Gamlitz is the heart of the South Styrian Wine Road, the string of steep vineyards that runs along the Slovenian border in the south of Austria, and in autumn the whole landscape seems to glow. The hills here are covered with vines in tight, green rows, and little farmhouses and wine taverns perch on the ridges, with the Alps in the far distance. The region is nicknamed the Styrian Tuscany, a fair comparison, though the light is softer and the hills are steeper.
Wine is the focus, and the local specialities are white. The Sauvignon Blanc, crisp and aromatic, has made the region famous, and the Morillon, as Chardonnay is called here, and the Welschriesling are also much grown. The wine is sold in the Buschenschank, a small farm tavern that has the right to sell its own produce, marked by a bunch of twigs hung over the gate. There, you sit on a bench, drink wine from a jug and eat a plate of cold cuts, cheese and bread, and look out over the vines. The local pumpkin seed oil, a dark green, nutty oil, is drizzled over salads, soup and even ice cream.
The roads are a rider's delight, though not for speed. They twist along the crests, dip into hollows and climb again, with a surface that is generally good and traffic that is mostly local. Steep gradients, tight bends and the odd tractor with a wine trailer mean that it is a ride for relaxed enjoyment, and the corner of every hill offers another view. The wine road is busy on weekends in autumn, with cyclists and visitors to the harvest festivals, so choose a weekday if you can. Of course, a rider should be careful about tasting, and the police do check.
The harvest begins in September and continues into October, when the leaves turn red and gold, and the air smells of crushed grapes and woodsmoke. In spring, the hills are green and the fruit trees are in blossom, while in summer the heat can be fierce. Winters are quiet and many taverns close.
Ehrenhausen, three kilometres away, has a few services, and Leibnitz, about seven kilometres away, is the nearest large town, with fuel, supermarkets and restaurants. Gamlitz itself has some stations, cafes and places to eat. Do book ahead for lunch in autumn.