Production

Production in the Traisental follows a clear directive. Everything must be dry. The DAC regulation stipulates that residual sugar content must meet the definition of "dry." There is no exception for regional, village, or single-vineyard wines.

Oak and botrytis, the noble rot that elsewhere makes sweet Prädikat wines possible, are also banned for these three tiers, but for the top category, Reserve, the regulation allows a subtle touch of both. Such a wine must bring at least 13 percent alcohol to qualify.

The three simpler tiers differ mainly in their designation of origin, not in cellar practice. The numbers make this clear. A regional wine needs at least 11.5 percent alcohol and may simply be labeled "Traisental DAC"; a village wine, from 12 percent, additionally carries the name of a municipality like Nussdorf or Oberwölbling on the label. A single-vineyard wine, from 12.5 percent, further names the individual vineyard site — the most precise designation of origin the valley has to offer.

Up to 15 percent of other white quality grape varieties may be blended in without the wine losing its name. Even so, most producers forgo this. They prefer to let Grüner Veltliner or Riesling speak for themselves.

Even the timeline follows the hierarchy. Regional and village wines may be submitted for assessment starting January 1st of the following year, single-vineyard wines from March 1st, and Reserve only from July 1st. The more precise the origin, the more time the wine gets before it leaves the cellar door.