History of wine in Austria

Home » Austria » History of wine in Austria

7 minutes read

Most people are surprised when I tell them that Austria has one of the oldest wine traditions in Europe.

Yet, vines have been growing here since the Bronze Age, around the 10th century BC — long before France or Italy became famous for their vineyards.

The first traces of winemaking were found in the Traisental valley and the Weinviertel, and later in Burgenland during Celtic times (around 700 BC).

From there, the vine followed the Danube River, reaching Carnuntum and Styria in the south. The vineyards grew so quickly that in the year 92, Emperor Domitian had to order some of them uprooted — he was afraid of overproduction!

Austria’s wine story stretches back over 3,000 years, beginning with the Celts in the Bronze Age and later flourishing under the Romans. After centuries of wars, disease, and revival, Cistercian monks and Emperor Joseph II helped shape Austrian wine into a true cultural symbol — even creating the beloved Heuriger taverns.T he 19th century brought innovation but also disaster, with mildew, phylloxera, and shifting empires reducing vineyards dramatically. Yet Austria bounced back — inventing grapes like Zweigelt, modernizing vineyard practices, and eventually enduring the antifreeze scandal of 1985, which led to the strictest wine laws in Europe. Today, Austria’s 46,500 hectares of mostly family-owned vineyards produce world-class wines, especially Grüner Veltliner and Zweigelt, under the DAC system. The country now ranks among the most respected producers of precise, elegant, and sustainable wines — a true comeback story from ancient times to modern excellence.

Austrian wine during the Roman Empire

Under the Romans, Austrian viticulture truly blossomed. At that time, growing vines north of the Alps was banned — until Emperor Marcus Aurelius lifted the restriction.

But history being what it is, the fall of the Roman Empire and invasions by various tribes devastated vineyards across the country

Luckily, Charlemagne came to the rescue. In 788, inspired by Cistercian monks, he ordered the reconstruction of vineyards. This was even written in his “Capitulare Villis”, a document filled with vineyard maintenance and wine laws — quite advanced for its time!

In the 10th and 11th centuries, monks from Burgundy settled in Austria, founding estates such as Heiligenkreuz Abbey and Freigut Thallern in the Thermenregion. They introduced terrace cultivation (still visible in the Wachau today) and set the foundations for the country’s winemaking identity.

The growth of wine in Austria

By the 12th century, vineyards were popping up around towns. In 1170, the Babenberg family moved their court to Vienna, which soon became the heart of Austrian wine.

The Seitzerkeller wine inn opened on Dorotheergasse, and by the end of the century, more than 60 taverns followed. By the 14th century, Vienna had its first official vineyards and had become the wine trade center of the Danube.

The first hints of appellations appeared later — in 1524, Queen Mary of Hungary granted the winemakers of Rust the right to stamp an “R” on their barrels, marking their origin.

Two years later, in 1526, came the first Lutherwein, a sweet wine grown on the lands of the Esterházy family. The last drop was enjoyed in 1852!

By the 17th century, Austria had over 150,000 hectares of vines. But the Thirty Years’ War, Turkish invasions, and, surprisingly, the rise of beer halted this golden era.

Thankfully, the 18th century brought a revival. Empress Maria Theresa and Emperor Joseph II modernized viticulture.

In 1784, Joseph II signed the Josephinische Zirkularverordnung, allowing winemakers to serve their own food and wine year-round (to sell or serve at any time of the year the foods, wines and fruit wines produced by him, no matter how, at what time and at what price). That decree created the Heuriger (also known as Buschenschank) — the cozy taverns where you can still enjoy homemade Austrian wine today

The impact of fungal diseases and phylloxéra in Austria

But nature wasn’t done testing them. In the 19th century, Austrian vineyards suffered a triple hit:

• Oidium (powdery mildew) in 1850,
• Mildew (Peronospora) in 1878,
• and finally Phylloxera, which destroyed over 25% of the vineyards by 1872.

By 1914, Austria had only 50,000 hectares left.

Still, innovation was on the way. Baron de Babo founded the Klosterneuburg Wine School in 1860, shaping the next generation of winemakers. Since 1902, it is now called the “Höhere Lehranstalt für Wein- und Obstbau” and is the oldest wine school in the world.

The new techniques for Austrian viticulture

In 1922, Fritz Zweigelt — yes, that Zweigelt — became head of the Klosterneuburg college. He created Blauer Zweigelt (Rotburger), a cross between Blaufränkisch and St. Laurent, now Austria’s most planted red grape. His contributions to Austrian viticulture were tarnished by his membership in the Nazi Party, which allowed him to remain at the head of the college until 1945.

However, the advice provided by this college was not always relevant. Until the 1980s, long after the French realized that it was necessary for red wine to go through malolactic fermentation, the college continued to advise against it. The Austrians then fell way behind in their production of red wine.

Later, in 1950, Lenz Moser of Rohrendorf publishes “Weinbau einmal anders”, revolutionized viticulture with his “high culture” training system, allowing mechanization and higher yields. In the 1980s, more than 90% of vineyards used these new techniques.

Unfortunately, the world wars and the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire fractured many wine regions — some vineyards even straddled the border. Today, thanks to the Historischer Doppelbesitz (since 2015), producers on both sides can use their grapes again.

The fall of the Austrian viticulture

By the 1970s, Austria was the third-largest wine-producing country in the world. But success turned sour.

Indeed, it was quickly observed that there were more exported wines than produced wines, from Burgenland and the prestigious village of Gumpoldskirchen

In 1985, a few producers added diethylene glycol (an antifreeze compound) to sweeten wines, triggering what became known as the antifreeze scandal. Four producers were charged.

By the way, a year later, more than twenty people died because of this practice in Italy. However, for unknown reasons, this will not tarnish the latter’s reputation. Just saying….

The scandal destroyed Austria’s image overnight — but it also forced a complete reset.

The comeback of Austrian wines

Following this antifreeze scandal, as baptized by history, Austria introduced Europe’s strictest wine laws, founded the Austrian Wine Academy (1991), and focused on quality over quantity.

By the 1990s, Austrian wines were making headlines again.

At a London blind tasting in 1993, winemaker Alois Kracher stunned experts when his sweet white wines held their own against Château d’Yquem.

In 2002, another blind tasting organized by Jancis Robinson MW and Tim Atkin put Grüner Veltliner up against top Chardonnays from Burgundy, California, and Australia — and the Austrian wines took the top spots.

These international wines came from wineries such as Ramonet, Louis Latour, Jadot, Gaja (Italy), Mondavi (California) and Penfolds (Australia). The first four places were taken by local Grüner Veltliner and Chardonnay.

Get the full story of the 2002 London wine tasting here

Creation of wine legislation in Austria

In 2001, Austria created Regional Wine Committees to protect local identity and promote distinctive wine styles. This led to the birth of the DAC system (Districtus Austriae Controllatus) — the Austrian equivalent of France’s AOC.

The same year, they created the concept of “DAC” (Districtus Austriae Controllatus). The first DAC was the Weinviertel DAC, with the first vintage being 2002.

Mittelburgendland DAC was the second in 2006 and from 2007 to 2009, three more were created : Traisental DAC, Kremstal DAC and Kamptal DAC.

In 2010 were created Leithaberg DAC and Eisenberg DAC.

In 2012, the Neusiedlersee DAC for Zweigelt wines was created.

In 2013, Wiener Gesmischte Satz became the 9th DAC.

In 2018, four more DAC were created : Rosalia DAC, Weststeiermark DAC, Sûdsteiermark DAC and Vulkenland DAC.

In 2019, two more DAC were created which sums it up to 15 DAC with Carnuntum DAC and, finally, Wachau DAC.

Today, Austria ranks around 17th in global wine production — 65% of which is white wine. The country’s 46,500 hectares of vineyards are often family-owned, and more and more are being run by young, travel-loving winemakers who combine tradition with innovation.

Most Austrian wines are still enjoyed locally, but exports are growing fast — especially in Germany and Switzerland.

In Short

Austria’s wine story is one of resilience — from Celts to Cistercians, emperors to innovators, and even a few scandals along the way. What stands out today is how far the country has come: modern, precise, sustainable, and full of character.

So next time you sip a glass of Grüner Veltliner or Zweigelt, remember — you’re tasting over 3,000 years of history in that glass.

Where to next?

Beginner’s guide to Grüner Veltliner

Ready to taste 3,000 years of Austrian history in your glass? Discover my beginner’s guide to Grüner Veltliner — Austria’s most famous grape and the perfect place to start your journey.

What type of wine is Blaufränkisch?

Have you met Blaufränkisch yet?
This spicy, bold Austrian red is full of character—and if you’ve never tasted one, you’re missing out.

Best Austrian wine regions

Ever ordered a beer in Vienna and been told it’s a wine country? Same. This is your cheat sheet to Austria’s regions—from crisp Wachau whites to bold Burgenland reds. Bring a glass and come explore.

Book your private tasting

Want to taste Austria without leaving home? I host relaxed, tailor-made tastings—zero snobbery, just good wine and great conversation. Let’s plan your perfect lineup.