Weingut Erwin Sabathi sits among the steep rolling hills of Southern Styria, very close to the Slovenian border near Leutschach. This family owned estate represents a long tradition of viticulture, dating back to the seventeenth century, though the modern operation focuses on contemporary precision. The estate is highly regarded for its focus on terroir driven white wines grown on incredibly steep slopes. The winery building itself is an architectural landmark, featuring a minimalist concrete and wood design that sits quietly against the green landscape.
What You Can Do
Visitors can tour the modern cellar facility, which is built directly into the hillside to utilize natural gravity during the winemaking process. Guided tours offer a detailed look at how the grapes are processed with minimal mechanical stress. Tasting sessions are hosted in a bright showroom with floor to ceiling windows, providing panoramic views of the surrounding hills. Private tastings can be arranged to focus on older vintages or specific vineyard parcels.
What They Offer
The estate produces elegant white wines, with Sauvignon Blanc and Morillon, the local term for Chardonnay, being the primary varieties. The grapes are sourced from prime sites like the Poessnitzberg, characterized by calcareous marl soils known locally as opok. The wines are structured, mineral, and built for aging. While the winery does not offer on site lodging, they can recommend excellent boutique guesthouses and hotels located just minutes away in Leutschach.
Activities
The surrounding region is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts, with numerous walking trails winding through the vineyards. Visitors can rent electric bikes to navigate the hilly terrain of the South Styrian Wine Road. A popular local hike leads through the nearby Heiligengeistklamm, a scenic forest gorge with small waterfalls. Wine lovers can also visit nearby small scale pumpkin seed oil presses to learn about another Styrian specialty.
Food to Eat
Dining in this area revolves around the traditional Austrian Buschenschank. These seasonal wine taverns serve cold platters featuring cured ham, local cheeses, spreads, and freshly grated horseradish. For a more formal dining experience, several award winning restaurants in the region offer modern Austrian cuisine. These dishes pair exceptionally well with the mineral driven white wines of the estate.
Why Visit
This estate offers a clear look at how traditional Styrian grape varieties respond to modern, gravity led winemaking. The dramatic views of the steep vineyards combined with the clean architecture make it an essential stop for anyone wanting to understand the unique landscape of Southern Styria.
The tasting experience is highly structured and focuses deeply on the geological properties of the vineyards. Some visitors might find the sleek concrete cellar a bit cold in its presentation, but the sheer quality and precision of the single vineyard Sauvignon Blancs easily compensate for any lack of rustic charm.