1741 hectares are planted in soils rich in slate, sand, marl and limestone. The most important varieties here are Welschriesling, Sauvignon blanc and Chardonnay (called "Morillon" here), although there have been some interesting red varieties in recent years.
The wine-growing regions of the Steiermark, or Styria, are often referred to as Austria's Tuscany. This applies particularly to the hills along the "Südsteirischen Weinstrasse" - the South Styrian Wine Road - which winds from Berghausen to Leutschach, and from Leibnitz to the Demmerkogel via Kitzeck. But the comparison does not really do justice to this lush, romantic region with rows and rows of vines on its steep slopes. Styria really has its own distinct profile.
The largest of Styria's three wine regions, the Südsteiermark is home to magnificent white wines - Sauvignon blanc, Muskateller, Chardonnay, Weissburgunder and Welschriesling. Some of Austria's premiere wine-makers are here. Since 1993, they have been fermenting wines in, depending on the varieties, either the traditional wooden barrel, in steel (classical Styrian), or in barriques (for those powerful vintages). The Buschenschanken are popular in the Südsteiermark. But in the fall, whether in a Buschenschank or in a fine restaurant, everyone is drinking "sturm" - the must - and nibbling on roasted chestnuts.
The region's renowned wine villages are Gamlitz, Ehrenhausen, Spielfeld, Leutschach and Silberberg, which has a well known wine growing school, and Kitzeck, where bottled wines from recent vintages can be bought in the local museum.