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Wine region

Steiermark

Steiermark is a wine region in Austria, home to 33 wineries, producing red, rose, white wines, known for Sudsteiermark, Vulkanland Steiermark.

Steiermark at a glance: predominantly white; known for Sudsteiermark, Vulkanland Steiermark; wines range from Qualitatswein to Pradikatswein.
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Steiermark's 33 wineries produce predominantly white wine; Sauvignon Blanc is the most common single-grape bottling; wines carry DAC, Pradikatswein, Qualitatswein designation.

About the Steiermark region

    Location
    The demarcated geographical area of the ‘Steiermark’ designation of origin comprises the entire province of Styria in Austria.
    Climate
    The Illyrian climate with its relatively high precipitation is discernible.
    Soils
    Steiermark has strongly varied soils: volcanic, basalt, sandy and heavy clay soils in the south-east; slate, sand, marl and chalk in the south; and gneiss and slate bedrock in the west.

Region facts sourced from Official Journal of the European Union, Steiermark (EUGI00000005521), Official Journal C 298, 8.9.2020, retrieved 2026-07-11. (Commission Decision 2011/833/EU on the reuse of Commission documents), Official Journal of the European Union, Steiermark (EUGI00000005521), retrieved 2026-07-12. (Commission Decision 2011/833/EU on the reuse of Commission documents).

Most common single-grape wines

When Steiermark wines are made from a single grape (rather than a blend), these are the most common:

Wine profile

Steiermark is predominantly a white-wine region (about 87% of its wines).

464 distinct Steiermark wines tracked, spanning the colours and styles below.

  • White402 · 87%
  • Red35 · 8%
  • Rose27 · 6%

Types: Sparkling, Still.

Representative Steiermark wines

Selected from stable product-to-region relationships for diversity — not a claim that these are the region's best wines.

  • Potzinger — Roter Kapaun
  • Weingut Schauer — Ried Gaisriegl Sauvignon Blanc
  • Weingut Tement — Steirische Klassik Welschriesling
  • Weingut Schauer — Ried Hochtemmel Weissburgunder
  • Erwin Sabathi — Ried Possnitzberg Sauvignon Blanc Alte Reben
  • Polz — Czamilla Ried Czamillonberg Sauvignon Blanc
  • Weingut Tement — Ried Grassnitzberg Sauvignon Blanc Reserve
  • Pfeifer Weingut — Grauburgunder Alte Reben Reserve

Sub-regions & appellations

Within Steiermark, these appellationsA legally-defined smaller growing area within a wine region, often with its own grapes and rules. are smaller growing areas, often with their own character:

  • Sudsteiermark
  • Vulkanland Steiermark
  • Weststeiermark

Quality designations

Wines here span quality tiers from everyday Qualitatswein to the strictly-controlled Pradikatswein — you'll find both accessible and prestige bottles.

  • DACDistrictus Austriae Controllatus — Austria's protected-origin designation for typical regional styles.
  • PradikatsweinGermany's top quality tier, graded by grape ripeness at harvest (from Kabinett up to sweet late-harvest styles).
  • QualitatsweinA German/Austrian quality-wine tier from a designated region, above basic table wine.

Estate classifications

  • Erste LageA German 'first-class site' — a top-rated single vineyard.

Austria wine designations

DAC
DAC means Districtus Austriae Controllatus and identifies regionally typical Austrian Qualitätswein from a legally defined wine-growing region.
Landwein
Landwein is the Austrian traditional category for wine with protected geographical indication from a named wine-growing region.
Pradikatswein
Prädikatswein is an Austrian protected-origin quality-wine category for wines meeting a specified ripeness or harvest-method Prädikat.
Qualitatswein
Qualitätswein is an Austrian wine with protected designation of origin from a specified wine-growing region.
Understanding the wine data
Designation
The protected-origin or administrative category associated with the wine, interpreted using country-aware rules. The same abbreviation can mean different things in different countries, so we only show the meaning approved for that country.
Classification
An additional quality, hierarchy, vineyard, site, ageing or producer classification where supplied. Its meaning varies by country — it is not a universal quality score.
How this ranking is built

Producers are included when WhatDrink has a canonical producer-to-region relationship supported by the catalogue data. Display order may use represented wine count and relationship confidence to provide useful coverage; it is not a ranking of winery quality, prestige, production volume or critical acclaim.

Representative wines are selected from products with a stable relationship to this region, with preference for clear producer identity and a useful spread of producers, wine styles and designations. Inclusion is not an editorial score and does not mean these are the region’s best wines.

How to choose a good Steiermark wine

For everyday drinking, Qualitatswein bottles are the accessible choice; for something special, Pradikatswein signals the region's most tightly-controlled, prestige wines.

Regional data is aggregated from wine directory and product-catalogue sources; grape and style associations reflect characteristic varieties and may vary by producer and vintage.