Chocolate + Wine = Austria: Beautiful!

ChocAust | eTurboNews | eTN
Hand-Scooped Chocolate Bars and Pralines by Zotter (c) Zotter Chocolate
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When it comes to rural travel experiences in Austria, there are few regions that are as accessible for travelers, yet as pristine and unspoiled as the Vulkanland in Western Styria. Small farms focus on culinary specialties such as pumpkin seed oil. Family-owned businesses are responsible stewards of the local landscape. One of them stands out with its commitment to sustainability and providing visitors with an outstanding experience: the Zotter Chocolate Factory. Come for chocolate tastings – leave with a sense of optimism and the knowledge that sustainability can be fun, rewarding, and delicious!

Relatively unknown to visitors from the US, the region is very popular with travelers from Austria and Europe for its historic sights, culinary highlights, and natural beauty.  Perched on an extinct volcano, one of Austria’s most impressive castles, the Riegersburg, overlooks an enchanting region dotted with vineyards. Wonderful themed hiking trails lead through the hilly landscape.

Everywhere, the friendly local Buschenschank – wine tavern – invites guests to taste the culinary delights of the region, such as the famous Styrian pumpkin seed oil. In keeping with the local philosophy of environmental stewardship, some wineries have gone organic, such as the Winkler-Hermaden Winery, which also operates a nearby castle hotel.At the previously mentioned Zotter Chocolate Factory you can find out how chocolate is made during this fascinating tour of the factory, then sample to your heart’s content at the various uniquely designed tasting stations.

At the organic adventure farm »Edible Zoo«, the focus is on showing how food is made, where the ingredients come from, and what an ecologically sound farm should look like. At the Edible Zoo, you’ll find old, indigenous breeds and regional fruit and vegetable varieties. The Öko-Essbar restaurant serves organic food and drinks, made with ingredients from the gardens and pastures. All this is in line with the business’s philosophy of sustainability and fair trade:

They only use organic and fair traded raw materials, run their business with 100% clean energy, produce their own power with a photovoltaic generator, and use a fleet of electric vehicles. The organic farm covers 80 hectares, from which they get many ingredients for the free, organic lunch for 200 employees.

Needless to say, you’ll come away from this experience not only with a full belly but with a new outlook on what is possible when a region works together to make sure sustainability and hospitality go hand in hand.

If you don’t want to take the drive from the nearby city of Graz and prefer to relax in the countryside, hotels such as the Genusshotel Riegersburg, the Spa Hotel Rogner Bad Blumau – an experience in itself – or the Loisium Suedsteiermark (located more to the south, in the South Styrian Wine Region) are perfect bases for exploring.

About the author

Avatar of Juergen T Steinmetz

Juergen T Steinmetz

Juergen Thomas Steinmetz has continuously worked in the travel and tourism industry since he was a teenager in Germany (1977).
He founded eTurboNews in 1999 as the first online newsletter for the global travel tourism industry.

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