Vinea Wachau Nobilis Districtus
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The Vinea Wachau Nobilis Districtus Association ( Vinea Wachau for short ) is an association of winegrowers with the aim of promoting the quality and awareness of the wines of the legally defined Wachau wine-growing region . At the same time, it is a regional brand of the winegrowers' association of the same name.
society
The association is based in Spitz an der Donau . The association was founded in 1983. In 2020 the Vinea Wachau had almost two hundred members. They cultivate around 85% of the total vineyard area in the Wachau. The logo of the Hauervereinigung is the image of a signet ring , which shows the Kuenringer Leutold I (1243-1312) on horseback with the coat of arms of his noble family . Leutold was the highest Schenk in Austria . He called the core of his possessions on the Danube as Vinea Wachau Nobilis Districtus . These were largely congruent with today's Wachau wine-growing region . All well-known wineries in the Wachau have joined the association. The chairman of the association is Emmerich Knoll jun. from the Emmerich Knoll winery , his deputies are Herwig Jamek from the Josef Jamek winery and Heinz Frischengruber from the Wachau domain .
Regulations and quality categories
The members of the association are committed to the Wachau wine culture. This means that after the well-kept by the association categories of wine vinified wines stringent regulations have to follow than is prescribed by the Wine Law. These prescribe manual picking and prohibit, for example, the fortification of must and wines. The winemakers are not allowed to buy grapes from other growing areas. Therefore, wines that are sold under one of the 3 categories Steinfeder, Federspiel and Smaragd may only be made from Wachau grapes. All white grape varieties approved for quality wines can be processed into dry wines. Bottling has to take place exclusively in the wine-growing area itself. The requirements of the three local categories fit into the quality wine levels prescribed by the Wine Act. The categories are protected by trademark law and may only be used by members of Vinea Wachau . Sample bottles of all wines must be deposited in the Erlahof archive in Spitz an der Donau . This means that the wines can still be subjected to controls after years.
Further requirements are described in the articles on the quality categories.
The association was the first institution in Austria to take up the idea of appeal. The wines of the three brand categories basically correspond to an appellation Wachau or a DAC for the Wachau wine-growing region. The main difference is that the Vinea Wachau did not commit to a single grape variety and the DAC did not become part of the Austrian wine law until 2000 .
With the help of the categories, consumers can immediately see how the wines were made and whether they could meet their wishes.
Introduction of wine categories
- Steinfeder (1984)
- Federspiel (1986)
- Smaragd (1988) (previously called Honifogl )
Codex Wachau
On May 11, 2006, the so-called Codex Wachau was formulated by the Vinea Wachau in response to the importation of so-called artificial or designer wine, which the EU has allowed since the beginning of 2006 .
It tightens and underlines the requirements already set by the association and is intended to guarantee the consumer a natural product. Processes such as reverse osmosis, vacuum distillation, centrifugal cone column and aromatization of any kind are excluded. Pure yeasts are still possible.
The Codex is based on the following 6 rules:
- Strict principle of origin
- No enrichment
- No concentration
- No flavoring
- No fractionation
- Nature and nothing else
Steinfederpreis
Since 1986 the winegrowers' association "Vinea Wachau Nobilis Districtus" has awarded the Steinfeder Prize once a year to an Austrian or international wine journalist. Anne Krebiehl last received the award in 2019.
literature
- Horst Dippel among others: The wine dictionary. S. Fischer Verlag, 2003, ISBN 3-596-15867-2 .
- Fritz Friedl: Wachau. Wine. World: A Kaleidoscope of Cultural History Provincial Library, 2015, ISBN 9783990285299 .
- Norbert Tischelmayer: Wine Glossary. 2777 terms related to wine. Np Buchverlag, 2001, ISBN 3-85326-177-9 .
- Johanna and Erwin Uhrmann: 111 places in the Wachau that you have to see: Travel Guide Emons Verlag, 2019, ISBN 978-3740805654
- Brockhaus wine. 1st edition. Verlag FA Brockhaus, 2005, ISBN 3-7653-0281-3 .
- Vinaria . Austrian magazine for wine culture, 3/2006, p. 12.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ List of members on the Vinea Wachau website , accessed on March 28, 2020
- ↑ Report on the 2019 award ceremony in the magazine Der Winzer , accessed on March 28, 2020