Southeast Styria is now called Vulkanland

You have to get used to the relatively new name. But Vulkanland was already the name for an area of the region. And since the vines are predominantly grown on volcanic soil, the renaming is not far-fetched. The region, which stretches from Bad Radkersburg in the south through Klöch and up into the Hartberg region, was largely unknown in the past, but has taken a very positive turn in recent years. It is true that the traditional Buschenschank is still the dominant form of marketing. But increasing tourism (also caused by numerous thermal spas) encourages winegrowers to invest in quality. Small structures still prevail. Not many wineries can make a living from winegrowing alone. Some of the producers are also members of the ambitious Steirische Klassik association, which sets the tone in southern Styria and Vulkanland.

For centuries, the region was a borderland that was always fiercely disputed. Numerous castles and palaces on towering mountains and hills are reminders of this time. Today, Riegersburg Castle, Kapfenstein Castle and other stately residences are the scenes of peaceful and often wine-cultural events. In the past, winemaking had little qualitative importance, but significantly more area than today. In the middle of the 19th century, vines grew on 4000 hectares; two thirds of them were used for the production of the acid-emphasized Schilcher. It was not until about 30 years ago that a quest for quality developed. Traditionally, wine is distinguished between two regions. The Styrian Volcanic Land comprises the districts of Radkersburg and Feldbach, while the other districts make up the East Styrian Hill Country. A relatively large amount of red wine is also produced here.

In a gentle hilly landscape with numerous volcanic elevations, there is a mild climate with significant temperature changes between day and night. Along with various white varieties, red grapevines can also thrive here. The classic volcanic land is dominated by mostly red-colored soils, which store a lot of heat and are an ideal substrate for Traminer.

Growing areas and vineyard acreage

The area of vineyards has increased in recent years from 1400 to 1600 hectares. The Klöcher Weinstrasse, the Südoststeirische Hügelland-Weinstrasse, the Thermenland-Weinstrasse (there are many healing spas in the area) and the Oststeirische Römerweinstrasse provide tourist attractions. A large part of the vineyards are scattered island-like throughout the area. Closed areas exist only in a few centers, such as around Klöch, Straden, St. Anna am Aigen and Kapfenstein.

A specialty is the aromatic Traminer grown in the fields of Klöch (Vulkanland). There are always remarkable wines from Pinot Blanc. In the hills, the range of varieties is more extensive. In particular Welschriesling, Weissburgunder, Ruländer, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc grow here. Some winemakers have learned to work with red varieties. Zweigelt is most successful, but the international varieties Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah also have their place. Harvest volume was just over 70,000 hectoliters in the lower-yielding 2015 vintage.

* SOURCE vinum.eu

Wine growing has been practiced in Austria since the time of settlement by the almost 3,000 years ago. The Burgenland community of Zagersdorf and Stillfried in the Weinviertel region of Lower Austria are considered the oldest wine-growing communities in Austria. Grape seeds dating from 700 and 900 BC, respectively, and clearly belonging to the species Vitis Vinifera have been found in both places. The lifting of the ban on planting grapevines outside Italy by Emperor Domitian (51-96) by Emperor Probus (232-282) had a positive effect on winegrowing. This was because it marked the beginning of an orderly winegrowing culture in the Roman provinces of Noricum (Upper and Lower Austria) and Pannonia (Burgenland). In the almost 200-year-long turmoil of the migration of peoples from the end of the 4th century, winegrowing almost came to a standstill due to many disastrous events.

A revival of widespread winegrowing occurred again only from the 9th century under the major influence of the emperor (742-814). Special merits for winegrowing can be awarded to the and Catholic orders. In the Middle Ages, the monasteries of Göttweig Abbey (Kremstal), (Wagram), Melk Abbey (Wachau) and (Thermenregion) were the main supporters of winemaking culture. An important contribution was also made by the now abandoned (Wachau, Lower Austria). The oldest Austrian winegrowing regulations with rules regarding working hours and fixed penalties for grape theft were issued by the Habsburg Duke Albrecht II (1298-1358) in 1352. As early as the Middle Ages, there was also a division into wine quality classes.

In the 16th century, viticulture in Austria reached its peak; the area under vines was at least three times as large as it is today, at around 150,000 to perhaps even 200,000 hectares. Salzburg's Mönchsberg was planted with vines, as were the slopes of the Semmering. There were vineyards near Linz, near Salzburg, and on a large scale in Carinthia and Tyrol. And the capital Vienna was literally built on vineyards. The wine book of the clergyman Johann Rasch (1540-1612) describes in detail the winegrowing, cellar techniques and drinking culture of that time.

However, the advent of beer, high tax burdens and the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) caused a decline in the 17th century. Problems were mainly caused by the tax, also called Ungeld, because it was increased from 10% to 30% within only twelve years. This led to many vineyards being uprooted and wheat or other products being grown instead. Now inferior grape varieties were preferred and cheap mass wine was obtained as a result.

Under Maria-Theresa (1717-1780), orders were issued for the utilization of cheap wine. Many vinegar distilleries, schnapps distilleries and mustard productions from grape juice were established. Under Emperor Joseph II (1741-1790), on August 17, 1784, a written decree permitted the sale of one's own spirits in one's own home. He thus laid the foundation for the wine tavern or Heuriger. In the 19th century there were some disasters. An extreme cold spell, fungi introduced from America and, as a negative climax, phylloxera devastated entire wine-growing regions. The pest probably reached Austria in 1867, when August-Wilhelm Freiherr von Babo (1827-1894), from Germany director of the Klosterneuburger Weinbausinstituts founded in 1860, was given American vines.

A milestone in Austrian wine history was set by Robert Schlumberger (1814-1879). In 1846, he introduced his "Vöslauer white sparkling wine" produced according to the Champenois method, which became a great success. After the Second World War, the old structures were changed by rationalization and mechanization. The conversion to the new form of cultivation known as high culture by Lenz-Moser AG (1905-1978) in Rohrendorf near Krems in Lower Austria made it possible to use the most modern equipment. The use of diethylene glycol led to a wine scandal in 1985. As a result, stricter laws and above all controls were introduced in Austria, which contributed decisively to the improvement of quality. In 1993 the project certification of vines was started with the aim to increase the quality in the long term by analysis and selection of the healthiest possible vines.

*SOURCE wine.plus