It sounds paradoxical at first: while the wine trade is becoming ever more international, people are increasingly determined to think small-scale when it comes to wine specialties. On closer inspection, seals of origin are becoming all the more important for precisely that reason. Spoiler: it’s about quality assurance!

With the support of the federal government, the province and the European Union.

In a way, two megatrends are currently colliding: globalization gives us access to exotic products from all over the world. The major trend toward regionalization, in turn, urges us to favor local specialties—almost identities. And in between, climate change is also making a noticeable impact.

But one thing at a time. In fact, the opportunities of globalized world trade have given us an oversupply of pleasures of all kinds in recent decades. We have access to fruit and vegetables from faraway countries at any time. We are used to that. In the supermarket, we reach for pineapple, kiwi or coconut milk all year round—just to name a few examples. The question is: how many different varieties of pineapple are there, and where does each one come from? Which types of kiwi come from which regions, and which nut makes the best coconut milk? We don’t know. We don’t even think about it anymore.

But while we’re standing in the supermarket, let’s simply walk a few aisles further. There is a bottle of Styrian pumpkin seed oil. Wonderful—this black gold from Styria! Right next to it is the perfect vinegar for salad: Aceto Balsamico di Modena. These two products are probably the exact counterexample—we all know where they come from. We associate them with a region on our planet and, at the same time, with a particular claim to quality. Put simply: real Styrian pumpkin seed oil is only the real thing if it meets the strict quality regulations regarding origin, regionality and typicity. We can recognize this by the PGI seal that adorns the bottles.

With balsamic, things are a bit more complicated: “Di Modena” may only appear on the bottle if the raw materials come from the province of Modena or Reggio Emilia, but the production method does not have to be “tradizionale” at all. Only the additional, legally protected geographical indications guarantee that genuine typicity and quality are in the bottle. And there are quite a few for balsamic: Aceto Balsamico di Modena PGI as well as Aceto Balsamico tradizionale di Modena PDO and Aceto Balsamico tradizionale di Reggion Emilia. The designation “DOP” is identical to PDO.

This so-called principle of origin thus gives consumers the guarantee of holding a product in their hands that stands for regional identity and typicity and may only be produced by those who truly know how it is made. Seals of origin are therefore quality certificates of a special kind. That is why they are also particularly supported by the European Union. And the more valuable the individual products are, the more local knowledge, skill and regional uniqueness they contain, the more important this anchoring of origin becomes. Which brings us directly to wine.

Hardly any other product requires as much love, passion and skill as high-quality wine. At the same time, however, the same grapes that we harvest, for example, at Lake Neusiedl, will almost certainly thrive in many places around the world. Thanks to global warming, the number increases every year. Yet the resulting wine tastes different everywhere. “With wine, it’s so extreme that the same grape variety can taste different just one hill away,” says Torsten Aumüller, Managing Director of the Neusiedlersee DAC association. This sums up why associations of regional winegrowers, such as the Neusiedlersee DAC, are so important. “So you can be sure you’re buying the wine you wanted—i.e., the original.”

At Neusiedlersee DAC, it is very specifically about two vinophile identities: Zweigelt and sweet wine. Both products are so typical of the region because Lake Neusiedl, with its unique microclimate combined with the Pannonian winds that prevail here, gives them flavors that simply cannot be found anywhere else in the same way. It is quite simply a question of location and thus of origin.

Let’s briefly return to our shopping trip in the supermarket. In the wine aisle there, we find many different Zweigelt wines from half of Central Europe. Sweet wines from various countries are also sold. But if we want the authentic Zweigelt from Lake Neusiedl or an original sweet wine—whether Spätlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese or Trockenbeerenauslese—we simply need to look for the addition “Neusiedlersee DAC” or “Neusiedlersee DAC Reserve”. This provides information and at the same time guarantees the highest possible regional quality and identity—for consumers in Spain, Japan, North America or anywhere in the world.

But where does the designation “DAC” actually come from? Torsten Aumüller explains: “It is the abbreviation of the rather unwieldy Latin expression ‘Districtus Austriae Controllatus’. Which means something like ‘from a specific Austrian region’.” The DAC seal of origin thus declares grape varieties and styles that are particularly typical of their origin. It is also a reliable indicator of the wine’s quality. “Just as it is known internationally,” says Aumüller, immediately serving up famous examples: “We don’t order a Merlot from Saint-Émilion; we order a Bordeaux.” The same applies to Rioja, Chianti or Champagne. All are vinophile specialties in which provenance guarantees particularly region-typical qualities. Origin—strictly protected and quality-focused—is the trump card.

In this same spirit, the acronym DAC was chosen for Austrian wine products as a general seal of origin for the various area-typical quality wines. The starting signal for this legally controlled seal of origin was given with the 2002 vintage and “Weinviertel DAC”. Since then, quality wines that are particularly typical of the region, made from the Grüner Veltliner variety, have been marketed under this designation of origin. Today, there are 17 regional DAC areas in Austria.

Accordingly, it is also the declared goal of these 17 DAC areas that you no longer simply order a Zweigelt or a Veltliner. But rather a Zweigelt “Neusiedlersee DAC” or a Grüner Veltliner “Weinviertel DAC”—and thus get exactly that Zweigelt or exactly that Veltliner. And not only in Austria, but everywhere that high-quality wines are enjoyed.

In this way, the regional products—our very special treasures—are not only enhanced in the region where they are produced; thanks to globalization, the taste of this unique area is carried out into the whole world with every bottle of Neusiedlersee DAC—whether Zweigelt or sweet wine. The DAC seal of origin thus guarantees what is otherwise no longer so certain: regional origin, area-defining typicity and the highest quality in the respective category—classically vinified or as a reserve.

Quality products of protected origin with an identity guarantee:

Champagne AOC

The grapes for this noble drink must, on the one hand, come from the Champagne region and, on the other, be processed according to strict rules. The area in which grapes for Champagne may be grown was defined on July 22, 1927. The AOC seal also specifies all production conditions that make up the product’s identity (including varieties, planting, harvest, vinification and labeling).

Pumpkin seed oil PGI

The black oil is pressed from the roasted seeds of the Styrian oil pumpkin. Until the 1970s, pumpkin seed oil was only known in eastern and southern Styria. It was only in the decades that followed that it began its international triumph. To protect it from cheap counterfeits, the PGI seal was introduced as a guarantee of origin.

Aceto Balsamico tradizionale di Modena D.O.P & Aceto Balsamico tradizionale di Reggio Emilia DOP

Aceto Balsamico, or balsamic vinegar, is a vinegar from the Italian province of Modena or the province of Reggio Emilia. There are rules governing how it may be produced. Compliance with the strictest quality regulations is guaranteed by the additional designation D.O.P.

Parmigiano Reggiano D.O.P.

Original Parmesan is produced only in the Italian provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna and Mantua and is likewise protected by origin. The regulations for producing Parmigiano are particularly strict: the cows must be fed without silage—i.e., without silo/fermented feed—no preservatives or other artificial additives may be used, and it must mature for at least twelve months (up to a maximum of six years = “extra stravecchione”—very rare).

Chianti DOC or DOCG

This red wine from Tuscany is made primarily from the Sangiovese grape. In the past, Chianti was synonymous with Italian wine as such and was traditionally sold in straw-covered bottles. Today, the designation Chianti is used to produce two important red wines (“Chianti DOCG” and “Chianti Classico DOCG”) as well as two dessert wines (“Vin Santo del Chianti DOC” and “Vin Santo del Chianti Classico DOC”).

Bordeaux AOP (formerly: AOC)

It is perhaps the most famous wine-growing region in the world—at any rate, it is the largest contiguous area for quality wine: the Bordeaux region. Around 3,000 wine estates—known as châteaux—produce famous wines. A particularly differentiated system of sub-regional and municipal sites prevails here, so-called appellations and classifications. However, origin is even more important here than any site: which château the wine comes from is paramount. The grape varieties are predominantly blended as cuvées from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Occasionally, they are complemented by Petit Verdot and Malbec.

Rioja DOCa

Rioja is a wine-growing region in Spain located on both sides of the Ebro River. The wine from this region is also called Rioja and has been protected under this oldest of all Spanish designations of origin since 1925. A total of 14 grape varieties are currently authorized to be sold as Rioja.

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Neusiedlersee DAC.
Unique Zweigelt. Unique sweet wines.
From Austria’s sunny side. A delight for every palate.

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