Wienerwald Names Its Best Sustainable Wines

The UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Wienerwald has named its best sustainable wines for 2026 after a blind tasting that brought together 119 wines and 18 grape juices from 20 wineries across the region. The awards, presented in Tullnerbach near Vienna on April 20 and announced Monday, recognize producers in Lower Austria and Vienna that meet strict environmental standards, including certified organic farming, participation in Austria’s herbicide-free viticulture program or certification under Nachhaltig Austria.

Lower Austria’s deputy governor, Stephan Pernkopf, and Andreas Weiß, the director of the biosphere reserve, presented the honors under the label “DER WEIN 2026.” The competition is meant to highlight wines that combine quality, regional identity and responsible production in one of Austria’s most visible wine landscapes.

The winning bottles reflect the range of the Wienerwald’s three wine-growing areas: Wagram, Thermenregion and Vienna. Organizers said the entries showed how closely wine production is tied to the cultural landscape of the region, where vineyards are part of the protected biosphere reserve and help preserve habitats for rare species.

This year’s competition also included nonalcoholic products for the first time in a broader way, with grape juices and verjus added to the tasting. Organizers said that move reflects a clear shift in consumer demand, especially among younger drinkers who are choosing alcohol-free beverages more often. The inclusion of those products also gave local producers a chance to show that regional drinks can compete on flavor and quality without alcohol.

Among the category winners was Johannes Müller Stadtweingut in Vienna-Döbling, which took the sparkling wine category with its Pinot Brut 2023. Weinbau Barbach in Perchtoldsdorf won for rosé with its Rosé 2025. In white wine classics, Weingut Stift Klosterneuburg was recognized for its Gewürztraminer 2025. Bio-Weingut Frühwirth in Teesdorf won the strong white wine and reserve category with Rotgipfler Selection Ried am Tiefenweg DAC 2024. The red wine title went to Weingut Familie Auer in Tattendorf for Pinot Noir Ried Rosenberg Pfaffstätten 2022. Weinbau Karl Wölflinger in Perchtoldsdorf won the sweet wine category with Riesling Auslese 2023, and Wein & Heuriger Pferschy-Seper in Mödling took the grape juice category with Gelber Muskateller Traubensaft.

The price range of the winning wines runs from €8.50 to €42.50 per bottle at the winery, according to organizers.

Seven wineries were also named top wine businesses for 2026 because they submitted at least three wines that received top ratings. Those businesses are Weinbau Barbach in Perchtoldsdorf; Weinbau Beranek in Vienna-Rodaun; Bio-Weingut Frühwirth in Teesdorf; Wein & Heuriger Pferschy-Seper in Mödling; Schaflerhof in Traiskirchen; Weingut Stift Klosterneuburg in Klosterneuburg; and Weinbau Zechmeister in Perchtoldsdorf.

To give the winners more visibility, the biosphere reserve said it produced short videos about the category winners and top wineries for social media. Weiß said the goal was to introduce the award-winning producers to a wider audience and encourage interest in regional wine growing that is both environmentally responsible and commercially viable.

Each winning winery will also receive a sponsorship tied to a specific animal or plant species found on its land. The biosphere reserve said those partnerships are meant to underline how sustainable vineyard management helps protect biodiversity and maintain valuable habitats for threatened species.

The Wienerwald’s vineyards have long been part of what made the area worthy of UNESCO biosphere reserve status. Officials said favorable climate conditions, good soils and generations of winemaking experience continue to produce high-quality grapes there each year while keeping vineyard landscapes intact.