Wine from the Edge of the Slovenian Border
Tamara Kögl is one of the most dynamic and creative winemakers in Southern Styria — a third-generation vigneron who has transformed her family's mixed farm into a beacon of biodynamic viticulture, natural winemaking, and warm Austrian hospitality. [^191^] [^192^] Born in 1984 and raised on the family estate in Ratsch an der Weinstraße, just a mile north of the Slovenian border, Tamara took over the business at age 25 after studying languages, economics, and viticulture at the Silberberg school in Leibniz, with internships at legendary estates like Franz Hirtzberger in the Wachau. [^192^] [^193^] Today she farms 10 hectares of steep hillside vineyards — some with inclines up to 80% — on a magical property that includes wooded areas, a pond, an apple orchard, and a paddock for grazing sheep. [^191^] Her wines are Demeter-certified, wild-fermented, low in sulfur, and utterly singular — from Pet Nat to skin-contact Muscat Ottonel to a 1963 old-vine Welschriesling that is bottled as a special cuvée every year. [^191^] [^193^]
From a Mixed Farm to a Biodynamic Estate
Tamara Kögl grew up on a mixed farm in Ratsch an der Weinstraße, where viticulture was initially secondary to livestock farming. [^192^] The family raised animals and sold their grapes to neighbours — a common arrangement in Southern Styria before the region's commercial wine boom. Her grandparents had purchased the property in the 1970s, including the 350-year-old farmhouse that Tamara still lives in today. [^191^] At the time, her grandfather had no idea the area would become a serious wine region; he bought the house because it was a good deal and knew nothing about growing grapes. [^191^]
By the early 1980s, Southern Styria was flourishing with commercial wineries, and the Kögls gradually planted vines, always selling their fruit. [^191^] By the mid-1990s, Tamara's parents had taken over farming and selling grapes — until one fateful vintage in 1993 when a neighbouring winery had too much fruit and couldn't take their Kögl reservation. [^191^] Stuck with the grapes, Tamara's father asked a friend how to make wine in a borrowed stainless tank. That wine went on to win a local award, pivoting the family from grape growers to winemakers. [^191^]
The early wines were conventionally farmed, made in steel, and "pretty much the opposite of Tamara's style." [^191^] She grew up in a no-pressure household and was never pushed to take on the winery. But as she came of age, it became clear that she should follow in her family's footsteps or they would risk losing what they had built. [^191^] She studied foreign languages and economics in Graz, then enrolled at the Silberberg viticulture school in Leibniz, interning at Franz Hirtzberger in the Wachau — one of Austria's most revered estates. [^192^]
Around 2008–2009, Tamara returned home, renovated the 300-year-old Moarhaus into a Buschenschank and guesthouse, and began transitioning the operation from side-gig to full-fledged estate. [^192^] In 2010 she opened the Buschenschank, and by 2012 — at age 25 — she had formally taken over the business. [^192^] Her parents later divorced; her father left the business but still helps with bottling and machinery. Today, Tamara and her mother manage the B&B and Buschenschank together, while Tamara handles everything vineyard and winery related. [^191^]
"When I taste wine, I don't taste fruit. I see colours and structures. Sometimes I see personalities."
— Tamara Kögl
Demeter Biodynamic, Steep Slopes & Living Ecosystem
Tamara Kögl's farming is a study in patience, observation, and deep connection to place. After over 40 years of conventional farming, she converted the estate to organic viticulture and achieved Demeter biodynamic certification in 2020. [^191^] [^196^] The transition was not driven by market trends but by a conviction that healthy soil is the only foundation for wines of character and personality.
The vineyard spans approximately 10 hectares on two magical hillsides in the farthest corner of Südsteiermark, not far from Rebenhof and right along the Slovenian border. [^191^] The slopes are extreme — up to 80% incline — demanding intense manual care throughout the year. [^192^] Soils are a mix of shell limestone, marl, and sand, giving the wines their distinctive mineral backbone and freshness. [^191^]
The property is more than a vineyard — it is a living ecosystem. Beautiful wooded areas, a pond, an apple orchard, and a paddock for sheep that graze the orchard in spring and summer all contribute to biodiversity and soil health. [^191^] Tamara's oldest vines are four rows of Welschriesling from 1963, which she always bottles as a special wine — a tribute to the deep roots and resilience of old plants. [^191^]
For Tamara, biodynamic work is not just about making wine — it is about balance. "For me biodynamic work is a lot about balance," she explains. "It's not just about making wine." [^193^] This holistic view extends to every aspect of the estate: the Buschenschank serves home-produced charcuterie and seasonal dishes; the guest rooms invite visitors to linger; the goats and sheep maintain the land. It is a closed loop — agriculture, hospitality, and community woven together.
After 40+ years of conventional farming, Tamara converted to organic and achieved Demeter certification. Biodynamic preparations, composting, and lunar-calendar applications guide every vineyard decision. [^191^] [^196^]
The 10-hectare vineyard demands intense manual care. Two magical hillsides in the farthest corner of Südsteiermark, right along the Slovenian border. No mechanisation possible on these slopes. [^191^] [^192^]
Wooded areas, a pond, an apple orchard, and sheep grazing in spring and summer. The property functions as a closed loop — agriculture, hospitality, and biodiversity intertwined. [^191^]
The soils of Southern Styria give the wines their distinctive mineral backbone. A mix of shell limestone, marl, and sand creates complexity and freshness in every cuvée. [^191^]
Wild Yeasts, Skin Contact & Pet Nat Obsession
Tamara Kögl's winemaking is as creative and unconventional as her personality. She is deeply passionate, optimistic, and artistic — "whether walking in her vines and tending to her goats, to showing the ultimate in hospitality at her buschenschank and b&b, to snuggling with her kids and finding time for art, there is nothing Tamara dreams about that doesn't live on the spectrum of beauty and discovery." [^191^] This creative energy flows directly into her wines.
All wines are fermented with wild yeasts — no commercial strains, no enzymes, no manipulation. [^191^] Sulfur is used sparingly and only when necessary. [^191^] The cellar is a mix of stainless steel and old barrels, with some wines seeing skin contact and others directly pressed, depending on the vintage and the grape. [^191^] The range is wide: Pet Nats (a personal favourite of Tamara's), rosé, whites, a Zweigelt, and even a vermouth. [^191^]
Tamara is particularly fascinated by Petillant Naturel — the ancestral method of sparkling wine production where fermentation finishes in the bottle, creating a naturally effervescent, unfiltered, and utterly alive wine. [^192^] Her "Under Pressure" Pet Nat has become a signature, delivering elegance and vibrant yeast character that reflects years of experimentation. [^193^] She also produces vintage blends — a rarity in the natural wine world — such as the Sauvignon Blanc "Meierei" 2020/2021 and "Unconditional Love," a blend of three vintages of skin-contact Muscat Ottonel (2021/22/23) that combines floral aromatics, nutty tannins, and perfect freshness. [^193^]
The labels are abstract and artistic — echoing Tamara's synesthetic approach to wine. "When I taste wine, I don't taste fruit. I see colours and structures. Sometimes I see personalities," she says. [^193^] The visual identity of the estate is as personal and expressive as the liquid inside the bottles.
"Unconditional Love" — Three-Vintage Skin-Contact Muscat Ottonel
"Unconditional Love" is Tamara's most distinctive and emotionally resonant wine — a blend of three different vintages of Muscat Ottonel (2021, 2022, 2023) fermented on the skins. [^193^] It is a wine that defies conventional categorisation: floral, aromatic, with nutty tannins from the skin contact, yet perfectly fresh and lifted. The blend of vintages adds complexity that no single year could achieve alone — older wines contribute depth and integration, while younger wines bring vibrancy and primary fruit. [^193^]
The wine is a testament to Tamara's creative fearlessness. Most winemakers would never blend across vintages for a still wine, let alone a skin-contact Muscat. But Tamara sees wine as art — colours, structures, personalities — and "Unconditional Love" is her most personal expression. It is a wine that demands attention, rewards patience, and converts skeptics to the possibilities of natural wine. Serve with spicy Asian dishes, strong cheeses, or simply on its own as an aperitif. ~€22–€28 / ~$24–$30.
The Tamara Kögl Range
Tamara Kögl produces a wide and inventive range of wines from her 10-hectare biodynamic estate in Southern Styria. All wines are Demeter-certified, hand-harvested from steep hillside vineyards, fermented with wild yeasts, and made with minimal sulfur. [^191^] [^196^] The portfolio includes Pet Nats, skin-contact wines, vintage blends, classic whites, a red, and a vermouth — each reflecting Tamara's creative, synesthetic approach to winemaking. Several wines have received top ratings in the Falstaff Wine Guide 2025/26. [^192^] Prices are approximate and in EUR/USD.