Glossary

The term for the viticultural or wine-growing zones, as defined by the EU, which divide the European wine-growing regions up into zones, to regulate certain aspects of winemaking relating to their respective climates. Wine-growing zone A includes the northern wine-growing regions, zone B is the temperate climate that includes Austria and Zone C refers to the most southerly zone.

the cultivated grape variety for wine-making, as opposed to table grapes for eating.

Nowadays a rare term for Austrian quality sparkling wine from a winegrowing region. This description may only be used when the grapes were grown by the producer, the second fermentation occurred in the bottle, and the variety and vintage is clearly visable on the label. This is a protected description for Austrian Sekt and is the same as German Sekt or sparkling wine.

Regional associations of wine producers that occur in all of the winegrowing regions, and acts as a basis for organisation and officially acknowledged form of self organisation for the vintners.

Specialised qualification in winemaking held by the winery director. The original Austrian words are "Weinbau- und Kellermeister“, literally viticulture and cellar master.

Mostly subterrenean room used for the storage of wine.

Mostly subterrenean room used for the storage of wine.

The material used in the construction of wine barrels.

Fungus that reproduce and convert available sugars into alcohol. Wild yeasts are found naturally in the vineyards and readily available on the grapes, and are known as the spontaneous yeasts. The yeasts used for wine production belong to the yeast species Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Yeast strains, or cultured yeasts, are very popular for vinification, and are available in a powder form.

A wine with an attractive aroma or flavour of yeast. Yeasty is a positive description.

The sum of the yield is measured, for example, in hectolitres per hectare, using the weight of the grapes, or volume of the must or wine.

The maximum permitted yield per hectare in Austria is 9,000 kg of grapes or 6,750 l (67.5 hl) of wine. This applies to Landwein, Qualitätswein (quality wine), Prädikatswein (wine with praedicate, sweet wines) and Wein (Austrian wine without geographical indication) with varietal and/or vintage declaration.

An age old form of measuring surface area in Austria, similar to the acre (1 yoke = 0.5755 hectare).

Generally regarded as an often still cloudy wine shortly after its alcoholic fermentation.

The EU law defines "young wine" as a wine whose alcoholic fermentation has not finished and which is not separated from the lees yet.

Still a youthful, young and not yet mature wine.

The name originates from its reddish colour grapes of this late-ripening variety. The Zierfandler proves to be quite a challenge in the vineyard, as it ripens late but starts to rot early. The wines are always rich in extract, racy and spicy with fruity and herbaceous characters. The sweet or dessert Zierfandler wines are in top form and are proven to long-term aging potential. The Zierfandler is sometimes still cultivated as a field blend or as a wine blend with the Rotgipfler variety, resulting in the "Spätrot-Rotgipfler“ wine.

Its creater, Prof. Dr. Fritz Zweigelt, successfully crossed Sankt Laurent x Blaufränkisch in 1922, and paved Austrian red wine history. Up until his death in 1964, the variety was known as Rotburger. Nowadays there are classic and fruity respresentatives of the wine, with cherry and berry aromas, as well as very ripe, extract rich top wines, that display feminine, fruity charm. With plantings of 13 percent of the total Austrian winegrowing region, this is by far the most planted and popular Austrian red wine variety.