Winkler-Hermaden, Vulkanland Styria, Austria

In the extreme southeast of Austria lie the vineyards of the Winkler-Hermaden winery. On top of an old volcano lies an impressive wine castle. The wine region is not called Vulkanland-Steiermark (formerly Südost-Steiermark) for nothing. The entire area here (continuing to Italy) was once strewn with volcanoes. The soil is therefore full of special minerals and that has its effects on the style of the wines. Winkler-Hermaden is one of the best wineries. And is affiliated with Stk: Steierische Klassik . Stricter rules are applied here. And all vineyards are classified by quality.

Organic since 2005

For several years now, winemaker Georg Winkler-Hermaden has handed over the baton to his 3 sons, of whom Christof is the winemaker. Since 2005, the switch has been made to organic winemaking. And now all wines are grown and made organically. Winkler-Hermaden is also known for its special Sauvignon blanc , a specialty of the region. The style is more classic than New Zealand but also different from Sancerre. Christof also makes special Zweigelt s , which you don't see that much here. Also recommended are the dry wines of Traminer and Gewürztramine r and - if they are available - their noble sweet wines. For several years now, they have also been making orange wines from Gewürztraminer.