Wine

Burgenland yielded significantly higher amounts of wine than in 2019 due to more favorable weather conditions (+9%); the wine production in Lower Austria (+2%) and Vienna (+3%) increased whereas in Styria a slight decrease was observed (-1%). Concerning the wine products, the amount of "Qualitätswein/Prädikatswein" rose to 2.21 million hl (+4% to 2019) and the quantity of "Wein/Landwein" decreased to 151 400 hl (-1% to 2019).

Winestock 2020

According to the wine stock survey 2020, a stock of 2.93 million hl (-2% to 2019) of wine products was noted. The volume of stored white wines (1.72 million hl) remained at the same level as in 2019 (±0%) whereas the stock of red wines (1.21 million hl; -4%) decreased. The capacity of "Qualitätswein/Prädikatswein" decreased to 2.35 million hl (-3% to 2019) and the stock of "Wein/Landwein" increased to 313 200 hl (+6% to 2019)

Basic survey of areas under vine 2015

Due to the Council Regulation (EU) No. 1337/2011 Austria is obliged to conduct statistical surveys of areas under wine every 5 years (formerly every 10 years). The Federal Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management (BMLFUW) adopted the regulation Federal Law Gazette II No. 207/2015 (available in German only) regarding statistics concerning the areas under wine in 2015 (Weingartengrunderhebungsverordnung 2015) as a national legal basis for the implementation of the survey. Thus, after 2009 a basic survey of areas under wine was conducted with the reference date 31 July 2015.

The wine-ONLINE system of the BMLFUW managed by the Agricultural, Forestry and Water Management Rechenzentrum GmbH served as data source for the federal wine growing provinces Burgenland, Lower Austria, Styria and Vienna. Data for the province Carinthia was obtained from the federal viticulture cadaster. Data was electronically transmitted and, after completion of plausibility checks, analysed. To get the outstanding data, Statistics Austria interviewed vineyard cultivators from the remaining provinces Upper Austria, Salzburg, Tyrol and Vorarlberg by means of a written questionnaire.

Results showed for Austria a total area under wine of 45 439 ha, 94 ha or 0.2% less than in the last survey 2009. Lower Austria remains with an area of 28 145 ha or 61.9% the largest wine growing federal province followed by Burgenland with 12 249 ha (27.0%), Styria with 4 324 ha (9.5%) and Vienna with 581 ha (1.3%). The remaining federal provinces recorded an area increase of 57 ha to 140 ha (+69.5%) compared to 2009.

The trend towards larger holdings is evident according to the results of this survey. The average size of a holding increased from 2.26 ha in 2009 to 3.22 ha (+42.5%).

The most important winegrowing regions regarding their proportion of the total area under wine in the respective provinces are: Neusiedlersee (Burgenland) with 7 159 ha or 58.2%, Weinviertel (Lower Austria) with 13 886 ha (49.2%) and Südsteiermark (Styria) with 2 163 ha (50.0%).

The long-term trend from white wine towards red wine cannot be confirmed anymore. While white wine acreage has increased by 2.3% to 30 502 ha compared to 2009, red wine acreage in turn decreased by 4.9% to 14 937 ha.

With respect to the grape varieties, Grüner Veltliner remains in first place with 14 376 ha or 47.1% of the white wine area; among all vine varieties Grüner Veltliner showed the highest increase with a plus of 6.3%. The red wine variety Zweigelt holds the second place with 6 311 ha or 42.3% of the red wine area.

Considering the distribution of the grape varieties in the individual federal provinces, Grüner Veltliner lies significantly ahead within the white wine varieties in Burgenland (1 258 ha), Lower Austria (12 920 ha) and Vienna (171 ha) whereas in Styria the white wine variety Welschriesling (701 ha) and in the remaining federal provinces the white wine variety Weißer Riesling (18 ha) are leading the list. In regard to red wine varieties, Zweigelt ranks first in Lower Austria (3 521 ha) and Vienna (36 ha) while in Burgenland Blaufränkisch (2 632 ha), in Styria Blauer Wildbacher (432 ha) and in the remaining federal provinces the red vine variety Blauer Burgunder (10 ha) are the most important varieties.

Comparing the age of the vines, the age group of 10 to 29 years records the highest share of the area under cultivation (51.7%), followed by the age group 30 years and older with 31.4% and the age group 3 to 9 years with 12.6%. The age group under 3 years amounts to 4.3%. These new plantations are not productive yet and already represent with 1 950 ha a significant share of the area under cultivation.