Thursday, July 27, 2023

Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Leo Hillinger, Burgenland, with Jakob Scharner, Diplom-Sommelier - Austria 2023 by ombiasy WineTours











Following:

Lunch at Restaurant Die Seejungfrau in Jois at Lake Neusiedl - Austria 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

just a stone's throw away, we enjoyed a lovely tour and tasting at Weingut Leo Hillinger, a leading Austrian wine producer, with Jakob Scharner, Diplom-Sommelier. 

The visit had 4 parts: Welcome Sekt, vineyard tour, cellar tour and seated tasting, with Jakob Scharner. In addition to the formal tasting at the end of the tour, we also tasted in the vineyard (from bottle) and in the cellar (from barrel).

Earlier this year, charismatic founder/ owner Leo Hillinger was in town (Northern Virginia) for a couple of days before travelling to New York City and back to Europe for ProWein, which gave Annette and me the opportunity to arrange the visit with Leo directly. 

Pictures: Winemaker Dinner and Pre-dinner Tasting with Leo Hillinger, Weingut Leo Hillinger, in Northern Virginia, USA/ Austria

I visited Weingut Leo Hillinger a few years ago. 

Picture: Christian Schiller, Leo Hillinger and Hillinger Winemaker Edgar Butler in Jois, Austria. See: Visiting Leo Hillinger, Michael Hoeffken and Edgar Brutler at the Leo Hillinger Winery in Jois, Austria

Weingut Leo Hillinger, Lois, Burgenland, Leithaberg

Leo Hillinger can only be described as a jack-of-all-trades – an extremely likeable person with a very capable, innovative mind. Leo’s parents operated a small winemaking facility with less than 1 acre of vineyards, a Heurige, and a wine shop in Jois. Leo grew up among vines and wine. He then travelled the world, worked at wineries in Europe, California, South Africa, did a vocational training at a winery in Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany, where he finished with a state-certified economist and master winemaker
degree in Germany. After coming back to Jois, he took over his parent’s business in 1990 and developed all sorts of business ideas until finally, in 2004, winery Leo Hillinger opened its doors. 

Today Leo Hillinger is a winemaker, entrepreneur, TV star, high performance athlete and owner of 250 acres of top vineyards and a modern winery with a state-of-the-art cellar facility. Hillinger wines are regularly rated at top levels in Wine Enthusiast, the Austrian life-style magazine Falstaff, and at other wine competitions. At the Leo Hillinger winery, quality is inextricably linked to organic farming and the organic development of the wines.

Weingut Leo Hillinger, one of the Largest Organic Wine Producers in Austria

Weingut Leo Hillinger is one of the largest organic wine producers in Austria based in the Burgenland region. Leo is an entrepreneur with excellence in viticulture. He runs the winery with commitment and passion and has won several prestigious awards for his work. Their high-quality wines are exported to more than 30 countries around the world. He did his apprenticeship in California and Europe before buying 12 hectares of vineyards and opening his winery in 2004, followed by his Wineshops and Bars. He even has a long business relationship with Constantia Glen in South Africa. Currently, Weingut Leo Hillinger is one of the top wineries of the country and cultivates more than a hundred hectares of vineyards in organic farming around Lake Neusiedl.

No Compromise in Quality

Quality is the foremost objective here and is carried out by organic practices in the vineyards and during the expansion of wines. The grapes are allowed to be on the vines for as long as possible so that they can ripe adequately and show the qualities in the wines. Their wines are fresh and sparkling with a natural fruity taste and aroma. The main grape varietals they grow in their farms include Welschriesling, Grüner Veltliner, Chardonnay, Weißburgunder, Sauvignon Blanc, Gelber Muskateller, Zweigelt, St. Laurent, Blaufränkisch, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Syrah. The best grapes are handpicked to make their famous red, white, rose, sparkling, and dessert wines. The winery has ‘More Than Wine’ as a slogan, and it perfectly shoes their commitment and philosophy towards winemaking.

Arriving

Following

Lunch at Restaurant Die Seejungfrau in Jois at Lake Neusiedl - Austria 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

just a stone's throw away, we enjoyed a lovely tour and tasting at Weingut Leo Hillinger, a leading Austrian wine producer, with Jakob Scharner, Diplom-Sommelier.  

The visit had 4 parts: Welcome Sekt, vineyard tour, cellar tour and seated tasting, with Jakob Scharner.



Welcome Sekt


Vineyard Tour

In addition to the formal tasting at the end of the tour, we also tasted in the vineyard (from bottle) and in the cellar (from barrel).













Cellar Tour









Tasting






Austria 2023 by ombiasy WineTours - Published and Forthcoming Postings

ombiasy WineTours: Wine Tour Schedule 2023 - Austria, Germany/East, Burgundy/ Champagne, Germany/ North

Announcement: Austria 2023 by ombiasy WineTours - 12 Days: May 28 - June 08, 2023 

The Wines of Austria - Presentation by Annette Schiller, ombiasy WineTours, at the 2021 American Wine Society National Conference in Atlantic City 

Wine Producer Austria - Not Only Gruener Veltliner

Summary: Austria 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

Schiller’s Favorite Spots to Drink Wine in Vienna, Austria

Dinner at an Iconic Beisl in Vienna: Griechenbeisl - Austria 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

Tour of the Monastery/ Palace Klosterneuburg and of the Weingut Klosterneuburg, with Wine Tasting - Austria 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

Wiener Schnitzel and Tafelspitz at Plachutta in der Wollzeile, Vienna. Plachutta is more than a Restaurant: it is a Vienna Institution - Austria 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

After Dinner Drinks at Vis-a-Vis Wine Bar, Vienna - Austria 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

Vienna: Viaker City Tour and Tour of Schloss Schönbrunn - Austria 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

Lunch at Restaurant Die Seejungfrau in Jois at Lake Neusiedl - Austria 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

Winemaker Dinner and Pre-dinner Tasting with Leo Hillinger, Weingut Leo Hillinger, in Northern Virginia, USA/ Austria

Visiting Leo Hillinger, Michael Hoeffken and Edgar Brutler at the Leo Hillinger Winery in Jois, Austria

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Leo Hillinger, Burgenland, with Jakob Scharner, Diplom-Sommelier - Austria 2023 by ombiasy WineTours

Welcome to America: Franz and Christine Netzl Estate, Carnuntum, Austria

Visiting Christine, Christina and Franz Netzl in their Weingut Netzl in Carnuntum, Austria

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Netzl, Carnuntum, with Franz, Christine and Christina Netzl

Lunch at Restaurant Mole West at Lake Neusiedl

Meeting “John” Nittnaus from Gols, Burgenland, Austria

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Anita and Hans Nittnaus, Burgenland, with Anita, Hans and Martin Nittnaus

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Umathum, Burgenland, with Joseph Umathum

A Wedding and a Wine Tasting at Schloss Halbturn in Austria

Sekt Reception in the Court Yard and Dinner at Schloss Halbturn, Burgenland

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Steindorfer, Burgenland, with Ernst and Roland Steindorfer

Light Lunch at Gránátos Étterem at Esterházy Kástely in Fertöd, Hungary

Tour of the Liszt-Haus in Raiding

Tasting at Weingut Straka, Burgenland, with Thomas Straka

Wine and Food from Burgenland at Wachter-Wieslers Ratschen, Deutsch-Schuetzen, Austria - with Tom and Christoph Wachter and Julia Sevenich

Eating and Sleeping in the Vineyard: Wohnothek am Ratschen, Deutsch-Schützen, with Chef Daniel Sulzer, Restaurant am Ratschen, 16 Points Gault-Millau

Tasting at Weingut Wachter-Wiesler, Burgenland, with Julia Wachter 

Tour, Tasting and Lunch at Weingut Jalits, Burgenland, with Mathias Jalits

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Neumeister, Steiermark, with Christoph Neumeister

Dinner with a View at Hotel Weinrefugium, Steiermark

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Sattlerhof, Steiermark, with Justė Sattler

Visit: Gerhard Wohlmuth sen. and his Weingut Wohlmuth in Austria

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Wohlmuth, Steiermark

Lunch and Tasting at Buschenschank Weingut Trummer, Steiermark, with Jürgen Trummer

Tasting at Weingut Polz, Steiermark, with Sommelier Philipp Heidenbauer

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Tement, Steiermark, with Sommelier Andy Bodor

Lunch at Restaurant Magnothek/ Weingut Tement, Südsteiermark

Gustav Mahler, Sinfonie Nr.3 at Graz Opera, Steiermark

In Eisenstadt, Burgenland: Tour at Haydn House, Lunch at Restaurant Henrici, Tour at Esterhazy Castle

At Loisium Wine & Spa Resort Langenlois, Kamptal: Impromptu Steininger Sekt Reception with Eva Steininger and Klaus Wittauer

Wine-pairing Dinner at Heurigenhof Bründlmeyer with Chef Jan Pfeiffer, 15.5 Point Gault Millau

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Steininger, Kamptal, with Brigitta Steininger

The Wines of Stefanie and Alwin Jurtschitsch, Weingut Jurtschitsch, Kamptal, Austria

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Stephanie and Alwin Jurtschitsch, Kamptal, with Alwin Jurtschitsch

Lunch at Braugasthaus zum Fiakerwirtin Langenlois, Kamptal

Tasting at Weingut Markus Huber, Traisental, with Markus Huber

2 Days in Dürnstein, Wachau, at Hotel Richard Löwenherz

Martin Mittelbach from the "Tegernseehof" and Klaus Wittauer from "KWSelection" Presented Tegernseehof Wines and Stefan Trummer and Chef Austin Fausett from “Trummer’s on Main” in Clifton Austrian Appetizers at the Austrian Embassy in Washington DC, USA

Vineyard Walk and Tasting at Weingut Tebernseerhof, Wachau, with Owner/ Winemaker Martin Mittelbach

Tour and Tasting at Domäne Wachau, Dürnstein, Wachau

Tasting and Dinner at Weingut Nigl, Kremstal, 13.5 Points Gault Millau

Vintage 2011 Tasting with Lucas Pichler, Weingut F.X. Pichler, with Dirk Wuertz at his Koenigsmuehle in Rheinhessen, Austria/Germany

Tour and Tasting at Weingut F.X.Pichler, Wachau, with Lucas Pichler

Tasting at Weingut Matthias Hager, Kamptal, with Doris Hager

Lunch at Gasthaus Gutmann, Zöbing, Kamptal

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Schloss Gobelsburg, Kamptal, with Stefan Tabery

Farewell Dinner at Café Central in Vienna

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