More Freedom for Austria’s Top Wines: Winemakers’ Initiative Calls for Modern Wine Legislation
Debate on the new Austrian Wine Act is gathering momentum
In a manifesto, renowned Austrian winemakers Armin Tement, Roland Velich and Andreas Wickhoff MW, together with numerous fellow producers, have initiated a debate on the future of Austrian wine legislation. Their call is for a modern wine law that places greater emphasis on diversity, provenance of wine and stylistic independence.
Vienna, 1 June 2026
Download: press release
Download: manifesto TU FELIX AUSTRIA
Open letter (in German)
When the then new Austrian Wine Act was passed in 1985, circumstances were vastly different from those of today. In the wake of the wine scandal, the domestic wine industry lay in tatters, both economically and reputationally. The focus was on enforcing strict minimum standards and rebuilding trust rather than on differentiation based on origin or stylistic distinctiveness. Likewise, when the first DAC (Districtus Austriae Controllatus) system was introduced in the Weinviertel in 2003, its primary purpose was to define clear regional identity profiles for wines in the entry level and mid-market segments. The Austrian Ministry of Agriculture is currently working on a revision of the Wine Act in order to incorporate changes to EU legislation. For parts of the Austrian wine community, spearheaded by Armin Tement, Roland Velich (Roland Velich) and Andreas Wickhoff, this presents a timely opportunity to re-examine the existing system of origin-based classification for premium wines and to contribute actively to the development of a more future-oriented framework.
Today, however, the situation is fundamentally different from that of twenty or forty years ago. The appellation system is firmly established across all Austrian wine-growing regions, Austrian wines enjoy international recognition, and the country's finest wines are featured on the lists of some of the world's leading restaurants. Yet it is precisely this success that is increasingly bringing producers into conflict with a regulatory framework rooted in a different era. Internationally acclaimed wines from narrowly defined vineyard sites repeatedly fail to meet the requirements of the existing system governing the state inspection number. Without such approval, the designation of origin cannot be stated on the label.
Across Austria, the wine profiles produced in appellations such as Eisenberg, Wachau, Weinviertel and Southern Styria vary greatly, shaped by individual vineyard sites, climatic conditions and the decisions of the respective winemakers. However, it is often only those who have worked with the respective soils, microclimates and ageing methods over many years who can truly classify and understand these differences. The initiators, Armin Tement, Roland Velich and Andreas Wickhoff, therefore criticise the fact that state tasting commissions often find it difficult to assess exceptional wines of origin according to comparatively uniform sensory criteria. They argue that, particularly for top-quality wines, greater freedom will be needed in future to reflect individual provenance and personal style more precisely. To this end, they founded the initiative “TU FELIX AUSTRIA … where do you go to, my lovely?” in 2020, which recently hosted a widely acclaimed discussion on the subject at the VieVinum wine fair at Vienna's Hofburg.
The TU FELIX AUSTRIA Manifesto is enclosed with this press release. An open letter in German is available at this LINK, where additional supporters are invited to add their signatures. The initiative has already received broad support from across Austria's wine industry, including numerous Styrian winegrowers and, in particular, the STK Group (Styrian Terroir and Classic Wineries).
The organisers see their initiative as a contribution to an objective and forward-looking debate on the future development of Austrian wine legislation. The aim is to create a wine law that more accurately reflects both the diversity of Austrian wines with a protected origin and the needs of internationally successful premium wine production.
„TU FELIX AUSTRIA… where do you go to, my lovely?“ was founded in 2020 by Armin Tement, Roland Velich and Andreas Wickhoff MW in response to longstanding challenges faced by Austrian wines from distinctive terroirs that fall outside established sensory expectations. Six years later, pressure is mounting on policymakers and regulatory bodies to engage seriously with the debate surrounding provenance, stylistic diversity and assessment criteria. instagram.com/tu.felix_austria
TU FELIX AUSTRIA… where to you go to, my lovely?
instagram.com/tu.felix_austria
Armin Tement, Familienweingut Tement
Tel. +43 664 4409206, Email:
armin@tement.at
Roland Velich, Weingut Moric
Tel. +43 664 4003231, Email:
office@moric.at
Andreas Wickhoff MW, GF Weingut Bründlmayer
Tel. +43 660 30 59 156, Email:
info@andreaswickhoff.com
Open letter: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfyN6v9OTWKX91h1l0nviyL8dK1uQbTvjOepiH-QopLjvRKVw/viewform
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Further enquiries: Sylvia Petz | Agency for Organised Enjoyment
Gumpendorfer Strasse 16/8, 1060 Vienna,
E-Mail, Tel. +43 699 1100 8040
