be one of the best-kept wine secrets in Europe. Its wealth of indigenous grapes and quality-conscious, small family producers make it a treasure trove for those wanting to expand their wine horizons with delicious, food-friendly bottles.”
Grape Varieties
Austrian wine is best known for its crisp, terroir‑driven white wines—especially Grüner Veltliner and Riesling—and structured reds like Blaufränkisch and Zweigelt, produced mainly in eastern regions such as Wachau, Burgenland, and Styria.
Here are the major wine grapes grown in this country.
Major Regions
Wachau: Steep terraces, granite and gneiss soils (gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of metamorphic rock); produces some of Austria’s most precise Grüner Veltliner and Riesling
Kremstal & Kamptal: Loess and limestone soils (loess is Loess is a periglacial or aeolian sediment, defined as an accumulation of 20% or less of clay with a balance of roughly equal parts sand and silt); rounder, fruit‑driven Grüner Veltliner
Burgenland: Warmer climate; Austria’s red‑wine stronghold; home to Blaufränkisch and sweet wines around Lake Neusiedl
Styria (Steiermark): Aromatic whites, including Sauvignon Blanc and Morillon (Chardonnay)
The Industry Was Almost Wiped Out in the 1980s
Austria was the third largest producer in the world for a period in the early 20th century. But in 1985, several Austrian wineries were found to have illegally added diethylene glycol (DEG), a toxic chemical used in antifreeze, to low-quality wines to make them sweeter and fuller‑bodied, mimicking the style of expensive late‑harvest wines. According to Wikipedia, “Many of these Austrian wines were exported to West Germany, some of them in bulk to be bottled at large-scale West German bottling facilities. At these facilities, some Austrian wines were illegally blended into German wines by the importers, resulting in diethylene glycol ending up in some bulk-bottled West German wines. The scandal made headlines worldwide. Many involved in the scandal were sentenced to prison or heavy fines in Austria and West Germany.
“The short-term effect of the scandal was a complete collapse of Austrian wine exports and a total loss of reputation of the entire Austrian wine industry, with a significant adverse impact on the reputation of German wines. The long-term effect was that the Austrian wine industry focused their production on other wine types than previously, primarily dry white wines instead of sweet wines, and increasingly targeted a higher market segment. Still, it took the Austrian wine industry over a decade to recover.”
Why Austrian Wine Matters
Austrian wine matters because it offers authenticity, environmental responsibility, and cultural depth in a market increasingly valuing these qualities. It’s a small but mighty producer that competes on quality, not volume, and represents a model of sustainable, terroir-driven winemaking.
In short, Austrian wine matters as a heritage-driven, sustainable, and quality-focused alternative that enriches the global wine landscape and offers something unique on the table.
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