Gritsch Winery leaves Vinea Wachau and chooses DAC Pyramid Wine Classification

Winemaker Franz-Josef Gritsch from the Wachau region in Austria has decided to leave the regional winegrowers' association Vinea Wachau. Starting from the 2023 vintage, his award-winning wines will no longer carry the traditional Vinea Wachau designations such as Federspiel and Smaragd. Instead, the wines will be exclusively classified according to the DAC pyramid of origin, a system that Gritsch considers more future-proof and clearer for international consumers.

The Gritsch family has been a member of the Wachau regional winegrowers' association since 1983. However, with changing climatic conditions and the increasing demand for clarity in the international wine market, Franz-Josef Gritsch sees more potential in Austria's three-tier DAC system. This system, which classifies wines based on origin rather than alcohol content, offers a more accurate and relevant measure of wine quality, according to Gritsch.

"The three categories of Vinea Wachau follow the traditional Germanic system, which requires a minimum alcohol content for each quality category. This made sense in earlier times, when ripeness was still a concern, but with the current climate changes, we find that this categorization is no longer adequate," explains Gritsch. "An alcohol classification says nothing about the quality of the wine, especially not in international markets."

According to Gritsch, Vinea Wachau missed the opportunity to adapt to current circumstances when the region was awarded DAC status in 2020. He believes that running two parallel classification systems only confuses consumers and is no longer relevant.

Vinea Wachau was founded 40 years ago as a protection association to safeguard the Wachau designation of origin. Since the 2020 vintage, Wachau wines with regional typicity have been produced according to the DAC pyramid, which distinguishes between regional wines (Gebietswein), village wines (Ortswein), and single vineyard wines (Riedenwein).

FJ Gritsch is a traditional family winery in the Wachau region, which has been a leader in wine quality and craftsmanship for seven generations. The winery covers approximately 15 hectares in the best locations of the Wachau and exports its award-winning wines to 13 countries. With its new tasting and accommodation building, completed in 2022, FJ Gritsch has also received significant recognition for its sustainable and exemplary design.

For more information about FJ Gritsch: www.gritsch.at/en/