🏷️ Austrian Prädikatswein
Austrian ripeness levels from Spätlese to TBA, with their own Ausbruch and Strohwein levels.
The Austrian Prädikat is a scale of ripeness for the sweet wines of Austria. The sweeter and riper the grapes at harvest, the higher the level. They rise in order: Spätlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese and TBA, that is Trockenbeerenauslese.
Spätlese comes from late-picked grapes. Auslese is made from selected bunches. Beerenauslese comes from single, very ripe berries, often touched by noble rot. TBA is the rarest level: the berries are almost raisins, and the wine is very sweet and costly.
Austria also has its own special levels. Ausbruch sits between Beerenauslese and TBA. Strohwein is made from grapes dried on straw or reeds.
This scale is part of the wording on a label. It belongs to the PDO, the protected designation of origin. Next to it stands the DAC system, which describes the taste of a district rather than sweetness. The Austrian Prädikat is close to the German one, but its rules are its own.
What it includes
How it connects to Wine
🏷️ Austrian Prädikatswein → kind of → 🏷️ Protected designation of origin (wine) → kind of → 🏷️ Wine classifications → kind of → 🍷 Wine
Links
- Part of
- 🏷️ Protected designation of origin (wine)
- Where it applies
- 🗺️ Austrian wine
- Similar and different
- 🍷 Strohwein, 🏷️ DAC, 🏷️ Ausbruch, 🏷️ Prädikatswein
Frequently asked questions
What is the Austrian Prädikat?
A ripeness scale for Austria's sweet wines, from Spätlese to TBA.
What is Ausbruch?
A special Austrian level between Beerenauslese and TBA, a sweet wine from very ripe berries.
How is Strohwein different from other Prädikat levels?
It is made from grapes dried on straw or reeds to raise the sugar.
What to read next
- 🗺️ Austrian wine — The country's wine and winemaking: regions, grapes and appellations.
- 🏷️ Prädikatswein — The top German category: wine graded by grape ripeness, with no added sugar.
- 🏷️ DAC — Austrian category for wine with the typical taste and variety of its area.
Similar
🏷️ Qualitätswein · 🏷️ DAC · 🏷️ Czech and Slovak predicate wines · 🏷️ DOC (Italy) · 🏷️ DOCa / DOQ · 🏷️ Vino de Pago
⚠️ Wine contains alcohol: adults only, drink in moderation. Wine usually contains sulphites; egg white or milk proteins are sometimes used for fining — important for allergies and for vegans.