Soil • Wein Steiermark

It’s the variety of the soils that makes the Styrian winegrowing regions so exciting, and gives the wines their distinctive nature. Here, the contrasting soils often flow together like streams of air over the sea or the patterns in a slab of marble.

The six primary soil types and their main distribution areas:

SCHIST / SLATE & GNEISS
Weathered solid rock
mostly Südsteiermark^DAC & Weststeiermark^DAC

VOLCANIC STONE (Tuff, Basalt)
Weathered solid rock
mostly Vulkanland Steiermark^DAC

LIMESTONE
Fossil-rich marine deposits & reef limestone (Leitha limestone & coral limestone)
mostly Südsteiermark^DAC

OPOK
Calcareous marl (a.k.a. ‘Styrian Schlier’): solidified, previously muddy, predominantly calcareous sea & lake deposits
mostly Südsteiermark^DAC

GRAVEL / SAND
Large-grained alluvial deposits, partly loose & partly solidified
mostly Südsteiermark^DAC & Vulkanland Steiermark^DAC

SAND / SANDSTONE
Loose sand as well as solidified as sandstone, frequently containing quartz
Südsteiermark^DAC, Vulkanland Steiermark^DAC & Weststeiermark^DAC