The classified wine origin according to Erste Lage & Große Lage

Now that all specific wine-growing regions have been classified according to the DAC system – which essentially means that these are wines that are typical of the origin of the respective region, there is also a clear, differentiated definition. For regional wine (grapes from the entire region), local wine (grapes exclusively from the place listed on the label) or vineyard wine, the grapes come from a precisely defined vineyard. Riede is the name of a location entered in the cadastre.

There have been various domestic initiatives for the classification of individual wine locations on a private basis for some time. Locations that have become known for producing first-class wines. After intensive preparatory work, the legal basis (Wine Law Collective Ordinance 2023) has now been created for an official nationwide classification system of these vineyards/locations from the DAC areas. This provides for two levels: Rieden can be classified as “First Location” and five years later at the earliest they can be classified as “Große Lage”. On top of that, a lower yield per hectare than legally required is targeted for these top locations and, if not already introduced (as in the Wachau), hand picking is mandatory.

In a nutshell, in the foreseeable future (from 2025), consumers will be able to clearly recognize the top qualities based on the geographical indication: the smaller the designation of origin, the higher the quality potential of the products on offer: regional wine, local wine, Riedenwein, the latter can go beyond that still be classified as Erste Lage or Große Lage.