An area brand category of the Lower Austrian winegrowers' association Vinea Wachau Nobilis Districtus for dry white wines. In total, there are three quality levels: Steinfeder, Federspiel and (as the highest) Smaragd. The name Federspiel comes from falconry, which used to be very popular in the Wachau wine-growing region. The Federspiel (also Luder, Vorlass) are tied wings of a white dove, which were thrown into the air by the falconer in order to lure back a falcon that had flown away. The name is meant to symbolise the racy elegance of these dry white wines. The must weight must be at least 17 °KMW (85 °Oe), the alcohol content may be between 11.5 and a maximum of 12.5% vol; no enrichment may take place. This level corresponds to the generally valid Austrian quality level Kabinett.
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Diplom-Sommelier, Weinakademiker und Weinberater, Volders (Österreich)