In eastern Austria, a Heuriger is a tavern where local winemakers serve their new wine under a special licence in alternating months during the growing season. Each state in Austria has slightly varying rules on how many Heuriger of a town can be open at any given time and for how long in total during the year. The Heurige are renowned for their atmosphere of Gemütlichkeit shared among a throng enjoying young wine, simple food, and – in some places – Schrammelmusik. They correspond to the Straußwirtschaften in the German Rheinland, the Frasche in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and Osmica in Slovenia.

Gemütlichkeit is a German-language word used to convey the idea of a state or feeling of warmth, friendliness, and good cheer. Other qualities encompassed by the term include cosiness, peace of mind, and a sense of belonging and well-being springing from social acceptance. The adjective "gemütlich" is translated as "cosy" so "Gemütlichkeit" could be simply translated as "cosiness".