Districtus Austriae Controllatus (Latin for Controlled District of Austria), DAC, is a recently introduced classification for wine

Wine

Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...

 in Austria

Austrian wine

Austrian wines are mostly dry white wines with some luscious dessert wines made around the Neusiedler See. About 30% of the wines are red, made from Blaufränkisch , Pinot Noir and locally bred varieties such as Zweigelt...

 loosely modelled on the French Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée

Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée

Appellation d’origine contrôlée , which translates as "controlled designation of origin", is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau Institut National...

(AOC) systems and similar classifications. DACs are created for specified wine regions, where they may be used for wines typical of that region.

Background

From the late 1980s, and more so in the 1990s, Austrian wine moved into new styles, which primarily meant less semi-sweet and sweet white wines, and more dry white wines and red wines. For these dry wines, the Prädikatswein designations (such as Spätlese

Spätlese

Spätlese is a German wine term for a wine from fully ripe grapes, the lightest of the late harvest wines. Spätlese is a riper category than Kabinett in the Prädikatswein category of the German wine classification and is the lowest level of Prädikatswein in Austria, where Kabinett is classified in...

 or Auslese

Auslese

Auslese is a German language wine term for a late harvest wine and is a riper category than Spätlese in the Prädikatswein category of the Austrian and German wine classification. The grapes are picked from selected very ripe bunches in the autumn , and have to be hand picked...

) shared with the German wine classification

German wine classification

German wine classification consists of several quality categories and is often the source of some confusion, especially among non-German speaking wine consumers. The official classification is set down in the wine law of 1971, although some changes and amendments have been made since then...

 system, were seen as less suitable. Just as in Germany, much of the high-end dry wines therefore ended up using a designation, Qualitätswein, which in principle was seen as below the Prädikatswein. In Wachau

Wachau

The Wachau is an Austrian valley with a picturesque landscape formed by the Danube river. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations of Lower Austria, located midway between the towns of Melk and Krems that also attracts "connoisseurs and epicureans". It is in length and was already...

, regional designations for dry wines were created as a response; Steinfeder, Federspiel and Smaragd. However, several organisations pressed in the 1990s for a different national system to be introduced, with "appellation

Appellation

An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown; other types of food often have appellations as well...

-style" designations based on geographical origin rather than on must weight

Must weight

Must weight is a measure of the amount of sugar in grape juice , and hence indicates the amount of alcohol that could be produced if it is all fermented to alcohol, rather than left as residual sugar...

, with regulations for each DAC regarding allowed grape varieties and wine styles.

The result was the Districtus Austriae Controllatus system, the framework regulations of which was introduced in 2001. The first DAC region to be approved was Weinviertel DAC, which happened in 2003, with the designation possible to use from the 2002 vintage.

Rules for individual DACs are developed by regional interprofessional committees which include representation from grape growers and wine producers, wine cooperatives, and wine merchants. The DAC requirements must at least correspond to those for Austrian Qualitätswein and the underlying European Union wine regulations, but the committees are free to set higher standards for a specific DAC. Each wine to be sold as DAC has to be submitted to a tasting committee. It has been common for the DACs to include two quality levels, Klassik for a "standard" DAC wine, and the additional designation Reserve

Reserve wine

Reserve wine is a term given to a specific wine to imply that is of a higher quality than usual, or a wine that has been aged before being sold, or both. Traditionally winemakers would "reserve" some of their best wine rather than sell it immediately, coining the term.In some countries the use of...

for a DAC wine which fulfills slightly stricter or different requirements.

Effects of DAC introduction

Once a wine region receives DAC status, the region's name may only be used for wines that fulfill the DAC regulations. Other wines, such as those made from other grape varieties, are no longer allowed to use the region's name. This typically means that name of a larger wine region, of which the DAC forms a part, has to be used instead, e.g., a less specific geographical origin is used. Thus, it is not certain that all Austrian wine regions will opt for introducing the DAC system.

DAC regions

As of 2010, there are 7 DACs.

Current Districtus Austriae Controllatus (DAC) regions
DAC	Additional designation	First vintage	Allowed grape varieties	Alcohol level	Wine style
Weinviertel DAC (white only)	Klassik	2002	Grüner Veltliner Grüner Veltliner Grüner Veltliner is a variety of white wine grape variety grown primarily in Austria, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. It has a reputation of being a particularly food-friendly wine...	Min 12%	Aromatic, spicy and peppery; no oak or botrytis Noble rot Noble rot is the benevolent form of a grey fungus, Botrytis cinerea, affecting wine grapes. Infestation by Botrytis requires moist conditions, and if the weather stays wet, the malevolent form, "grey rot", can destroy crops of grapes...  notes
	Reserve	2009		Min 13%	Dry, full-bodied and spicy, oak aging and subtle botrytis notes allowed
Mittelburgenland DAC (red only)	Klassik	2005	Blaufränkisch Blaufränkisch Blaufränkisch is a dark-skinned variety of grape used for red wine. Blaufränkisch, which is a late-ripening variety gives red wines which are typically rich in tannin and may exhibit a pronounced spicy character...	In general min 12.5%, max 13%. Single vineyard site: min 13%, max 13.5%.	Fruit-driven, spicy, full-bodied, matured in either stainless steel tanks, oak casks or oak barrels
	Reserve			Min 13%	Fruit-driven, spicy, full-bodied, must be matured in either large oak casks or small oak barrels
Traisental DAC (white only)	Klassik	2006	Grüner Veltliner Grüner Veltliner Grüner Veltliner is a variety of white wine grape variety grown primarily in Austria, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. It has a reputation of being a particularly food-friendly wine...  or Riesling Riesling Riesling is a white grape variety which originated in the Rhine region of Germany. Riesling is an aromatic grape variety displaying flowery, almost perfumed, aromas as well as high acidity. It is used to make dry, semi-sweet, sweet and sparkling white wines. Riesling wines are usually varietally...	Min 12%	Grüner Veltliner: aromatic, spicy, no botrytis or oak notes. Riesling: intensive, full-bodied, aromatic, mineral notes, no botrytis or oak notes
	Reserve			Min 13%
Kremstal DAC (white only)	Klassik	2006	Grüner Veltliner Grüner Veltliner Grüner Veltliner is a variety of white wine grape variety grown primarily in Austria, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. It has a reputation of being a particularly food-friendly wine...  or Riesling Riesling Riesling is a white grape variety which originated in the Rhine region of Germany. Riesling is an aromatic grape variety displaying flowery, almost perfumed, aromas as well as high acidity. It is used to make dry, semi-sweet, sweet and sparkling white wines. Riesling wines are usually varietally...	Min 12%	Grüner Veltliner: fresh, fruit-driven aromas, aromatic, gentle spice, no botrytis or oak notes. Riesling: aromatic, intensive stone fruit aromas, elegant, mineral notes, no botrytis or oak notes
	Reserve			Min 13%	As above with the following differences: opulent, full-bodied with density and with great length, pronounced varietal character. Subtle botrytis and oak aging aromas are allowed.
Kamptal DAC (white only)	Klassik	2008	Grüner Veltliner Grüner Veltliner Grüner Veltliner is a variety of white wine grape variety grown primarily in Austria, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. It has a reputation of being a particularly food-friendly wine...  or Riesling Riesling Riesling is a white grape variety which originated in the Rhine region of Germany. Riesling is an aromatic grape variety displaying flowery, almost perfumed, aromas as well as high acidity. It is used to make dry, semi-sweet, sweet and sparkling white wines. Riesling wines are usually varietally...	Min 12%	Grüner Veltliner: fruit-driven, gentle spice, no botrytis or no oak notes. Riesling: delicate, aromatic, intensive fruit, elegant, mineral notes, no oak notes, none or only little botrytis
	Reserve			Min 13%	As above with the following differences: opulent, full-bodied with a lingering finish, pronounced regional and varietal character. Subtle botrytis or oak aging notes are allowed.
Leithaberg DAC, white		2009	Pinot Blanc Pinot Blanc Pinot blanc is a white wine grape. It is a point genetic mutation of Pinot noir. Pinot noir is genetically unstable and will occasionally experience a point mutation in which a vine bears all black fruit except for one cane which produced white fruit.... , Chardonnay Chardonnay Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used to make white wine. It is originated from the Burgundy wine region of eastern France but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand... , Neuburger Neuburger Neuburger is a white Austrian wine grape. The grape is a crossing of Roter Veltliner and Sylvaner. As varietal, it generally produces full bodied wines.- Synonyms :... , Grüner Veltliner Grüner Veltliner Grüner Veltliner is a variety of white wine grape variety grown primarily in Austria, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. It has a reputation of being a particularly food-friendly wine... , alone or as a blend	Min 12.5%, max 13.5%	Regionally typicity in taste and bouquet. Fruity, spicy bouquet with primary fruit aromas. Compact, spicy, delicate taste with minerals, little or no use of oak.
Leithaberg DAC, red		2008	Min 85% Blaufränkisch Blaufränkisch Blaufränkisch is a dark-skinned variety of grape used for red wine. Blaufränkisch, which is a late-ripening variety gives red wines which are typically rich in tannin and may exhibit a pronounced spicy character... , may be blended with up to 15% St. Laurent St. Laurent (grape) St. Laurent is a highly aromatic dark-skinned wine grape variety of the same family as Pinot Noir, originating in France.... , Zweigelt Zweigelt Zweigelt is a red wine grape variety developed in 1922, at the Federal Institute for Viticulture and Pomology at Klosterneuburg, Austria, by Fritz Zweigelt. It was a crossing of St. Laurent and Blaufränkisch. It is now the most widely-grown red grape variety in Austria, as well as having some...  or Pinot Noir Pinot Noir Pinot noir is a black wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from Pinot noir grapes...
Eisenberg DAC (red only)	Klassik	2009	Blaufränkisch Blaufränkisch Blaufränkisch is a dark-skinned variety of grape used for red wine. Blaufränkisch, which is a late-ripening variety gives red wines which are typically rich in tannin and may exhibit a pronounced spicy character...	Min 12.5%, max 13%	Fruit-driven, mineral and spicy aromas, little or not notable oak aromas
	Reserve	2008		Min 13%	Fruity, mineral and spicy notes, full-bodied. (May have oak aromas.)