Western Styria

This area includes the districts of Greater Graz, Voitsberg and Deutschlandsberg. With its some 500 cultivated hectares it is the smallest of all the wine-growing areas, but the Schilcher grown here is a very special wine. Schilcher is legally protected and can only be made from the Blauer Wildbacherrebe; it is mainly grown in this area and so gives it a special importance. Other varieties represented here are Müller-Thurgau, Weißburgunder, Welschriesling and Zweigelt.

Setting out from Graz, the Schilcher Wine Route starts in Ligist. Narrow, curvy roads wend their way up from Gundersdorf to Greisdorf and Hochgrail, the home of the rosè-colored Schilcher. Then the trail goes downhill to Stainz, where is a narrow-gauge steam train to Preding. Toward the end of this wine route there are the vineyards in and around Deutschlandsberg and Preding. This is where the ruby-red Schilcher is grown.

The West-Styrian farm and vintners’ houses contribute to the striking scenery along the Schilcher Route.