Steiermark Styria “Green Heart” of Austria.
Steiermark Styria a region with 4633 hectares under vines. The terrain here is hilly, mountainous, and many of the vineyards are planted on steep slopes to take advantage of sunlight and the winds. The climate is definite continental, winters are still quite cold, and annual rainfall is high however is warmer than most of Austria's wine-producing regions, and is almost Mediterranean in nature. The growing season is long, and grapes have time to develop flavor complexity while retaining their acidity. The wines of Steiermark are particularly distinctive. Volcanic soils in Sudoststeiermark provide an excellent foundation for the aromatic Traminer varieties, while the high altitude and limestone soils in Sudsteiermark produce wines made from Sauvignon Blanc. The fresh, racy Schilcher rosé from Weststeiermark enjoys cult status; the grape varieties for the Schilcher is called Blauer Wildbacher is an extremely late-ripening, dark-skinned wine. The most widely planted va