Austrian Wine Statistics Report 2019 ©AWMB/: See Austria.

The 2015 Survey of Area under Vine reports a total of 45,439 ha under vine in Austria (with a possible upper limit of 60,000 ha. This represents a drop of 22% since 1987. The number of producers reported in 2015 was 14,111, which corresponds to a decrease of 69% since 1987. As illustrated in Figure 16, planted vineyards are being managed by a continually falling number of winegrowers, who, consequently, are managing larger areas. The average size of winery has grown from 1.28 ha in 1987 to 3.22 ha in 2015. This evolution shows a clear trend towards larger wineries, which is accompanied by a decline in small producers.

The long-running trend that suggested a shift away from white wine and towards red was quashed by the 2015 Survey of Area under Vine. While the white wine vineyard area increased by 2.3% to 30,502 ha compared to 2009, the red wine area decreased by 4.9% to 14,937 ha.

The largest area under vine since the Second World War was recorded in 1980 at 59,432 ha. From 1980 onwards, the white wine vineyard area has continuously decreased, while the red wine vineyard area has expanded. In 2015, however, the white wine vineyard area saw a slight increase of 682 ha, whereas the red wine vineyard area decreased by 776 ha. Nevertheless, Austria can still be considered a typical white wine-growing country, with 67.1% of all planted areas under vine being used for white wine.

Lower Austria remains Austria’s largest wine producing state with 28,145 ha of vineyards, which corresponds to 61.9%. This is followed by Burgenland with 12,249 ha (27.0%), Styria with 4,324 ha (9.5%) and Vienna with 581 ha (1.3%). The other Austrian states recorded an increase in area from 57 ha to 140 ha (+69.5%) during the 2009 Preliminary Survey.

With regard to the remaining states, Carinthia (72 ha) has the largest area under vine, followed by Upper Austria (45 ha), Vorarlberg (10 ha), Salzburg (7 ha) and Tyrol (5 ha).

If we compare the age of the vines, the age category 10–29 years has the largest share of planted areas with 51.7%, which corresponds to 23,509 ha. This is followed by vines that are 30 years and older, which occupy 31.4% or 14.280 ha, and the age category 3-9 years, which totals 12.6% or 5,700 ha. The age category of vines younger than 3 years represents 4.3%. This category represents newly planted vines, i.e. non- productive areas – and with 1,950 ha under vine, this is definitely not an insignificant share.

The oldest planted grape varieties (30 years and older) include Grüner Veltliner, which covers 6,366 ha (14.0%) of the planted vineyard area and Zweigelt, which occupies 1,248 ha (2.7%). These are followed by Müller-Thurgau (1,037 ha), Welschriesling (967 ha), Blaufränkisch (816 ha) and Blauer Portugieser (652 ha). If we consider vineyards not yet in production (younger than 3 years), Grüner Veltliner leads the way again with 961 ha, followed by Welschriesling (111 ha), Muscat (105 ha), Zweigelt (100 ha) and Chardonnay (84 ha).

Lower Austria remains Austria’s largest wine producing state with 28,145 ha of vineyards, which corresponds to 61.9%. This is followed by Burgenland with 12,249 ha (27.0%), Styria with 4,324 ha (9.5%) and Vienna with 581 ha (1.3%). The other Austrian states recorded an increase in area from 57 ha to 140 ha (+69.5%) during the 2009 Preliminary Survey.

With regard to the remaining states, Carinthia (72 ha) has the largest area under vine, followed by Upper Austria (45 ha), Vorarlberg (10 ha), Salzburg (7 ha) and Tyrol (5 ha).

If we compare the age of the vines, the age category 10–29 years has the largest share of planted areas with 51.7%, which corresponds to 23,509 ha. This is followed by vines that are 30 years and older, which occupy 31.4% or 14.280 ha, and the age category 3-9 years, which totals 12.6% or 5,700 ha. The age category of vines younger than 3 years represents 4.3%. This category represents newly planted vines, i.e. non- productive areas – and with 1,950 ha under vine, this is definitely not an insignificant share.

The oldest planted grape varieties (30 years and older) include Grüner Veltliner, which covers 6,366 ha (14.0%) of the planted vineyard area and Zweigelt, which occupies 1,248 ha (2.7%). These are followed by Müller-Thurgau (1,037 ha), Welschriesling (967 ha), Blaufränkisch (816 ha) and Blauer Portugieser (652 ha). If we consider vineyards not yet in production (younger than 3 years), Grüner Veltliner leads the way again with 961 ha, followed by Welschriesling (111 ha), Muscat (105 ha), Zweigelt (100 ha) and Chardonnay (84 ha).