Thomas Riederer is a professional chef – and he rarely ever goes to the wholesale produce market. You see, Riederer lives and works in Styria. Here, in the southeastern corner of Austria, they produce more than just outstanding wine. This paradise on earth has many other delights in store for the dedicated hedonist: chocolate of a slightly different style, nutty pumpkin seed oil, vinegar, ham and many other specialities. In addition, there is a lot of excitement in the Styrian wine scene: While the base is artisanal, and sometimes rustic in style, an interesting mix of young hotheads and established professionals has created quite a stir. The determination, not to deny traditional strengths, and at the same time to play in the international Champions League of renowned wine growing regions have combined to create a fertile climate characterised by innovation. That there is such a fresh and lively atmosphere is naturally also a reflection of the Styrian character: leading producers here are treated with exceptional respect. Whereas in other regions many of their colleagues are jealous of the leaders’ success, here this phenomenon is rarely found.

The varied landscape of Styria

The key stimuli that lead to this positive attitude to life comes from the landscape of the region itself, from the constant succession of roads, castles, towns, villages and hamlets, of hills, dales and slopes, of woods and vineyards. That opens the mind, creates the desire for more. Always new, wide panoramic views of this beautiful landscape from paradise: That fills the heart, and prepares the senses for the meeting with the fruits of this friendly region, and the hard work of those who follow their trade here. Open and hospitable, but also conscious of themselves and of their strengths: that is what characterises the people in this very special culture of enjoyment and pleasure.

There are several ways of approaching the riches of Styria. It is not a bad idea to start off in Graz. A stroll though the city, possibly accompanied by Irmgard Pferzinger or one of the other extremely competent city tour guides, will draw your attention to the treasures of the capital of the federal state, with its 250.000 inhabitants, with its many historic buildings and objects of art, including the many inner courtyards of the old city, dating back to the Renaissance, the cathedral and the mausoleum of emperor Ferdinand II close by. Those who prefer modern art are also catered for: The Kunsthaus art gallery, opened in 2003 – the year in which Graz was the art capital of Europe – continues to present enthralling exhibitions.

The clock tower in Graz

However, the true highlights are to be found around 40 kilometres south of Graz airport, which can be reached from Germany by direct flights from Berlin, Düsseldorf, Friedrichshafen, Stuttgart, Munich and Cologne, among other, and including such carriers as discount airline TUIfly. It is hard to decide: on the one side of the highway and railway lines lies Southern Styria, on the other side lies Southeast Styria. Both are choc-a-bloc with sensory delights, both have a huge range of wines and other specialities to offer.

Naturally, there are promotions and events that span the whole federal state, such as the „Winzerzimmer” (vintners rooms) offered by the Styrian tourist board, accessible by a room-finder on the Internet. But it is the town or village, the terroir that has to speak to you. For instance, the “Gaumenfreuden” (culinary delights) travel guide from the southeastern spa region is a good choice. It will lead you, among others, to Josef Zotter in the small village of Bergl, close to the mighty Riegersburg castle. And here you will find a gentle, humble giant – he is the one who revolutionised the taste of chocolate, and continues to do so. His creative delights have nothing in common with the excessively sweet industrial slabs of chocolate, Zotter is a dedicated supporter of Fairtrade, and sources his cocoa from places such as Nicaragua, Peru, Ecuador and the Dominican Republic, then processes it at home, together with other ingredients, mostly sourced from organic and biodynamic producers, and together with his employees creates such unusual combinations as balsamic vinegar and cedar nut, green bell peppers and pineapple, or camomile and hibiscus – sounds weird, but always works out well.

Exterior of the Zotter premises

Our route takes us on to Alois Gölles. Like Zotter, he has long experience since become a culinary global player whose feet remain firmly routed in his region. Situated only a few kilometres away in the town of Stang, this innovative spirit creates vinegars and spirits that can literally make you dizzy. As is the case with Zotter, he is deeply concerned about sustainability and preserving variety. Fruit used by him to make vinegar or spirits needs to be not only fresh and juicy, he also prefers to use rare varieties of fruit and vegetables. Environmental care is expressed en route to the bottle. Gölles likes to explain this philosophy to his visitors – and also how balsamic vinegar becomes better as it progresses to ever smaller barrels over time. Naturally, this region of thermal spas also provides more meaty delights, for instance in the maturation cellars of the Vulcano-Fleischwarenmanufaktur, which processes meat. This is no sausage and smoked ham factory, but rather a community of farmers engaged in direct marketing of their products, farmers who are determined to resist the market pressures to fatten up their pigs as quickly as possible, which inevitably leads to inferior quality. Instead, in their cellar located below an old farmhouse in the tiny hamlet of Auersbach you will find hams so aromatic they need not fear comparison with the best products of San Daniele and Serrano.

However, the base, the axis around which all these Styrian delights revolve, is the local wine. And as far as that is concerned, a good place to obtain an overview is from the qualified sommelier Ljubo Vuljaj as well as from his enthusiastic colleagues in St. Anna am Aigen – one can really say “nomen est omen” when one visits the All-Styrian Vinotheque. If you want to know even more details, it is best to go and visit the producers at their wine estates. Quite a few of the wineries provide accommodation facilities for visitors – for instance at the picturesquely located estate owned by Peter Skoff on the Kranachberg mountain close to Gamlitz on the South Styrian wine route, in the family home of the Dreisiebner family, or at the estate of young Wolfgang Maitz and his family on a picturesque hilltop close to Ratsch. What is convenient is that these estates provide not only bed and breakfast facilities, but also, at least seasonally, offer Styrian wine and food in its most original form, the Buschenschank, or estate wine bar and restaurant. Another recommendation in this category: „Erikas Buschenschank“ located close to the Skoff estate, provides one of the most beautiful panoramic views of the region from its garden. It is one of those views that makes you realise instantly why Styria is so beautiful, and why it is definitely worth the effort of visiting the region, no matter how far you have to travel to get there.

Certainly, gazing at the landscape is one of the things that brings home the beauty of the region to the visitor, but if you want to experience the whole truth, you will also have to gaze deeply into the glass. Having said that, it is also worth your while to have a look at the winery buildings from the outside. You will find much that is modern and even avant-garde along the South Styrian wine route – such as the building owned by the Elvis fan and rock'n'roll enthusiast Wilfried Schilhan on the Jägerberg hill above Gamlitz-Kranach, the unusual building of the famous Polz brothers on the Gamlitzberg hill close to Spielfeld, that creatively combines interior and exterior, the „Terry Gomeliz“ complex located on a picturesque hilltop, owned by Bavarian born Geisenheim graduate Sebastian Lerchl as well as the Gross property close to Ratsch. The latter, one of the better-known representatives of local winemaking, has a slightly unusual preference: unusual for Styria, he admits to being a Gewürztraminer fan.

The Vinotheque at Gross wine estate

However, that is not all the 47-year-old gets up to. As do many of his colleagues, he produces not only a Morillon (local name for Chardonnay) with more or less pronounced oak maturation, but also makes easy-drinking Sauvignon Blanc as well as Gelber Muskateller and Traminer. One of the characteristics of Styrian wine is that they are practically 100 per cent fermented dry, with at most a minimal level of residual sugar. The different styles of wine depend on how many years the producers allow for their maturation. The result: wines that are either refreshing and fruity, or more creamy, tranquil and mature. That this landscape and its wines are of such interest to the hedonist is not only a result of these delightful wines – it is also related to the fact that this mix of experienced professionals and young producers reaching fort he stars together creates a dynamic attitude that can take the whole region a long way in the quest for quality and recognition. Certainly, Styria need fear no comparison with the wine growing regions of Lower Austria.

There is also room for those who think totally differently, such as Roland Tauss, who is untypical in concentrating heavily on red wines. He is a certified „Winzerzimmer“ host, and plans to convert his farming operation to Demeter organic standards shortly – a decision his colleague Sepp Muster made some time ago. Unusual products, too, have their place here, such as the balsamic vinegars and chutneys (such as pumpkin and ginger) made by Felix Weinstock, who maintains his workshop and sales outlet on a steep slope in Burghausen-Zieregg. The „Finkwirt“ in Riegersburg is also part of the scene, he matures his hams in the vaulted cellars of the castle. And of course there is Thomas Riederer, who has two restaurants, close to the Raiffeisenbank in Gamlitz and just below the church in Leutschach, providing top-class cuisine based on regional ingredients, and also provides modern and beautifully elegant apartments in Leutschach. Thus, Styria offers comprehensive enjoyment and entertainment all round.