Law permanently legalised Uhudler wine in 2016

Uhudler wine was permanently legalised in Austria ten years ago after decades of political and legal pressure, ORF reports. The wine is now regarded as a signature product of the Südburgenland tourism region.

Johann Trinkl, known as Rübezahl because of his long beard, is considered the founding figure of Uhudler. His grandson, Ernst Pfeiffer, said Trinkl collected thousands of signatures, took the wine to Vienna and Eisenstadt, and repeatedly campaigned for its recognition.

A breakthrough came in 1992, when the total ban on Uhudler was lifted. After Austria joined the European Union in 1995, however, the wine came under EU wine-market rules. These allowed Uhudler only temporarily, until 2030.

Permanent legalisation was achieved in 2016 under Verena Dunst, then Burgenland councillor for agriculture. The authorities had to demonstrate to the EU that some Uhudler varieties were not made exclusively from original vines but were also mixed with noble grape varieties, Dunst recalled.

This enabled officials to reject orders requiring Uhudler vines to be uprooted and secured the wine’s permanent legal status. Dunst said it was particularly important to her that Uhudler be classified as wine rather than fruit wine.

Uhudler may be grown only in the districts of Güssing and Jennersdorf and is now considered a trademark of Südburgenland. As traditional Buschenschänke wine taverns have become less common since the coronavirus pandemic, younger producers are looking for new ways to sell the drink.

Uhudler producer Thomas Dunst said his business had successfully expanded online, with customers in Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands. He also produces the relatively rare white Uhudler. One of his neighbours offers alcohol-free Uhudler wine and Uhudler frizzante.

The wine business has become more difficult, but the next generation of Uhudler producers continues the fight that began with Johann Trinkl.