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The Austrian wine-growing region Wachau will receive a DAC system from the 2019 vintage at the latest. As reported by Vinaria and Falstaff magazines, the Wachau Regional Wine Committee has now decided on a DAC classification after years of discussions with Österreich Wein Marketing (ÖWM) and the Vinea Wachau winegrowers' association.
The system provides for a three-level quality pyramid: At the top are the so-called Riedenweine (site wines), for which only the grape varieties Grüner Veltliner and Riesling will be permitted. Below that come the local wines, for which seven regionally typical varieties will be permitted (in addition to Grüner Veltliner and Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Neuburger, Sauvignon Blanc, Traminer and Gelber Muskateller). For the regional wines as the basic level of the pyramid, 17 grape varieties may be used.
The existing quality designations of Vinea Wachau, which indicate the wine style - Steinfeder, Federspiel and Smaragd for light, medium and full-bodied wines - will also be retained in the future and additionally appear on the label. According to Vinaria, the codex of the vintners' association will largely be incorporated into the legal regulations for DAC status.
According to the planned regulations for Wachau DAC wines, the grapes must be harvested by hand and processed exclusively in the Wachau, Rieden wines may not be sweetened, and neither Rieden nor Ortsweine may have a tangible use of wood. Minimum alcohol levels are not envisaged.
In the next step, the resolutions of the Wachau Regional Wine Committee must be approved by the National Wine Committee before they can come into force as a legal regulation.
The protected designation of origin DAC (Districtus Austriae Controllatus) stands for wines that are particularly typical of the region and must meet detailed quality specifications. The Wachau thus becomes the 14th DAC region in Austria. The only regions without a DAC system are now Wagram, Carnuntum and Thermenregion.