Only 500 hectares are planted with vines in western Styria, but from them the winegrowing families create an amazing variety of products: racy, acid-driven Schilcher, powerful, tannin-driven red wines, and elegant, charming sparkling wines. All of this, however, comes from a single grape variety: the Blauer Wildbacher. Of uncertain origin, it is heading towards a successful future. Styria's smallest wine growing region is an ancient wine country, where vines were already cultivated by the Illyrians, Celts and later Romans. The vineyards extend in a narrow long band at an altitude of up to 600 metres above sea level on the foothills of the Koralpe and the Reinischkogel, southward to the Slovenian border. The location causes strong warming during the day and protects from harsh winds. Steep slopes with picturesque small cellars and deep valleys are to be crossed on the way from Ligist in the north via St. Stefan ob Stainz to Deutschlandsberg and Eibiswald. Detours to wine villages such as Greisdorf, Gundersdorf, Wildbach or Wies bring surprising perspectives - both in terms of panorama and wine. Also unusual are the soil characteristics of the area, with predominantly gneiss and slate primary rock, as well as the so-called Illyrian climate, with southern European-Mediterranean influences and relatively high precipitation. The interplay of all these peculiarities also explains to some extent the uniqueness of the type of wine that one encounters here at every turn. Western Styria is the classic Schilcherland, as Blauer Wildbacher, an ancient grape variety that serves as the basis for the pink wine that has enjoyed an almost unbelievable success story, grows on the majority of the vineyard area. Originally a rustic peasant wine with aggressive acidity, it transformed into a sought-after beverage through continuous quality improvements under the hands of ambitious winemakers: from fresh, fruity aperitifs to refined sweet wines. Not to be underestimated are also the red variants, which through their unique styles represent an enrichment in the terroir wine sector in Austria. Schilcher is a key success factor for wine tourism, and the protected designation of origin - only wine made from one hundred percent of the Blauer Wildbacher grape variety from the Steirerland wine growing region is allowed to call itself Schilcher - prevents it from growing wild.
