📍 Weststeiermark

Weststeiermark (West Styria) is a wine district in the south-west of the Austrian state of Styria, at the foot of the Alps around the towns of Deutschlandsberg and Stainz. It is the home of Schilcher, a dry rosé with very bright acidity, made only here from the local red grape Blauer Wildbacher.

Wildbacher gives very tart, crisp, spicy wines with notes of redcurrant and wild strawberry. Schilcher is drunk young and chilled, traditionally with smoked bacon and bread (Brettljause). There is also sparkling Schilcher and some red wine. The name Schilcher is protected and may refer only to wine from this grape grown in West Styria.

Vineyards lie on steep terraces at several hundred metres. Soils are gneiss and schist, in places sand and gravel. The climate is temperate: warm summers and cool nights.

Weststeiermark is part of Styria, next to South and South-East Styria, which are known for white Sauvignon Blanc. Schilcher is completely different in style and regarded as a local curiosity. Schilcher is served chilled as a summer wine with light snacks and spicy dishes. The name Weststeiermark on a label shows that the grapes grew in this very area, which makes it easy to look for similar wines.