Graz & Styria Wine & Food Tours
Styria is the green heart of Austria and its most delicious corner: the “Styrian Tuscany” of rolling Sauvignon Blanc vineyards in the south, the dark, nutty pumpkin-seed oil poured on everything, the Schilcher rosé of the west, and Graz, a UNESCO City of Design with a serious food scene. Compare the top-rated Styria experiences below, then read our notes.
Styria wine and food tours from Graz
Formats: South Styria wine road tours with Sauvignon Blanc tastings and Buschenschank taverns; Graz food tours and market visits; pumpkin-seed-oil farm visits and tastings; day trips into the “Styrian Tuscany” from Graz.
What you taste: South Styrian Sauvignon Blanc, Morillon (Chardonnay), Welschriesling and Gelber Muskateller; the tart pink Schilcher; dark-green pumpkin-seed oil; Graz Backhendl and Vulcano ham.
Price: roughly 55 to 90 dollars for a Graz food tour or oil tasting; 110 to 170 for a full South Styria wine day with transport and lunch.
The Styrian Tuscany and its Sauvignon Blanc
South of Graz, on the Slovenian border, the Südsteiermark is a landscape of steep, vine-striped hills so pretty it is called the Styrian Tuscany, dotted with wooden Klapotetz wind-rattles that scare the birds. This is one of the world’s fine Sauvignon Blanc regions – precise, mineral, age-worthy – alongside Morillon (the local Chardonnay), Welschriesling and aromatic Gelber Muskateller. You taste it along the wine roads at family estates and Buschenschank taverns, the Styrian answer to the Heuriger. To the west, Schilcher, a bracingly tart rosé from the Blauer Wildbacher grape, is the local oddity worth trying.
Pumpkin-seed oil, the green gold
Styria’s other signature is Steirisches Kürbiskernöl, pumpkin-seed oil – thick, dark green and intensely nutty, protected as a PGI, and drizzled over salads, soups, and, famously, vanilla ice cream. A farm visit shows how the seeds are roasted and pressed, and a tasting is a revelation. Graz itself, a UNESCO City of Design, is a genuine food city, with a great daily market and dishes like Backhendl (fried chicken) and the cured Vulcano ham.
How to visit
Base in Graz and take a day into the South Styrian wine roads with a driver, or taste the oil and the food in the city. Autumn, at harvest and during the new-wine season, is the finest time. Styria borders Slovenia‘s wine country, and the two make a natural pairing. See the Austria hub for the rest.
How we choose
We list only experiences with a strong rating over a meaningful number of reviews and free cancellation where available, and we favour small-group and family-run hosts. FindEatLocal earns a commission when you book through GetYourGuide or Viator links on this page; it doesn’t change the price you pay. More about how we choose.
FAQ about Graz & Styria Wine & Food Tours
Frequently asked questions
What wine is Styria known for?
South Styrian Sauvignon Blanc above all - among the world’s best - plus Morillon, Welschriesling and Gelber Muskateller, and the tart Schilcher rosé in the west.
What is Styrian pumpkin-seed oil?
A dark-green, nutty oil (Kürbiskernöl) pressed from roasted pumpkin seeds, a protected Styrian speciality poured over salads and even vanilla ice cream.
Why is it called the Styrian Tuscany?
For the rolling, vine-covered hills of South Styria, which look strikingly like Tuscany and make some of Austria’s best white wine.