© ÖWM / ÖWM
Wine connoisseurs know how much of an impact the soil can have on a wine. On the austrianvineyards.com website, all the geological characteristics of each Austrian single vineyard (Ried) can now be viewed – a world first.
Ripe yellow apple, a hint of pear, harmonious and fresh on the palate, fine mineral notes on the finish – these could all be the tasting notes of an Austrian white wine. A wine’s flavour profile is not just influenced by the climate and grape variety, however. A lot also hangs on the soil in which the vines grow. The soil impacts how the grapes ripen, the nutrient supply and the ratio of sugar and acidity.
Geological information on 5,000 Austrian Rieds
The digital wine atlas austrianvineyards.com now gives information on the soil that lies beneath the almost 5,000 Austrian single vineyards, from the type of substratum (e.g. slate, loess, clay) and soil type (e.g. brown or black earth) to the soil texture (e.g. sandy or loamy). And with information on lime and humus content, permeability and water properties, wine aficionados can delve even deeper into the geology of each vineyard.
“The influence of the soil on a wine has long been the subject of intense discussion among wine lovers. We are now the first wine-growing country in the world to show the soil type and geological characteristics of every one of our single vineyards. With this milestone, we’re embracing a pioneering role in international viticulture,” says a proud Chris Yorke, CEO of the Austrian Wine Marketing Board (Austrian Wine).
The world’s only digital wine atlas of its kind
The map of the geological characteristics was a cooperative project involving Austrian Wine, the Institute of Geography and Regional Research at the University of Vienna and the firm plan+land. It is the latest content added to the austrianvineyards.com website, which was launched in 2021 as the world’s first digital wine atlas for an entire wine-growing country. For each single vineyard, it presents information on average temperature, precipitation, grape varieties grown, sunshine hours, elevation and slope – and now also on soil and geology.
About Austrian Wine
The Austrian Wine Marketing Board (Austrian Wine), based in Vienna, is a national service body for the Austrian wine industry. It was founded in 1986 with the aim to strategically support, coordinate and maintain quality and sales. The company’s goal is to maintain the high shares of Austrian wine on the domestic market. At the same time, it is also aiming to grow wine exports, by placing the focus on value creation.
