The tasting room at Ducal

 
That name means “naturally sparkling,” and the style involves bottling a wine before its initial fermentation is complete. Experts can explain better than I, but often pét-nats are like Champagne that’s rougher around the edges—bubbly and yeasty, sometimes good, sometimes not so good and unpredictable in the best of ways.

Styria manifests some of those ways. A good place to start is Ducal, a beautiful property with steep vineyards, a century-old centerpiece and an impressive art collection in the barrel room. Ducal has one of the best origin stories around. Mitja Lo Duca was one of the most promising mountaineers in 1980s Yugoslavia.

 (to be continued)