Definition: Austria - labels

Austrian wines are labelled according to grape variety, with the exception of blends named after the vineyard or its owner; according to region of origin, sometimes including a specific vineyard which may bear the indication "Ried" for vineyard in Austria. Finally, they are labelled according to different levels of ripeness, as in Germany. The grapes are harvested according to their degree of ripeness.
Here is a summary explanation of the main terms referring to alcohol content and residual sugar levels.

Qualitätswein: quality wine, to which sugar may be added within certain legal limits. These wines are dry (trocken), with 11.5 to 13% alcohol. These are the most common wines, outside the Wachau region.
Kabinett: rarely used for a category of dry wines, with, as in Germany, a modest alcohol content and a small amount of residual sugar.
Federspiel: term used for dry wines, equivalent to Kabinett in Wachau.
Spätlese: late harvest, rarely used for sweet wines.
Smaragd: the term used to describe the emerald colour of the small lizards that live in the vineyards. It is equivalent to the maturity of a Spätlese, but produced in a dry style in Wachau.
Ausbruch: dessert wine made from grapes affected by noble rot (botrytis cinerea) in the vineyards around the town of Rust.
Strohwein: straw wine, a sweet wine produced from overripe grapes, left to dry on well-ventilated straw mats.

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