Vulkanland Steiermark

One of the three specific wine-growing areas in the Austrian province or generic wine-growing region of Styria. It lies close to the borders with Slovenia and Hungary, as well as Burgenland. Formerly called Südoststeiermark, the area was renamed Vulkanland Steiermark in 2016. It is also known as the "land of castles and palaces".

Climate & Soils

In the north, there are vineyards at 650 metres above sea level on the Ringkogel near the municipality of Hartberg, which are among the highest vineyards in Austria. Climatically, this is a transition zone between a hot, dry Pannonian climate with little rainfall and a warm, humid Mediterranean climate. Volcanic soils with sandy loam, clay and basalt weathering predominate. The towering volcanic cones shape the landscape and also gave the new name. The two large vineyards are called Oststeirisches Hügelland and Steirisches Vulkanland.

Wine-growing communities

Four wine roads lead through the landscape characterised by rolling hills. Viticulture is mainly practised as a sideline. Well-known wine-growing villages are Bad Radkersburg, Feldbach, Gleisdorf, Hartberg, Kapfenstein (Rieden An der Kapelle, Hinteregg, Rosenleiten), Klöch with its speciality "Klöcher Traminer", Riegersburg (Rieden Brunnenfeld, Festungsmauer, Turnierplatz), St. Peter, Straden (Rieden Buchberg, Klausen) and Weiz. These are linked by the Klöcher Wine Road, Thermenland Wine Road, Southeast Styrian Hill Country Wine Road and East Styrian Roman Wine Road.

Grape variety list

In 2022, the vineyards covered a total of 1,657 hectares of vines. Compared to 2016 with 1,524 hectares, this was an increase of 133 hectares (9%). Of this, white wine varieties account for 1,408 hectares (85%) and red wine varieties for 249 hectares (15%). Among the white wine varieties, Welschriesling dominates, followed by Weißer Burgunder and Sauvignon Blanc. The red wine varieties are dominated by Zweigelt, followed by Blauer Wildbacher and Merlot. The varieties Muscaris, Muskateller, Sauvignon Blanc, Souvignier Gris and Weißburgunder were promoted, Müller-Thurgau and Blauburger were relegated.

DAC system

The area Vulkanland Steiermark DAC comprises the political districts of Südoststeiermark, Hartberg/Fürstenfeld and Weiz as well as municipalities of the district of Leibnitz on the left bank of the Mur. The cross-local winegrowing communities are Klöch, Straden, St. Peter, Tieschen, St. Anna, Kapfenstein, Riegersburg and Oststeiermark. The lead varieties are Sauvignon Blanc (for all winegrowing communities), Weißburgunder (for Oststeiermark, Riegersburg, Kapfenstein, St. Anna, St. Pater), Burgunder-Cuvée (for Tieschen), Traminer (for Klöch) and Grauburgunder (for Straden).

In 2018, the origin-oriented DAC system was introduced in Styria. All other quality wines must be marketed with the origin Steiermark, the Land wines under the winegrowing region designation Steirerland. In contrast to the Austrian provinces of Burgenland and Lower Austria (where the individual regions were implemented one after the other), an overall concept was developed for all three specific wine-growing regions. There is a three-level pyramid of origin with the levels of area wine, local wine and Riedenwein. The DAC pyramid:

Styrian varietal diversity is taken into account in different ways (see the varieties in the graphic above). In the case of regional wine, it is preserved; in the case of local wine and partly also in the case of Riedenwein, local leading varieties have been defined differently for each wine-growing region. The regional wines may be marketed from 1 March, the single vineyard wines and the local wines from 1 May of the year following the harvest. Exceptions are the wines from the varieties Welschriesling and Schilcher Klassik (only in Western Styria), which may be marketed as regional wines as of 1 December of the year of harvest and as local wines as of 1 February of the year following the harvest. Likewise, an exception applies to the branded wine Steirischer Junker created by Verein Wein Steiermark, which is traditionally presented at the beginning of November.

Producers

Well-known wineries are Erzherzog Johann Weine, Frauwallner Walter, Frühwirth Fritz, Gießauf-Nell, Gölles, Herrenhof Lamprecht, Krispel, Neumeister, Platzer Manfred, Ploder-Rosenberg, Pock Franz, Thaller Koarl and Winkler-Hermaden.

Kapfenstein: © ÖWM - Gerhard Elze
Map and DAC pyramid: © ÖWM
Styrian Junker: Toni Muhr