Styrian blood is not raspberry juice

The air is still cool on this early morning. Breathing is still easy, and the moisture in the air tingles on the skin. The view stretches far across the floodplains toward Slovenia, and the silhouette of Croatia’s mountains stands out on the horizon. It’s a landscape that’s hard to tear your eyes away from. The valleys are filled with fog. Like white cotton balls, they lie scattered across the countryside, which is otherwise characterized by mowed yellow grain fields or green cornfields—which, by the way, are called “kukuruz” here. The farms, mostly whitewashed with red roofs that look like ladybugs scattered about, add a touch of liveliness to the landscape. From the hills of southeastern Styria, you have a fantastic panoramic view.

Southeastern Styria, Wine Country

Slovenia declared its independence in 1991. Prior to that, it was part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, which had been formed after World War II from the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Before World War I, the region had been part of the Habsburg Monarchy and the Austro-Hungarian Empire for centuries. Historical Slovenian grain-producing regions and duchies at that time included Carniola, Styria, and Carinthia, among others. Only Carniola remains part of Slovenia today. During the “Kuruc-Turk period,” Eastern Styria in particular was threatened by the Turks and the Kurucs. The region of Styria was thus fiercely contested as early as the Middle Ages and was repeatedly plundered by the Hungarians and Turks. The population suffered greatly from these raids, which had a profound impact on the character of the people, especially those in southeastern Styria.

A Look at Slovenia

The saying “Steirerbluat is koa Himbeersaft” (Styrian blood is not raspberry juice) likely dates back to this period as well. Whether the aloofness of this type of person stems from that era or is due to the dialect—which is difficult for outsiders to recognize as German—is something anyone who visits this region can decide for themselves. Gaby, at least, has a hard time understanding when people talk about “Kernöell,” “Käferbouhnen,” or a snack of “Gsölchts” and “Verhackerts,” and always has to ask them to repeat themselves.

Snack

Beans with Pumpkin Seed Oil

We can expect temperatures to exceed 30°C again today. Light cumulus clouds suggest that thunderstorms will form again as the day progresses. We’re taking a trip to “Styrian Tuscany,” as southern Styria is also known. The rolling landscape, which stretches from Leibnitz to the Slovenian border, is dominated by vineyards. The South Styrian Wine Route winds its way in tight, winding curves across the ridges of the vineyards. Numerous idyllic wine taverns can be found in this region. Here you can enjoy Styrian wine and the hearty cuisine of Styria. Passing through Mureck—a municipality with about 3,500 residents located on the Mur River, which forms the border with Slovenia here—the route continues to Ehrenhausen and Graßnitzberg, then on to Glanz an der Weinstraße. Some of the narrow roads run directly along the border with Slovenia, so that one side of the road is in Styria and the other in Slovenia. Green signs at the forks in the road point to the multitude of wineries. In some places, as many as ten signs hang one above the other. If you’re looking for a specific winery, you either need to know your way around well or simply take the time to sort through the forest of signs. Even once you’ve found your winery, there’s still a chance—even in the tourist-friendly region of Southern Styria—that it will be closed for one or more days at the beginning of the week. 

When the wine tavern is closed, you have to help yourself

To make sure the trip isn’t in vain, there are self-service refrigerators set up on the terrace. A small cash box and a price list are located next to them. However, if you get hungry, you should check the opening hours. We find a Buschenschank above LangegThis time, simply because of the warm weather, we decided to skip the “Schilcher” and took a leisurely drive through Slovenia back to Bad Radkersburg in southeastern Styria.g, naturally nestled among the vineyards. The snacks, as always in Styria, are plentiful and very delicious. Southern Styria is Austria’s best-known white wine region. The clear frontrunner is Sauvignon Blanc, followed by Welschriesling and Gelber Muskateller. A local specialty is the “Schilcher.” It’s made from the red Blauer Wildbacher grape variety and aged as a rosé. “Schilcher” is a protected designation for the entire region of Styria. The rosé has a high acidity level, which makes it seem undrinkable at first sip. For beginners, it is therefore advisable to taste it as a mix (proportionally with mineral water, depending on how accustomed you are to it). If your toenails haven’t curled up after the first quarter of the bottle, it becomes much more drinkable and, after the first bottle, even a delight. However, your ability to drive is significantly impaired, and public transportation is virtually nonexistent in this remote region. So you’d be wise to arrange a ride in advance or book one of the guest rooms. 

Wine Tavern on Klöchberg

We spent the rest of the week at the wine taverns around Klöch. By the way, they’re just as good and varied as those in Southern Styria. I’ll tell you about Kapfenstein Castle and Riegersburg next time. Until then, may there always be fair winds, and keep a stiff upper lip.