by Peter Moser
Traisental, one of the smallest growing regions in Austria, has strengthened its position by establishing a wine of origin programme under the Traisental DAC designation. With the vintage 2006, Traisental becomes the third Austrian DAC. For the first time, two grape
varieties - Grüner Veltliner and Riesling - characterize one appellation.
The Traisental has become a forerider for DAC marketing in the areas along the Danube," says an enthusiastic Willi Klinger, the new managing director of the Austrian Wine Marketing Service in Vienna. Johann Steyrer, head of the Traisental s regional wine committee, is also excited about the new appellation: "For us, it is important to intensify the profile of the Traisental and to market only the two typical varietals of the region, Veltliner and Riesling, with our denomination of origin."
The annual production of Traisental DAC wines is approximately 300,000 bottles, the majority of which will be sold directly from the wineries or in the traditional Austrian wine taverns.
A wine bearing either the Traisental DAC Grüner Veltliner or Riesling designation must be a dry with no notes of wood, have an alcohol content of between 12 and 12.5% and be released on the market no earlier than January of the year following the harvest.
