Brettlejause & Buschenschank: Gamlitz, Austria’s Amazing Wine Taverns to Visit and Stay
If you’re planning a trip to the wine region of southern Austria (and you should be), you’re likely to come across a unique word to describe one of the country’s most popular cultural traditions — the buschenschank.
And when it comes to food and wine in Austria, buschenschank is as much fun to experience as it is to say!
Buschenschanks are a delightful tradition that continues today throughout Austria, and a visit to one is always eagerly anticipated by visitors and locals alike. It’s what makes Styria such a great place to travel slowly.
They’re also a great way to explore and slow travel the quaint small towns and villages in Austria for a truly authentic experience.
One more unique delicious tradition to add to your Europe bucket list!
What is a Buschenschank?
An Austrian buschenschank (boo-shen-shank) is a small inn or wine tavern run by a local wine grower. In addition to being a tavern, some buschenschanks are also small inns which offer comfy rooms for guests along with good food and wine.
The term buschenschank literally means ‘bush tavern’ or ‘bough tavern’, referring to the boughs which are tied and hung over a door to show guests there is indeed wine in the house, and welcome them in for a taste of the season’s first pressings.
Others are simply part of a weingut (winery) where you can enjoy their own wines along with homemade foods and breads.
To experience the cultural tradition of a buschenschank, Gamlitz in South Styria is the perfect place to start. This small town at the beginning of the South Styrian wine road (Südsteirische Weinstraße) is full of charm.
We were introduced to this Austrian cultural tradition on our first visit to Südsteiermark (South Styria) several years ago and have been enjoying it ever since.
South Styria is one of the best day trips from Graz though allow yourself at least 4 or 5 days to slowly travel the wine road.
Follow the signs during harvest time to the nearest buschenschank.
By law, a buschenschank can only serve cold food usually in the form of local cold-cuts of meat, cheeses, and breads. The buschenschanks are also required to serve only wine, and it must be their own.
Don’t ask for a beer, soft drink, or coffee — they’re not allowed to serve them. But no worries — none of these hard and fast rules detracts from what is a truly fun slow travel cultural experience.
What is Brettlejause?
We’re not sure if Brettlejause is more fun to say or to eat, but this tasty tray of Austrian specialty foods are common throughout the country. Pronounced brett-el-YOW-za, this local delicacy is called Brettlejause and is akin to a charcuterie platter, only taken up a thousand notches.
Brettlejause is an elevated presentation, with beautiful arrangements of salads, meats, and cheeses. And you’ll often see fresh flowers adorning the top, like the cherry on top. Yowza!!
And lest you think your meal is going to be a few unsubstantial cold cuts, think again. In addition to the various meats and cheeses, you’ll find seasonal veggies and pickles, fresh hard boiled eggs, and hearty local salads drizzled with local pumpkin seed oil.
These cold cut platters are often a work of art. The tasty tradition of Brettlejause features many traditional Austrian foods such as Käferbohnen, or what Austrians call runner beans, or sometimes beetle beans since they look like large black beetles. They’re hearty, filling, healthy, and so delicious.
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The Buschenschank Gamlitz Experience
For wine growers in South Styria, the entire year is wine season and their time is spent planning and preparing for making wine — whether its planting season in the spring, the summer growing season, or fall harvest season, every drop of rain and sunshine is gauged in between.
Winter is just a short respite to catch their breath and start the planning process all over again. In between making wine, many buschenschanks also grow produce, butcher and cure meats, and make cheese.
Heuriger or Buschenschank? What’s the difference?
Most buschenschanks in Austrian wine regions open in the early Fall around the time of the harvest and close for the winter months. Some with guest rooms, however, remain open year round.
It’s the early Fall when the action begins, with the first pressing of grapes, resulting in a drink known as stürm (like a thunder schtoorm). This is the first fermentation and can be a bit sweet and very fizzy.
Even though it’s higher in alcohol content than regular wine, Austrians look forward to this beautiful time of year in South Styia and drink stürm with gusto.
Buschenschanks are anything but formal, and you’re sure to make a few new friends. The Austrians love buschenschanks, and now, so do we.
So if you’re going to be enjoying wine and stürm all day, we highly recommend booking a room for an overnight stay at one of these warm and welcoming buschenschanks.
The Südsteirische Weinstraße, South Styria Wine Road, is narrow and winding. And except for the dim lights coming from scattered buildings after dark, it is also unlighted. So don’t drink and drive.
Plan a few nights there, and slow travel the South Styrian wine road.
Heuriger or Buschenschank?
How a Heuriger is Different From a Buschenschank
Heurigers
If you’re looking for a hot meal, look for a local restaurant called a heuriger. Unlike buschenschanks, heurigers are formally licensed restaurants where you can enjoy both hot and cold food.
Like most any restaurant there is a full list of beverages like beer, cocktails, wine, soft drinks, coffee and tea.
Heurigers are not as laid-back or quaint as a buschenschank and can be touristy and often crowded depending on the time of year.
So if your preference is more toward a restaurant-like experience offering a full menu, bar, and maybe even a buffet, or musical entertainment, a heuriger is a great choice.
3 Buschenschanks on the Südsteirische Weinstraße
Hack-Gebell
Eckberg 100, 8462 Gamlitz
Hack-Gebell is a cozy and welcoming buschenschank in a prime location near Gamlitz.
The main attraction of the award winning Weingut Hack-Gebell is the 360 year old winegrower’s house which serves as both a guest house and the buschenschank as well.
The Hack-Gebell buschenschank is actually built on the original stones of the winegrower’s house.
We were pleasantly surprised when we walked into the dining room. Not only was it inviting and comfortable, the aromas coming from the kitchen tempted us to quickly take a seat and check out the menu.
There is a newer second house on the property with a dining room, kitchen, and outside terrace where breakfast is served that blends well with the main house.
This second house is not technically part of the buschenschank and can therefore serve warm food.
Everything at Hack Gebell is homemade — even the jams, and the ingredients are all locally sourced. The brettlejause, with their own smoked cold meat, ham, and cheese, was beautifully presented and fresh.
Choose a wine from their own winery and find a table on the terrace or in the yard.
This is what the buschenschank experience is all about. It’s not just about the wine or food, it’s the whole package.
When it comes to ambience, making new friends, and then yes, enjoying the wine and homemade foods, Hack-Gebell totally gets it right.
Hack-Gebell is a lovely place to stay for an overnight and even better for longer, and an evening of wine tasting along with their amazing food is icing on the cake. It’s definitely worth a visit for lunch or dinner.
Owner and Proprietor Anna Marie is warm and friendly, and her baked breads and treats are scrumptious. The pumpkin strudel which she threw together one night to use up some leftover pumpkin was outstanding.
We found our room on the second floor of the main house to be quite comfortable and impeccably clean with a modern bathroom. A small balcony out the back gave us panoramic views of the neighboring hills and wineries.
On our last night we moved to the newer house and a smaller room which was equally as comfortable. And we didn’t have to go far for breakfast. It was served on the terrace right below us.
In addition to wine tastings, the winery offers candle lit tours of the wine cellar under the main house for up to 6 people. It’s not hard to relax into the peace and quiet at Weingut Hack-Gebell.
Dreisiebner Stammhaus
Sulztal an der Weinstraße 35, 8461 Sulztal an der Weinstraße
Located on the South Styrian Wine Road, the family-run Dreisiebner winery and buschenschank was our first buschenschank experience, and one that made us fall in love with the tradition.
Along with the incredible white wines produced from their winery, Dreisiebner serves cold-cuts of their own smoked meats and smoked trout, along with homemade breads and cheeses.
If you want to keep going, stay for just a tasting and a visit to the wine cellar. They’ve been awarded the "Excellent Quality Booklet” emblem (Ausgezeichneter Buschenschank Steiermark), and when you visit here you’ll know why.
Everything here is excellent — service, local foods, and of course the wine. The folks around us were all very friendly and inquisitive, and especially tolerant of our bad German. It was a very fun night indeed.
We had booked in advance for an overnight stay here. Our room was very stylish, comfortable, and spacious by buschenschank standards.
The bathroom was on a par with a good hotel. Our room had a balcony with a great view of the hills and vineyards.
If you have a chance, don’t hesitate to stop here for great food and wine, and friendly conversation — and spend a night or two. It’s a great place to base yourself to explore the area, and they have a very nice breakfast.
Buschenschank Dietrich
Höch 87, 8442 Kitzeck im Sausal
This traditional, family run buschenschank and winery has some of the most beautiful platters of brettlejause in South Styria — like gorgeous works of art, they are as pretty to look at as they are to eat.
The house made crusty bread and delicious pastries are always fresh. With excellent wines, Buschenschank Dietrich is reason enough to spend an afternoon on the Wine Road.
Weingut Dietrich is in the heart of the South Styrian wine country in the middle of the hilly Sausal wine country.
Having a tasting here and enjoying the marvelous food under the shade of the trees or the vine covered arbor, the Dietrich Buschenschank is not a bad way to wile away an afternoon.
There’s even the world’s largest Klapotetz (a wooden multi-bladed device or propeller, that catches the breeze and clatters to scare birds away from the grapes) on a hill next to the buschenschank.
If there’s enough breeze the clackity-clack of the Klapotetz will be the only sound you’ll hear other than the friendly conversations of the people around you.
Everything served here is produced in-house from locally sourced ingredients. The owners are very proud of that and when you visit here you’re treated as part of the family.
Typical of buschenschanks, there is no mass production of wine. This enables the winery to produce wines that are of exceptional quality in both taste and aroma.
Try their lovely frizzante (sparkling) wine, typically made just for special occasions — if it’s available, it’s a must-try.
You can eat inside at the wine bar or in the cozy parlor, or outside overlooking a beautiful view. It’s the perfect place to relax with great food and excellent wine — the clackity-clack of the klapotetz comes free of charge.
The Buschenschank tradition of South Styria, Austria is a wonderful way to enjoy the changing of the seasons. In early Fall it’s still sunny and warm and the leaves are beginning to sport their Fall colors.
If you want to stay at a buschenschank, Gamlitz is a great place to stay — not just to enjoy wine and food, but also to enjoy the natural surroundings in this beautiful part of Austria by hiking or cycling or taking short drives to the many overlooks for photo ops.
A few days in Südsteiermark relaxing and slow traveling the South Styrian Wine Road is as sweet a holiday as can be had.