In the heart of the Austrian capital, in the venerable Palais Niederösterreich, the awards ceremony for Salon 2025, a competition widely regarded as the toughest wine competition in the country, recently took place. From thousands of submissions, 275 wines were selected to bear the "Salon Wine" designation, and 29 of them received the coveted "Salon Winner" award.
These results once again demonstrate the outstanding quality of Austrian wines and the innovative strength of both established wineries and up-and-coming newcomers. The diversity of the award-winning wines, spanning all wine regions and styles, underscores the dynamic development of the domestic wine industry.
The Salon: A rigorous selection process for top wines
For over 35 years, the Salon has established itself as the leading wine competition in Austria. Its reputation as the "toughest wine competition" is no accident, but rather the result of a rigorous selection process that puts thousands of wines through their paces every year. Chris Yorke , Managing Director of Austrian Wine Marketing GmbH (ÖWM), was delighted: "We warmly congratulate all the Salon award winners. This year, only the very best wines from thousands of submissions made it through." This statement underscores the exclusivity of the award and the high quality standards demanded of the winning wines.
The selection of wines for the Salon takes place in a multi-stage process. Most of the submitted wines first qualify through the regional wine competitions held in their respective wine-growing areas. This pre-selection ensures that only wines with proven quality reach the final round. In a final blind tasting, an independent and highly qualified jury decides on the wines' inclusion in the Salon and the selection of the winners. This jury comprises experienced wine experts, renowned sommeliers, and professionals from the gastronomy and retail sectors. Their judgments are based solely on the taste and quality of the wines, without knowledge of the producer or origin.
A special feature of the selection process is the competition between the wines from the state awards and a group of approximately 60 wines nominated by leading trade magazines. This provides additional external evaluation and promotes diversity in the competition. The result of this rigorous process is 275 wines that are accepted into the exclusive circle of the Salon, with the best in each category being named the 2025 Salon Winners.
Regional strength: Lower Austria leads the field
This year's Salon 2025 results reflect the regional distribution of Austria's wine-growing areas and their respective strengths. Of the 275 wines selected for the Salon, 162 come from Lower Austria , impressively underscoring the dominance of Austria's largest wine-growing region. Burgenland follows with 65 award-winning wines, while Styria contributed 36. Nine wines were selected from Vienna , and three wines came from the Bergland region , which comprises smaller but excellent wine-growing areas.
The 29 highly sought-after Salon Winners share a similar distribution: 14 of the winning wines come from Lower Austria, nine from Burgenland, five from Styria, and one from Vienna. This demonstrates that the high quality is evident not only across the board, but also at the very top of Austrian viticulture. "Year after year, we are amazed at how many outstanding wines are produced in Austria," affirmed Chris Yorke, acknowledging the consistent achievements of winemakers across the country. This regional strength is a result of the diverse soil types, climate zones, and the specialized work of the wineries in their respective regions.
Austria's wine diversity: DAC wines and new horizons
The Salon 2025 showcases the impressive diversity of the Austrian wine landscape, spanning various categories. Around 60 percent of the 275 Salon wines are DAC wines . DAC stands for "Districtus Austriae Controllatus" and designates regionally typical wines with a protected designation of origin and a defined flavor profile. These wines originate from all established DAC regions, from the Weinviertel in the northeast to southern Styria , and form the core category of "regionally typical wines." The DAC classification is a key instrument for quality assurance and profiling wines according to their origin and the typical character of the region.
Another important category is "Wine Diversity." This category brings together wines from all over Austria that do not have DAC status. It showcases the innovative spirit and experimental approach of winemakers who do not feel bound by the strict regulations of the DAC system. From fresh white wines to rosé and red wines, as well as lusciously sweet wines, so-called PIWI varieties (fungus-resistant grape varieties), and alternative wines , this category presents the full spectrum of Austrian winemaking. The inclusion of PIWI varieties in the Salon underscores the competition's openness to forward-looking developments in viticulture.
Finally, in the "Sekt Austria" category, the Salon also awards prizes to the best Austrian sparkling wines with protected designation of origin. Austrian sparkling wine has undergone an impressive development in quality in recent years and has established itself as a serious competitor to international sparkling wines. The award at the Salon is an important indicator of this increasing quality and popularity.
The role of the Austrian Wine Marketing GmbH (ÖWM)
The Austrian Wine Marketing Board (ÖWM) plays a central role in organizing the Salon and promoting Austrian wine in general. The ÖWM is a service company for the Austrian wine industry, headquartered in Vienna. Since its founding in 1986, it has supported and coordinated the strategic goals of the Austrian wine industry to increase quality and sales.
The Austrian Wine Championship (AWMB) aims to maintain the high market share of domestic wine and strengthen consumer loyalty. At the same time, it focuses on increasing wine exports, with a primary focus on value creation. The AWMB works closely with winemakers, trade representatives, and the catering industry to improve the image of Austrian wine worldwide and open up new markets. The salon is a showcase for the quality efforts of the entire industry and an important tool for marketing top-quality products. The award ceremony at the Palais Niederösterreich not only honors the award winners but also serves as a platform for exchange between winemakers and the trade audience, which promotes networking within the industry and opens up new business opportunities.
The success of Austrian wine on an international level, which is also reflected in the Salon results, is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the winemakers, as well as the strategic support of organizations such as the Austrian Wine Championships. The focus on quality, origin, and diversity has made Austrian wine a valued product on global markets over the past decades. The Salon 2025 once again demonstrated the exceptional status of Austrian wine and the high performance of its winemakers. With 275 award-winning wines and 29 Salon winners representing the pinnacle of Austrian viticulture, the diversity and quality of domestic production were impressively celebrated. Lower Austria's clear dominance in the awards, followed by Burgenland and Styria, underscores the regional strengths of the winegrowing landscape. The competition, with its rigorous blind tasting process by an independent jury, guarantees the objectivity of the results. The work of Österreich Wein Marketing GmbH, which organizes the salon and coordinates export efforts, contributes significantly to the success and positioning of Austrian wine on the global market. The joy over the excellent wines at Palais Niederösterreich marks a high point in the Austrian wine year and inspires optimism for the future of the industry.