Styria (Südsteiermark, Vulkanland)

Südsteiermark DAC: crisp, herbal Sauvignon Blanc, Welschriesling and Muskateller from steep family farms.

The core Styrian wine: fresh, aromatic, high in acidity and meant for the table. Start with a regional or village Sauvignon Blanc; Welschriesling is the lighter, cheaper option, and Muskateller the floral aperitif.

The core Styrian wine: fresh, aromatic, high in acidity and meant for the table. Start with a regional or village Sauvignon Blanc; Welschriesling is the lighter, cheaper option, and Muskateller the floral aperitif.

Sauvignon Blanc: Styria's star - gooseberry, elderflower, stone and sharp acidity.

In southern Styria it is the leading white, grown on steep hills. The regional bottle is bright and herbal; single-vineyard versions are denser and salty. Often leaner and more restrained than New Zealand's.

In southern Styria it is the leading white, grown on steep hills. The regional bottle is bright and herbal; single-vineyard versions are denser and salty. Often leaner and more restrained than New Zealand's.

A Brettljause at a Buschenschank with Welschriesling or a Klassik Sauvignon.

The classic farm-tavern board: cured meats, Verhackerts (a spreadable smoked-bacon paste), cheese, pickles and bread. Salt and fat call for a fresh, high-acid white with no tannin.

The classic farm-tavern board: cured meats, Verhackerts (a spreadable smoked-bacon paste), cheese, pickles and bread. Salt and fat call for a fresh, high-acid white with no tannin.

Sauvignon Blanc: Styria's star - gooseberry, elderflower, stone and sharp acidity.

In southern Styria it is the leading white, grown on steep hills. The regional bottle is bright and herbal; single-vineyard versions are denser and salty. Often leaner and more restrained than New Zealand's.

In southern Styria it is the leading white, grown on steep hills. The regional bottle is bright and herbal; single-vineyard versions are denser and salty. Often leaner and more restrained than New Zealand's.

Blauer Wildbacher: the dark grape behind Schilcher, found almost only in West Styria.

An old local variety, possibly Celtic in origin, that ripens late and needs warm sites. As Schilcher it makes a bone-dry rosé; red, sparkling and sweet versions exist but are rare.

An old local variety, possibly Celtic in origin, that ripens late and needs warm sites. As Schilcher it makes a bone-dry rosé; red, sparkling and sweet versions exist but are rare.

The other colour: a Schilcher rosé.

Dry, tart and raspberry-scented - a talking point that rarely leaves Styria. Franz Strohmeier's Schilcher Frizzante is an easy start.

Dry, tart and raspberry-scented - a talking point that rarely leaves Styria. Franz Strohmeier's Schilcher Frizzante is an easy start.

Morillon and the Pinot family: Styria's rounder whites, from both south and east.

Morillon is the local name for Chardonnay; with Weissburgunder and Grauburgunder it gives fuller, nuttier whites than Sauvignon, still with fresh acidity. Limestone-rich sites suit them best.

Morillon is the local name for Chardonnay; with Weissburgunder and Grauburgunder it gives fuller, nuttier whites than Sauvignon, still with fresh acidity. Limestone-rich sites suit them best.

Southern Styria's village names: Gamlitz, Leutschach, Eichberg, Ehrenhausen, Kitzeck-Sausal.

A village name on a Südsteiermark label is the step up from the plain regional wine. Each has a leaning: Muskateller around Eichberg, Leutschach and Gamlitz, Riesling from Kitzeck in the Sausal hills.

A village name on a Südsteiermark label is the step up from the plain regional wine. Each has a leaning: Muskateller around Eichberg, Leutschach and Gamlitz, Riesling from Kitzeck in the Sausal hills.

Morillon from Neumeister: lean, mineral Chardonnay at a fair price.

Neumeister's Morillon Steirische Klassik is the easy entry to one of the east's top estates.

Neumeister's Morillon Steirische Klassik is the easy entry to one of the east's top estates.

Opok marl and limestone in the south give Sauvignon a stony, savoury spine.

Much of Südsteiermark is marl, sand, gravel and limestone, with the clay-marl called opok often cited as a signature. That is part of why the best Sauvignon here feels firm and mineral rather than just fruity.

Much of Südsteiermark is marl, sand, gravel and limestone, with the clay-marl called opok often cited as a signature. That is part of why the best Sauvignon here feels firm and mineral rather than just fruity.

Sausal Riesling and Muskateller: the south's two off-Sauvignon whites.

Riesling is the speciality of Kitzeck in the Sausal; Muskateller is tied to Eichberg, Leutschach and Gamlitz. Both are dry and fresh, one stony and lean, the other floral and light.

Riesling is the speciality of Kitzeck in the Sausal; Muskateller is tied to Eichberg, Leutschach and Gamlitz. Both are dry and fresh, one stony and lean, the other floral and light.

Styrian natural and orange whites: small, new-wave producers on the southern hills.

A small scene of low-intervention and skin-contact wines sits beside the classics. Muster's Sauvignon Blanc, Werlitsch and Winkler-Hermaden's natural and orange range are the names. Wines outside the DAC rules go out as Steiermark.

A small scene of low-intervention and skin-contact wines sits beside the classics. Muster's Sauvignon Blanc, Werlitsch and Winkler-Hermaden's natural and orange range are the names. Wines outside the DAC rules go out as Steiermark.

Skin-contact and low-intervention whites are a small but real new wave.

A few estates leave Sauvignon, Chardonnay or Welschriesling on their skins and use wild yeast. The wines taste of tea, apricot and herbs and have a firmer grip than the classics.

A few estates leave Sauvignon, Chardonnay or Welschriesling on their skins and use wild yeast. The wines taste of tea, apricot and herbs and have a firmer grip than the classics.

Neumeister: Straden's top estate; Moarfeitl is the volcanic east's reference Sauvignon.

Christoph Neumeister's estate at Straden is the one to know in Vulkanland. Moarfeitl Sauvignon Blanc is its flagship, and the entry Morillon is a bargain.

Neumeister, in Kronnersdorf near Straden, is the Vulkanland estate that most often appears on international lists. Christoph Neumeister is the winemaker, and the estate carries an Austrian organic certification. The flagship is Sauvignon Blanc Ried Moarfeitl, an intense, complex wine with mineral freshness, salinity and a long finish. The estate also makes a lighter Morillon Steirische Klassik, a good first bottle. The estate points out that the wines need time and attention to show their best, so decant a young Moarfeitl or give it a few years. Cellar-door sales run Tuesday to Saturday, appointment recommended, and Neumeister also runs the Saziani restaurant and hotel next door. Straden itself is known for Grauburgunder, so ask for one with your meal.

Sattlerhof: Gamlitz estate with Kranachberg, Kapellenweingarten and Trinkaus Sauvignons - plus a Michelin-starred table.

A family estate in Gamlitz with a restaurant, guest house and hotel on site. Its Sauvignon Blanc single vineyards are among the most awarded in Styria.

Sattlerhof is the estate to visit if you want wine and a serious meal in one place. Based at Sernau near Gamlitz, it runs a Wirtshaus, a Michelin-starred restaurant and a hotel beside the winery, so a tasting can lead straight to dinner. The vines grow on crystalline quartz and gravel-and-limestone conglomerate, and the estate carries the respekt-biodyn mark. The wines to seek out are the single-vineyard Sauvignons: Kranachberg, grown on a hilltop cooled by an Alpine breeze; Kapellenweingarten; and Trinkaus, from old vines on a ridge just under 500 metres, a site the estate names on maps about two centuries old. Order the regional Sauvignon first to learn the house style, then a Ried wine with food. It also makes Morillon.

Ried names to know: Zieregg, Kranachberg, Grassnitzberg, Moarfeitl, Edelschuh.

Single-vineyard wines (Riedenwein) are the top of the Styrian ladder. In the south the big names are Zieregg, Kranachberg, Grassnitzberg, Nussberg and Czamillonberg; in the volcanic east, Moarfeitl at Straden.

Südsteiermark's single-vineyard roll call includes Czamillonberg, Grassnitzberg, Kittenberg, Nussberg, Obegg, Sernauberg, Kranachberg and Zieregg, with Koebelberg at Ratsch and Steinriegel at Kitzeck cited as further examples. Individual estates add their own: Sattlerhof bottles Kranachberg and Kapellenweingarten, whose gravel-and-limestone neighbour Trinkaus sits on a ridge just under 500 metres; Wohlmuth makes Sauvignon Blanc from Edelschuh and Hochsteinriegl and Riesling from Dr. Wunsch; Neumeister's Moarfeitl at Straden is the volcanic east's best-known Sauvignon. A growers' association called STK champions these site wines. As everywhere, the producer matters as much as the name, so use the vineyard to choose a style and the estate to choose a bottle.

Wohlmuth: Kitzeck family estate on steep slate; Edelschuh Sauvignon Blanc is the flagship.

A family estate in the Sausal since 1803, farming some of the state's steepest slopes by hand. Sauvignon Blanc from Edelschuh and Hochsteinriegl and Riesling from Dr. Wunsch show what slate gives.

Wohlmuth is the benchmark for the Sausal's slate-grown whites. The family has farmed at Kitzeck since 1803 and works very steep terraces by hand, without herbicides or insecticides. The ladder starts with a Kitzeck-Sausal village Riesling, then moves to single vineyards: Ried Dr. Wunsch for Riesling, and Ried Hochsteinriegl and Ried Edelschuh for Sauvignon Blanc. Edelschuh is the top bottle for Sauvignon Blanc, and the same site gives a Riesling. A rebuilt press house now handles more careful sorting and whole-cluster pressing as Riesling and Sauvignon plantings grow. Visit on a weekday: the cellar door is closed on Sundays. Start with the village Riesling to get the slate, then compare with Edelschuh.

Ried Sauvignon Blanc: Zieregg, Kranachberg, Edelschuh - Styria's collector whites.

Single-vineyard Sauvignon Blanc from the best southern slopes is denser and more mineral than the regional wine, with less obvious fruit and a long, salty finish. These are the bottles Styria is known for among collectors.

Styria's reputation abroad rests on a handful of Sauvignon Blanc sites. The wines are picked by hand from steep slopes and show a different personality from the zingy regional bottle: less gooseberry and cut grass, more stone, pepper, citrus peel and tension, with a long, almost salty finish. Zieregg (Tement) is the best-known name; Kranachberg, Kapellenweingarten and Trinkaus come from Sattlerhof, and Edelschuh and Hochsteinriegl from Wohlmuth at Kitzeck. The marl, limestone and slate of these sites are the usual explanation for the firm structure. They are made to be opened with a table of food rather than as an aperitif, and they reward a few years in the cellar. Taste one next to the same estate's village wine to see what the site adds.

Top Styrian estates lean organic or biodynamic - cleaner farming on difficult slopes.

Sattlerhof, Neumeister, Sabathi and Winkler-Hermaden all show organic or biodynamic credentials, and Rebenhof is flagged biodynamic.

Wet air and steep slopes make Styria hard to farm without chemicals, yet many of the best estates have gone the other way. Sattlerhof displays the respekt-biodyn mark and, on its own website, describes the vines as sturdy but delicate and needing intensive care. Neumeister carries an Austrian organic certification, Erwin Sabathi in Leutschach shows organic logos, and Winkler-Hermaden farms its volcanic slopes organically and regeneratively, and has switched to fungus-resistant grape varieties. Rebenhof is listed as biodynamic. Austria overall has a sizeable organic sector. For a visitor this means many estates welcome questions about farming, and some will show you the vineyards on foot. It is not a promise of style: organic estates make everything from classic steel-fermented Sauvignon to natural orange wine, so use the label as a farming signal, not a flavour guide.

Very steep, hand-picked slopes give small crops and bright flavours.

Most Styrian vineyards climb steep, partly terraced south-facing hillsides that machines cannot work, so grapes are picked by hand. Cool Alpine nights keep the acidity high even in warm summers.

Most Styrian vineyards climb steep, partly terraced south-facing hillsides that machines cannot work, so grapes are picked by hand. Cool Alpine nights keep the acidity high even in warm summers.

In the glass: Aromatic, high-acid whites with energy rather than weight

A meeting of warm and wet air makes aromatic, full-bodied whites.

The south-east sits where hot, dry air from the Pannonian plain meets warm, humid air from the south. Warm days, cool nights and a long season give wines that are crisp but also full and fragrant.

The south-east sits where hot, dry air from the Pannonian plain meets warm, humid air from the south. Warm days, cool nights and a long season give wines that are crisp but also full and fragrant.

In the glass: Crisp, aromatic whites with real body

Opok marl and limestone in the south give Sauvignon a stony, savoury spine.

Much of Südsteiermark is marl, sand, gravel and limestone, with the clay-marl called opok often cited as a signature. That is part of why the best Sauvignon here feels firm and mineral rather than just fruity.

Much of Südsteiermark is marl, sand, gravel and limestone, with the clay-marl called opok often cited as a signature. That is part of why the best Sauvignon here feels firm and mineral rather than just fruity.

In the glass: Firmer, more mineral Sauvignon Blanc; chalkier Pinot-family whites

Volcanic soil is the minority: most of Vulkanland is ordinary sediment.

Despite the name, only a modest share of the south-east's vines grow on basalt and tuff; most sit on sand, gravel and clay over limestone. The volcanic plots add spice and salt.

The south-east is dotted with the remains of extinct volcanic vents, and its castle-topped hills such as Riegersburg and Kapfenstein are the visible result. But the volcanic rock itself, basalt, tuff and weathered volcanic material, underlies only a small part of the vineyard area; sources disagree on exactly how small, and most plantings sit on sand, gravel and clay with limestone beneath. That matters when you read a label: Vulkanland is a place and a climate as much as a soil. The warm slopes, the humid air and the cool nights do much of the work, and the volcanic plots, such as those around Kapfenstein and Klöch, add a spicy, salty edge to Sauvignon Blanc, Traminer and Pinot-family whites. When a producer says its wine is volcanic, ask which vineyard.

In the glass: A spicy, salty edge on the volcanic sites

Kitzeck's slate slopes in the Sausal are among Austria's steepest and highest.

The Sausal hills around Kitzeck grow on phyllitic clay slate and greenstone, among the highest and steepest vineyards in the state. Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc here are leaner, mineral and long.

Kitzeck im Sausal is described as the highest wine-growing village in the area, and the estate says its vineyards include some of the steepest in Europe. The soil is different from the marl and limestone further east: phyllitic clay slate with green schist and quartzite, barren and fast-draining. Wohlmuth, a family estate here since 1803, says the poor slate strongly shapes its wines, and that the slopes are worked entirely by hand with no herbicides or insecticides. The result is a distinct style from the same Südsteiermark DAC: Sauvignon Blanc and especially Riesling that are lean, mineral and persistent rather than lush. Riesling is the speciality of Kitzeck, so this is where to look if you find Sauvignon Blanc too loud. Buy village wine for lunch and a single-vineyard bottle for the cellar.

In the glass: Lean, mineral, long Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc

Grapes here are picked by hand, because the slopes are too steep for machines.

Hand harvest is required for the Styrian DAC wines, and on slopes this steep it is the only practical way anyway. That means selective picking and, usually, whole-cluster handling in the cellar.

Hand harvest is required for the Styrian DAC wines, and on slopes this steep it is the only practical way anyway. That means selective picking and, usually, whole-cluster handling in the cellar.

In the glass: Cleaner, more selective fruit; more precision

Steel for the fresh Klassik wines, wood and lees for the single-vineyard ones.

Basic Styrian whites are fermented and aged in steel to keep them bright and herbal. Many top estates give their Ried wines longer on the lees, sometimes in large oak, for depth and texture.

Basic Styrian whites are fermented and aged in steel to keep them bright and herbal. Many top estates give their Ried wines longer on the lees, sometimes in large oak, for depth and texture.

In the glass: Bright and herbal at the base; creamier and more complex at the top

Skin-contact and low-intervention whites are a small but real new wave.

A few estates leave Sauvignon, Chardonnay or Welschriesling on their skins and use wild yeast. The wines taste of tea, apricot and herbs and have a firmer grip than the classics.

A few estates leave Sauvignon, Chardonnay or Welschriesling on their skins and use wild yeast. The wines taste of tea, apricot and herbs and have a firmer grip than the classics.

In the glass: Savoury, textured, orange-tinged whites with a little tannin

Schilcher is made to be drunk young, cold, and sometimes with a little fizz.

Fresh and sharp is the whole point of Schilcher, so it is bottled early and best drunk within a year or two. Lightly sparkling Frizzante versions and the seasonal Schilchersturm exist.

Fresh and sharp is the whole point of Schilcher, so it is bottled early and best drunk within a year or two. Lightly sparkling Frizzante versions and the seasonal Schilchersturm exist.

In the glass: Very high acidity and fresh raspberry fruit

Top Styrian estates lean organic or biodynamic - cleaner farming on difficult slopes.

Sattlerhof, Neumeister, Sabathi and Winkler-Hermaden all show organic or biodynamic credentials, and Rebenhof is flagged biodynamic.

Wet air and steep slopes make Styria hard to farm without chemicals, yet many of the best estates have gone the other way. Sattlerhof displays the respekt-biodyn mark and, on its own website, describes the vines as sturdy but delicate and needing intensive care. Neumeister carries an Austrian organic certification, Erwin Sabathi in Leutschach shows organic logos, and Winkler-Hermaden farms its volcanic slopes organically and regeneratively, and has switched to fungus-resistant grape varieties. Rebenhof is listed as biodynamic. Austria overall has a sizeable organic sector. For a visitor this means many estates welcome questions about farming, and some will show you the vineyards on foot. It is not a promise of style: organic estates make everything from classic steel-fermented Sauvignon to natural orange wine, so use the label as a farming signal, not a flavour guide.

In the glass: Purer, more site-specific fruit; no predictable change in style