Wine Wanderings Through Vulkanland: Where to Taste in Volcano Country

The best day I had in Vulkanland ended on a terrace at Schloss Kapfenstein, a glass of Traminer sweating in my hand, the vineyards tumbling away toward Slovenia while a band played Austrian folk songs behind me. Volcano country does that to you. Tucked into the southeastern corner of Styria and overshadowed by louder Austrian names, Vulkanland turned out to be one of the most rewarding wine trips I have taken: tradition and innovation side by side, and every wine carrying the smoky, mineral fingerprint of the extinct volcanoes underneath.

I was there in April 2024 to judge Sauvignon Blanc with Concours Mondial, and between sessions I tasted my way across the region and got into the cellars behind the bottles. So let me hand you the map I wish I had arrived with: the wineries worth pulling over for, five of them Eruption estates, two more too good to skip, and a castle where you can end the day exactly the way I did.

The five Eruption estates

Vulkanland's flagship growers band together under the Eruption Wine classification, a single-vineyard quality standard nine estates built for themselves. I dug into the geology and the classification itself in a companion piece; here the focus is where to actually go. Five of the Eruption estates belong on your route.

12973

1. Weingut Krispel, the state-of-the-art Eruption estate at Hof bei Straden.
2. Krispel Brut Reserve, the estate's traditional-method sparkling, 97/100.
3. Me at Weingut Krispel in April 2024, tasting through the range.

1. Weingut Krispel, Hof bei Straden

I had the pleasure of visiting this state-of-the-art estate, and it sets your wildest dreams on fire. Krispel stands out twice over, once for the wine and once for the food. Alongside high-quality reds and aromatic whites, the family raises Mangalitza pigs, the curly-haired heritage breed, so a tasting here turns into a proper farm-to-table feast. Book the wine-and-delicacies pairing or a vineyard tour and taste why they earned their place among the Eruption Winzer. Contact.

192289390493

1. Weingut Neumeister Ried Saziani Grauburgunder 2021, 92/100.
2. Weinschloss Thaller Sauvignon Blanc Ried Vom Schloss, 89/100.
3. Weingut Hutter Gelber Muskateller, 90/100.
4. Weingut Pfeiffer Ried Schemming Chardonnay, 93/100.

2. Weingut Müller, Tieschen

A family-run estate that leans on quality and tradition in equal measure. Müller pours expressive, regional wines, Sauvignon Blanc and Morillon above all, in a cozy tasting room where the attention to detail and the passion come through in every glass. Ask about the vineyard tour and their traditional cellar work. Contact.

3. Weinschloss Thaller, Maierhofbergen

Part winery, part castle. Thaller crafts a broad range, from crisp whites to robust reds, all with deep respect for the volcanic terroir, and pours them in a setting that adds a little grandeur to the afternoon. Come for a castle tasting and a guided tour of the historic estate. Contact.

4. Weingut Hutter, Klöch

Hutter makes distinctive wines from the region's signature grapes, all built to show off the volcanic soils of Klöch. Expect focused, terroir-led tastings, vineyard walks and real face time with the winemakers: the minerality and complexity of Vulkanland in miniature. Contact.

5. Weingut Pfeiffer, St. Anna am Aigen

Tradition meets modernity here. Pfeiffer's whites, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Blanc especially, are prized for their balance and clarity, a clean read of the St. Anna am Aigen terroir. Modern tasting rooms, educational vineyard tours and a real commitment to sustainable farming. Contact.

Two more you cannot skip

You cannot leave Vulkanland without stopping at two estates that sit outside the Eruption group but rank among the region's very best, both under the STK classification I unpacked in my Steiermark guide.

6. Weingut Neumeister, Straden

Neumeister is a pioneer of sustainable winemaking, chasing wines that are pure and precise. The Sauvignon Blanc and Morillon show off that intense volcanic minerality and vibrant acidity the region is known for, and the wine terrace hands you a stunning view to drink them against. Contact.

7. Weingut Winkler-Hermaden, Kapfenstein

12

1. Me visiting Weingut Winkler-Hermaden in April 2024.
2. Weingut Winkler-Hermaden, sitting just below the historic Kapfenstein Castle. Image: Weingut Winkler-Hermaden.

I visited this one myself, and it was a treat. When I arrived, the estate was hosting an overview tasting for a crowd of other Vulkanland growers, wine after wine laying out the range of the whole region, an afternoon I will not forget. Sitting just below the historic Kapfenstein Castle, Winkler-Hermaden is known for robust reds and elegant whites, above all a Traminer aged in large wooden casks that tastes of the volcanic ground it grew in. Taste in the atmospheric cellar, walk the vineyards for the panorama, and climb up to the castle. Contact.

Schloss Kapfenstein: a night in a volcano castle

My day in Vulkanland ended, fittingly, at Schloss Kapfenstein, where dinner came with local Austrian music and a view I did not want to leave. The castle is more than a landmark. Perched on a volcanic outcrop above the village of Kapfenstein, it folds history, staggering views and the Winkler-Hermaden wines into a single stay, and it is worth building a whole day around.

A little history in the stone

Schloss Kapfenstein dates to the eleventh century and has belonged to the Winkler-Hermaden family since 1898. Built first as a fortification, it has been a medieval fortress, a Renaissance manor and now a family-run hotel and winery, and you can read every chapter in the thick stone walls, the old towers and the little chapel.

The Winkler-Hermaden winery

193293396

1. Winkler-Hermaden Sauvignon Blanc, 93/100.
2. Winkler-Hermaden Kapfenstein Sauvignon Blanc, 93/100.
3. Winkler-Hermaden Kapfensteiner Ried Kirchleiten Sauvignon Blanc, 96/100.

The estate winery is the reason to linger. The family farms mostly Traminer, Sauvignon Blanc and reds like Zweigelt and Blauer Wildbacher, all deeply tied to the volcanic soil. Tour the historic cellar where the wines rest in large wooden casks and taste the Traminer they are famous for: rich, aromatic, a subtle spice running under the fruit, the volcanic ground speaking through the glass.

Tastings and tours

12963

1. Our host at Schloss Kapfenstein, opening traditional-method sparkling wines out on the patio.
2. Weingut Frauwallner Blanc de Blancs 2019 Zero Dosage, 96/100.
3. The aperitif, served outside on the patio at Schloss Kapfenstein.

Tastings run from a flight of the estate's finest to private sessions with a member of the family, and guided tours walk you from grape to glass through the vineyards and cellars. The tasting room looks out over the rolling hills of Vulkanland, which is a hard view to rush.

Dining at the Schloss

12345

1. The menu served at Schloss Kapfenstein.
2. The amuse-bouche to open the evening.
3. Welschriesling cream soup with white bread croutons.
4. Pork fillet in a volcano-ham crust on Zweigelt jus.
5. Kapfenstein pumpkin seed dumplings on elderberry sauce, with pumpkin seed oil ice cream.

The castle restaurant leans on local, seasonal produce, much of it from the estate's own gardens, and I was lucky enough to eat there. The menu is built to sit beside the Winkler-Hermaden wines: Styrian beef, that famous pumpkin seed oil, dishes of locally shot game. Eat in the elegant dining rooms or, weather permitting, out on the terrace over the vineyards, with Slovenia in the distance.

Staying the night

If you want to stretch the visit, the Schloss rents individually decorated rooms inside the castle itself, historic charm with modern comfort. Waking up inside the walls lets you take the whole region at a slower pace.

Exploring the surroundings

Beyond the castle, the volcanic hills are laced with hiking trails for anyone who wants to walk the landscape off, and the villages nearby run markets and traditional Styrian festivals through the season.

One of Austria's best-kept wine secrets

Each of these cellars opens a different window on Vulkanland, from Krispel's gourmet estate to Neumeister's sustainable terraces to the historic grandeur of Thaller and the castle at Kapfenstein. Robust reds, mineral whites, deep history and a landscape shaped by fire: this is one of Austria's most distinctive wine regions, and it is still flying under the radar. Go before everyone else does. And when you have wandered it yourself, come tell me how it went, I would love to hear it.

People also ask

Written by

Margot van Lieshout DipWSET FWS RV

Wine marketeer, sales expert with over 20 years in the trade, public speaker and international wine judge. Thousands of wines scored from Steiermark to Ningxia, and a trade she knows from the inside out. Wine with Margot is where she helps wine brands tell the stories that sell them.

LinkedInInstagramSubstack