Going somewhere for the first time and for a weekend only puts one under a certain stress. Obviously, one wants to see the very best the location can offer. And eat and drink the best, of course.
Genussgut Krispel appears to be the perfect choice for South East Styria then. According to Falstaff, the Austrian wine and gourmet food magazine, it is the top Heuriger in the area and #2 in Styria as a whole. Even if one does not trust Falstaff completely (I don’t), the Heuriger’s modern building, the in-house shop and the adjoining garden are very stylish and impressive. The building accommodates a small hotel with a swimming pool, and in the evenings the Heuriger transforms into a fancy restaurant with exclusive set menus and expensive à la carte dishes. During the day, however, it’s almost a normal Heuriger, only with no buffet and a limited choice of snacks at higher than average prices.
Many of the dishes have something to do with sheep pigs, known in German as Wollschweine or Mangalitza pigs. Originally from Hungary, these pigs can also be found in Burgenland and the southern parts of Styria. The area around Bad Radkersburg seems to be specializing in them, and that is very welcome news indeed, for the Mangalitza meat compared to ordinary pork is probably like Wagyu beef compared to your average cow.
The quality was especially noticeable with the ham and the Verhackertes. Not only was the meat excellent, but the way it was prepared – the texture and the combination of salt and spices – hinted that Krispel had spent a long time perfecting its products. The salami and a slice of a long smoke sausage could easily stand on their own, and the presence of soft and very tasty cheese was a very pleasant surprise. Strangely, the ingredient I was somehow most looking forward to – the white Lardo called “Neusetzer” – was the least impressive of all, having a rather weak flavor and a harder consistency that I had expected. Funnily, even the Heuriger’s own ginger cat Rudi, who at one point decided to sunbath on my table, completely refused to try the Neusetzer, having earlier swallowed the ham and the salami very happily. Also surprisingly “non-Styrian” was the complete absence of pumpkin oil or seeds. That was positive in my view, as they would have looked out of place in the company of such quality meats. Instead, the Jause came with a bowl of fantastically strong horseradish.
The underwhelming Lardo aside, Krispel completely deserves its reputation of a top Heuriger. All the wines were excellent, the bread was extremely fresh, and the service was exactly what you would expect from a class establishment. On my way back, I was seriously considering buying some of the Heuriger’s produce for home but changed my mind realizing the limited capacity of my backpack. Later on, I discovered that Krispel’s products were available in many supermarkets all over the region. If you can, however, aim to visit the Heuriger. You won’t regret it, and when there, don’t forget to say hi to Rudi the cat from me.
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