Buschenschank wine tavern experience

Traditional Styrian wine taverns where producers serve only their own wine alongside cold buffets of local specialties. The hilltop locations offer stunning views over rolling vineyards into Slovenia. Authentic, unpretentious, and utterly delicious.

What to do there

5 things to do

1. 1 Hunt the Fir Branch — A 242-Year-Old Signal History · Free

   The Buschen — a fir-branch bundle above the door — is the legal signal a Buschenschank is open. No sign, no app. Just branches.

   On August 17, 1784, Emperor Joseph II decreed that every farmer could sell their own wine and food — but ONLY their own. The fir-branch bundle (the "Buschen") hung above the entrance at Dreisiebner Stammhaus (Sulztal an der Weinstraße 35, Gamlitz) is the legally recognized signal the farm is open. When it's absent, they're legally closed — there's nothing to negotiate. As you approach, look for a green fir-branch bundle above the entrance. If it hangs there, you're in. That branch is not decoration — it's a 242-year-old contract between farmer and state. Take a photo of it. Then ask Michaela Dreisiebner: "What happens if you serve beer?" Her answer explains why everything on this farm tastes the way it does — because legally, it must all be theirs.

   Backup: If no branch is visible, collect the printed Buschenschankkalender from the Leibnitz or Ehrenhausen tourist office — a paper document showing which farms are "ausgesteckt" (open) that week. Dreisiebner opens seasonally from late March through November. Confirm at dreisiebner.com before visiting.

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2. 2 Taste the Wine That Beat the World at Its Source Wine · Price: moderate

   In 2019, Dreisiebner's Sauvignon Blanc Hochsulz 2017 was named Best Sauvignon Blanc in the World. They still run the Buschenschank. You can still sit here and drink it.

   Hannes Dreisiebner's 2017 Sauvignon Blanc from the Hochsulz vineyard won the Concours Mondial du Sauvignon — not "won a medal," but won the entire competition: "Best Sauvignon Blanc in the World." New Zealand, France, and every other contender placed behind a slope in Sulztal that you can see from where you're sitting at Buschenschank Dreisiebner Stammhaus (Sulztal an der Weinstraße 35, A-8461 Gamlitz). Ask for a Viertel (quarter-liter carafe, €5–8) of their current Sauvignon Blanc from the Hochsulz vineyard. Order the Brettljause (€10–15) — cold plate with their own-smoked meats, Verhackert (smoked bacon spread), local cheese, and bread. Pair the Sauvignon Blanc's gooseberry and nettle notes against the smoky fat of the Verhackert. The wine's acidity cuts through. This is why locals cycle 10km on a Tuesday afternoon.

   Backup: If the Hochsulz Sauvignon Blanc is sold out for the season, ask for the Traminer Hochsulz "Seven Sense" or their Morillon (Chardonnay). Any wine from the Hochsulz site carries the story.

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3. 3 Climb 120 Steps — Slovenia Appears Below Adventure · Free

   The Weinleiten Water Tower in Gamlitz is 27 meters high, free to climb year-round, and offers a 360-degree panorama over South Styrian wine country and the Slovenian border hills.

   In 1918, when the Habsburg Empire collapsed, Styria lost more than 30,000 hectares of its historical vineyard land to what became Yugoslavia — including the wine center of Maribor. From the top of Wasserturm Weinleiten (Gamlitz), you can see where Austria ends and Slovenia begins. Climb the 120 steps to the viewing platform at 23 meters. Admission: free. Face south — those hills across the border are Slovenia, specifically the area including Maribor, the former center of Styrian wine. Then look at the Austrian slopes below: vineyards at near-90% gradient, red-roofed farmhouses, Klapotetz bird-scarer windmills clattering in the wind. This is what Styria rebuilt. Ask any local winemaker later: "What was Maribor?" and watch their expression.

   Backup: If the tower is closed for maintenance, the Steirerblicke viewpoints along the wine road (signposted throughout Gamlitz and Sulztal) offer similar elevated panoramas at no charge. The Sernaukogel viewpoint gives particularly good visibility toward the Slovenian border hills.

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4. 4 Spread the Pâté Protected by EU Law History · Price: low

   Verhackert is a PGI-protected smoked bacon spread — European law says if it's called Verhackert, it must be made this way. At Dreisiebner, they smoke the meat themselves.

   The name comes from "hacken" — Styrian for rough, coarse chopping. Chunks of cold-smoked Räucherspeck (bacon) remain pea-sized and visible in the lard-and-garlic base when your Brettljause cold plate arrives at Dreisiebner Stammhaus. Verhackert carries both "Garantiert traditionelle Spezialität" and Protected Geographical Indication designations — the same European protection that governs Parma Ham and Champagne. When the Brettljause arrives, identify the Verhackert (the dark-pink chunky spread — ask "Welcher ist der Verhackert?" if unsure). Spread it thick on the dense dark bread. Pair with Sauvignon Blanc — the wine's grassiness and acidity cuts through the smoke and fat perfectly. Then ask Michaela: "Did you make this here?" Yes. Then ask: "Why can't you serve beer?" She'll explain the 1784 law and the 1979 Buschenschank Act.

   Backup: Verhackert is available jarred at Graz farmers markets and specialty food shops throughout South Styria. Look for the PGI certification on the label.

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5. 5 Pour "Pharmacy Gold" on Vanilla Ice Cream Wine · Price: low · Optional

   Kürbiskernöl — Styrian pumpkin seed oil — was once so valuable it could only be sold in pharmacies. Today it's drizzled on vanilla ice cream. This is the reveal moment that makes people text their friends.

   Pumpkin seed oil exhibits dichromatism — in a thin layer it appears deep green, in a thick pour it turns blood red. It is the only common cooking oil that changes color depending on depth of pour. Order vanilla ice cream as dessert at any restaurant or Buschenschank in South Styria. Ask for Kürbiskernöl on the side (say: "Darf ich etwas Kürbiskernöl dazu haben?"). Drizzle it over the ice cream. The nutty, roasted, deeply rich oil over cold vanilla cream sounds implausible and tastes extraordinary — nutty + sweet + creamy. Then pour a few drops on a white plate: see the green. Add more: watch it shift toward red. This is Styria's best food party trick. Buy a bottle to take home (€15–25 for 250ml at farm shops).

   Backup: Kürbiskernöl is ubiquitous throughout South Styria — farm shops, wine shops, Leibnitz supermarkets, Graz market halls. It is impossible to miss if you're looking for it.

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Insider tips

• The Brettljause (cold meat/cheese platter) is legendary here

• Cash only at most traditional Buschenschank

• Look for the buschen (pine branch) - it means they're open