Austrian Wine Mystery Solved...

Although it turned not to be that deep a mystery.
I love Austrian wines. I've often noted on the top of the screwtop, there is a number stamped. Or if not a screwcap, somewhere on the label a P, the Austrian bird w/ outstretched wings, and a long number. I've been mildly curious what that was all about.
Turns out (thank you Google) that is the Austrian Federal Inspection Number. All Pradikat & DAC wines have to be Federally inspected. First for a chemical analysis that has to fit within certain parameters. Then it is approved by tasting panels for "typicity" of the grape and the region. If it passes, it is awarded a Federal Inspection Number that must be displayed on the label or screwtop.
So now you know the rest of the story. The question arises:
1. Is there an on-line data base that one can search for specifics on the wine, given this inspection number?
2. "Typicity"? How rigorous are the inspection tasting panels in enforcing this requirement? If it's a Kremstal Gruner made with extensive skin contact, will it pass? If it's made from RibollaGialla, will it make the cut? If it's given 1 yr in new French oak, will it pass??
3. If it fails the Federal inspection, is it allowed to be exported... just w/o the Pradikat or DAC on the label?


Just sorta curious on the answers. I'm a LosAlamos guy, so you can just make stuff up if you want. It's what we do.

Tom

Hi Tom

I can't answer about Austria but there's a similar inspection system in South Africa which is shown by the Wine & Spirit Board seal fixed usually to the bottle neck (wines without such a seal are bulk-shipped and bottled outside RSA).

In the past pioneers of new style wines have failed the typicity test - for instance the first winery make a white Pinotage couldn't get certification for it and were allowed only to sell it from their cellar.

The first orange wine also suffered; pioneers have to argue their case. But in recent years the Wine & Spirit Board have been more open. Most - if not all - the approved tasters are in the wine business, frequently as winemakers.

And there is a online database you can search with the seal number for details of the wine. Sometimes it can be used to reveal the name of the winery behind a shippers label, mostly though it just confirms what the label says, which is what it's meant to guarantee, that the label is accurate.