40 Years Organic, Infinite Boundaries
Johannes Zillinger is one of Austria's most revolutionary natural winemakers — a fourth-generation vigneron who inherited a 350-year-old estate and transformed it into a laboratory of biodynamic innovation. [^52^] [^53^] Based in Velm-Götzendorf, Weinviertel — just an hour northeast of Vienna, ten minutes from the Slovakian border — the Zillinger family has been farming organically since 1984, long before it was fashionable. [^54^] [^62^] Johannes took the reins in 2013 and immediately converted to Demeter-certified biodynamics, embracing a "biodynamic farming 2.0" philosophy that includes sheep, pigs, chickens, home-grown herbs for vineyard teas, and self-built solera systems in the cellar. [^52^] [^65^] His wines are organised into three distinct lines — Reflexion, Revolution, and Numen — ranging from glou-glou village wines to zero-intervention amphora-aged expressions that push the boundaries of what Austrian wine can be. [^54^] [^56^]
From 1673 to Georgia & Back
The Zillinger estate was founded in 1673 in Velm-Götzendorf, a tiny village in the southern Weinviertel, Austria's largest wine region. [^52^] [^60^] For centuries, the family farmed conventionally — but in 1983, Johannes's father Hans made a radical decision: he converted the entire estate to organic viticulture, becoming one of Austria's pioneers in a movement that was then considered eccentric. [^62^] This was just two years before the infamous anti-freeze scandal that rocked Austrian wine, making Hans's commitment to purity even more remarkable. Johannes grew up in this organic mindset, absorbing the rhythms of chemical-free farming from childhood. [^53^]
In 2011, before taking over the estate, Johannes made a pilgrimage to the birthplace of wine — the Republic of Georgia in the Caucasus. [^53^] There he discovered small wineries tending vines and cellaring wine in ancient, minimalist ways, using qvevri (Georgian amphorae buried in the earth). When he tasted the results, he found a vitality he longed for in his own wines. He decided that organics did not go far enough to achieving this vibrancy, and upon taking the reins in 2013, he immediately converted the vineyards to Demeter-certified biodynamics. [^53^] [^62^] "Being organic or biodynamic is not a trend, it's a lifestyle, and we have been living it for over 40 years," Johannes says. [^65^]
The Weinviertel is Austria's largest DAC, famous for its peppery, youthful Grüner Veltliners — but Zillinger eschews the appellation. [^53^] His soils are unique from most of the expansive appellation (lime-sandstone rather than the typical loess), his farming is biodynamic, and his winemaking is far too experimental for the DAC's conservative standards. [^53^] He makes extensive use of qvevri, skin-contact whites, spontaneous ferments with native yeast, foot-treading, and bâtonnage — all while using minimal sulfur and bottling unfined and unfiltered. [^53^] The result is a portfolio that ranges from glou-glou village wines to austere, serious single-vineyard expressions to playfully experimental multi-vintage solera blends. [^53^]
"The most beautiful pictures are painted by nature; with low intervention winemaking in the cellar, we frame those artworks."
— Johannes Zillinger
Biodynamic 2.0, Circular Farming & Living Vines
Johannes Zillinger's approach to viticulture is what he calls "biodynamic farming 2.0" — a philosophy that extends far beyond the standard biodynamic preparations. [^65^] "The question was always: is a vineyard only a vineyard or can it be much more? Like an area dedicated to biodiversity..." he explains. [^65^] Across approximately 18 hectares, the Zillinger vineyards are a thriving ecosystem: sheep, chickens, and Kune Kune pigs graze between the vines; trees and bushes planted on the eastern sides of southern-sloped vineyards act as "natural air conditioners"; and home-grown herbs — thyme, chamomile, nettle, and more — are cultivated for teas, extracts, and essential oils used in vineyard spraying. [^53^] [^65^]
This circular farming approach is deliberate and comprehensive. Johannes belongs to a group of over 100 biodynamic farmers in the Austrian/Slovakian border region who combine resources to collectively make their preparations. [^53^] He doesn't buy clones or plant material; instead, he takes cuttings from his own vineyards. [^53^] "If I want a new variety, I regraft it from my own vineyards," he says — a practice that preserves genetic diversity and strengthens the vineyard's unique identity. [^53^] The result is what Wine Enthusiast described as "vibrant with mineral elements" — wines that taste of a specific place because every input, from compost to cover crop to vine genetics, originates within that place. [^53^]
The soils of Velm-Götzendorf are distinct from much of the Weinviertel. While the broader appellation is dominated by loess, Zillinger's vineyards sit on lime-sandstone — a harder, more mineral-rich substrate that imparts a firm backbone and savoury depth to his wines. [^53^] [^62^] The vineyards are arranged on both cool, north-facing slopes and warmer, south-facing hilltops, allowing Johannes to achieve a balance between ripeness and acidity by matching varieties to aspect. [^52^] He has also planted trees as windbreaks and shade providers, recognising that "our everchanging climate with hotter summers, warmer winters and erratic precipitations is a proof for us that we have taken the right steps." [^62^]
Certified organic since 1984 (father Hans). Demeter biodynamic since 2012 (Johannes). Circular farming: sheep, pigs, chickens. Home-grown herbs for teas and essential oils. Collective biodynamic preparation group with 100+ farmers. [^53^] [^62^] [^65^]
Distinct from typical Weinviertel loess. Harder, more mineral-rich substrate. Cool north-facing slopes and warm south-facing hilltops. Trees as natural air conditioners. 7–55 year old vines. [^53^] [^62^]
Pilgrimage to Georgia in 2011. Self-built qvevri/amphorae. Buried clay vessels for fermentation and ageing. Extended skin contact (up to 11 months). Intracellular fermentation. Ancient methods, modern precision. [^53^] [^54^]
Trees and bushes as windbreaks and shade. Cool-climate vineyard selection for Parcellaire wines. Early harvest to preserve acidity. Goal: continue producing cool-climate wines despite global warming. [^53^] [^62^]
Three Lines, Solera & Zero Intervention
Johannes Zillinger's cellar is a playground of experimentation anchored by disciplined technique. All wines are spontaneously fermented with indigenous yeasts — a non-negotiable principle that allows the vineyard's microbial fingerprint to shape every bottle. [^53^] [^62^] But within that framework, Johannes pushes boundaries: he uses Georgian qvevri for extended skin-contact whites, self-built solera systems for multi-vintage blending, and intracellular fermentation (whole-berry fermentation that starts inside the grape itself) for his most radical expressions. [^54^] [^62^] Sulfur is minimal — typically 15–35 mg/L total — and many wines receive none at all. [^62^] All wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered. [^53^]
The portfolio is organised into three distinct lines that communicate style, intention, and ambition: [^54^] [^56^]
Reflexion — The heart of the estate. These wines reflect the soil, variety, location, orientation, and vintage — the classic, terroir-driven expressions from old vineyards where both Johannes's father and grandfather worked. [^54^] From Grüner Veltliner to Zweigelt, they are perfectly crafted to show the origins of the old vineyards and the winemaker himself. The Reflexion Grüner Veltliner K, for example, combines three favourite vineyards and vinification methods from three generations: grandfather's Kellerberg/Großbergen (10-hour maceration, large old barrel), father's Kellerberg/Steinhal (12-hour maceration, steel tank), and Johannes's Hohe Eck (whole grapes, 1000-litre amphora). [^62^]
Revolution — "Viva la Revolution!" This is where Johannes experiments without boundaries: solera systems, short-time fermentations, vintage blends, amphora fermentation, PiWi (fungus-resistant) vines, unlikely grape combinations. [^54^] "All allowed, nothing forbidden," says Zillinger. [^54^] The Revolution Pet-Nat is a crisp, aromatic blend of Grüner Veltliner, Riesling, and Muskateller with persistent bubbles and a mineral core. [^62^] The Revolution Solera White blends Chardonnay, Riesling, and Scheurebe using a solera dating back to 2013 — a wine that minimises vintage variation while maximising depth and complexity. [^62^]
Numen — The pinnacle. Named after the Latin term for divine power presiding over a place, these wines receive almost no intervention in the cellar. [^54^] [^62^] Specially selected from the oldest vines and ripest grapes, they undergo intracellular fermentation in amphorae and are matured without intervention for up to 16–20 months. [^54^] The Numen Fumé Blanc — a Sauvignon Blanc fermented entirely in amphora with 10% fresh berries added at the end of fermentation, then aged 18 months in 600-litre oak — was named Alternative Wine of the Year 2020 by Gault&Millau. [^54^] [^62^] The Numen St. Laurent Rosé comes from a tiny parcel planted in 1922, fermented semi-carbonically in amphora, then rested 6 months in the same vessel before decanting to acacia and oak barrels — a light-coloured yet mind-bogglingly complex wine that blurs the line between rosé and red. [^62^]
Numen Fumé Blanc — "Alternative Wine of the Year 2020, Gault&Millau"
The Numen Fumé Blanc is Johannes Zillinger's most acclaimed wine — a revolutionary expression of Sauvignon Blanc that proves Austrian wine can rival the grand Silex wines of the Loire Valley. [^54^] [^62^]
Made from 40-year-old biodynamically maintained Sauvignon Blanc vines planted on lime-sandstone soils at the top of the Steinthal vineyard, the grapes are fermented entirely in amphora with 10% fresh berries added at the end of fermentation — a technique that adds aromatic complexity and textural breadth. [^62^] Once fermentation is complete, the juice is pressed and aged in 600-litre oak barrels for 18 months, developing depth, integration, and a distinctive savoury nuance. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. [^62^]
In the glass, it unfolds in complexity with time — lightly herbal at first, with hints of melon, lemon peel, and nectarine, before revealing intense minerality, depth, and elegance. The finish is long, saline, and reminiscent of the greatest flint-soil Sauvignon Blancs of France. This is not a wine of immediate gratification; it is a wine of contemplation, evolution, and revelation. At 12.5% alcohol and less than 25 mg/L total sulfites, it demonstrates that power and precision need not come at the cost of drinkability. Serve at 10–12°C. Decant if possible. ~€24–€34 / ~$26–$37.
The Zillinger Range
Johannes Zillinger produces approximately 8,300 cases annually from ~18 hectares in Velm-Götzendorf, Weinviertel, Lower Austria. All wines are Demeter-certified biodynamic, organically farmed since 1984, hand-harvested, spontaneously fermented with indigenous yeasts, and bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal or zero sulfur. The portfolio is organised into three lines: Reflexion (terroir-driven classics), Revolution (experimental solera and Pet-Nat), and Numen (zero-intervention amphora wines). Prices are approximate and in EUR/USD.
Adresse: Landstraße 70, 2245 Velm-Götzendorf, Österreich
Telefon: +43 676 635 7881
E-Mail: jz@velue.at
Website: zillinger.at
Instagram: @velue.at
Facebook: @velue.at