Austria has outstanding wine regions, wineries - and internationally acclaimed wines. Where „Austria“ is written on the outside, Austria must be inside, too; only this can guarantee the top image of Austrian products in the future and around the world. According to § 2 para. 2 of the Austrian wine law, „Austrian wine“ is defined as a wine made in Austria from grapes grown in Austria. This applies also to Austrian sparkling wine.

Austrian Sekt or Austrian Qualitätsschaumwein “ may be offered on the market under this designation only when it is produced exclusively from the 40 grape varieties permissible for the production of Qualitätswein in Austria, and is free from defects in appearance, smell and flavour.

Attention: with regard to origins, this category corresponds to Wine without Protected Designation of Origin or geographical indication, with indication of grape variety or vintage, and thus may not be placed on the same level with Qualitätswein – unlike Sekt with Protected Designation of Origin (Sekt Austria (PDO))!

Austrian Sekt as well as Austrian Sekt with Protected Designation of Origin (Sekt Austria (PDO)) is a product that in a container at 20°C displays a pressure of at least 3,5 bar ascribable to dissolved carbon dioxide.

When either the grapes used in production or the base wine comes from Austria, the product may be designated Austrian Sekt. If the production of the Sekt takes place in Austria, the product may bear the designation Produced in Austria.

The Austrian Sekt Day

22 October

Every year, the Austrian Sekt Day is celebrated on 22 October. That is when this high-quality domestic product is given the spotlight through a variety of activities and events held throughout Austria. Lovers of sparkling wines* can learn more about this product and its methods of production as well as taste a diverse range of the wines.  With Austrian Sekt cellars having "open house" on this day, it is the perfect opportunity to get to know and enjoy the numerous facets of Austrian Sekt.

The Austrian Sekt Day serves mainly to increase awareness of the quality, variety and origin of Austrian Sekt in the restaurant, retail and consumer sectors. At the same time, it signals the beginning of the Sekt high season. By the end of the year, around 12 million bottles of sparkling wine* will have been consumed – this corresponds to approximately 45% of the total annual amount. 

In addition, the initiative is designed to show the diversity of Sekt and all of its possibilities. It is ideal as an aperitif or for celebrating special moments. Yet it is also a superb food companion – even for an entire menu sequence. And it is certainly a fine ingredient in trendy cocktail variations as well as in recipes for unusual dishes. Indeed, Austrian Sekt makes a wonderful, tingling addition to countless occasions.

The Austrian Sekt Committee

Austria's domestic wine industry has been working hard for several years to improve the profile of its quality sparkling wines. A first step was to establish the Austrian Sekt Committee – analogous to a Regional Wine Committee – in 2013.

Since April 2013, there has been an official Austrian Sekt committee. Its legal status is comparable to that of Austria's twelve regional wine committees – for example, in the Weinviertel, Kamptal and Thermenregion - but has an effective range covering all of Austria.The Austrian Sekt Committee is a public body. Its activities include improving know-how and transparency in the production and marketing of Austrian Sekt. One of the committee's main goals is to create more awareness and underscore the presence of this leading domestic product amongst consumers. As part of the revision of the fee contribution structure, the Austrian Sekt Committee was integrated into the activities agenda of the Austria Wine Marketing Board (AWMB). Market research and marketing measures are executed in conjunction with the AWMB, and the development of wine tourism activities is also part of this collaboration. The chairman of the Sekt committee – elected to a five-year term – is Benedikt Zacherl from the sparkling wine house, Schlumberger. The managing director is Dagmar Gross.

* Refers to sparkling wine at least 3 bars pressure in the bottle.

Contact

Austrian Sekt Committee
Dagmar Gross
Zaunergasse 1-3
1030 Vienna
M: +43 (0)676 3193189
E-Mail: info@oesterreichsekt.at

Woman pours Sekt into a glass

Sekt Austria (PDO)
Protected Designation of Origin. Certified Quality.

© Austrian Wine/Blickwerk Fotografie

Sekt Austria (PDO)
Protected Designation of Origin. Certified Quality.

With the introduction of the highest Austrian sparkling wine category Sekt Austria (PDO) in 2015 local producers set the course for Sekt of uncompromising quality. Since then, Austrian Sekt with a protected designation of origin and certified quality has been instantly recognisable for consumers via the red-white-red banderole on the capsule and the three quality categories of Sekt Austria (PDO), Sekt Austria Reserve (PDO) and Sekt Austria Grosse Reserve (PDO), which only Sekt Austria (PDO) is permitted to list on its label.
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Types of Production and Levels of Dosage

© Schlumberger Wein- und Sektkellerei

Types of Production and Levels of Dosage

The méthode traditionelle, the Transfer Method, the Charmat method, ...
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Two people enjoy a glass of Sekt

Sekt & Enjoyment

© Austrian Wine / Blickwerk Fotografie

Sekt & Enjoyment

Austria has outstanding wine regions, wineries - and internationally acclaimed wines. Where Austria “ is written on the outside, Austria must be inside, too; only this can guarantee the top image of Austrian products in the future and around the world. According to § 2 para. 2 of the Austrian wine law, Austrian wine is defined as a wine made in Austria from grapes grown in Austria. This applies also to Austrian sparkling wine. 
Read More

 

Links

Sekt producers in Austria

 

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