Winemakers: Theresa & Gerhard Haider
Where: Illmitz, Burgenland, Austria
Size: 15 ha
Main Varieties: Welschriesling, Riesling, Grüner Veltliner & Chardonnay
Certifications: Organic Certified since 2019 with LACON
Quick note: Botrytis sweet wines from Neusiedlersee, spontaneous fermentation and low sulphur
We originally reached out to Theresa and Gerhard after searching in vain for years for some high quality, organic sweet wine and stumbled upon them at VieVinum in 2024! The wines immediately impressed us, we normally aren't big fanatics of sweet or residual sugar wines, but wow, when they're good, you immediately see the attraction.
Hailing from the iconic Burgenland region, on the eastern shores in Illmitz, they are perfectly disposed to make sweet wines. The region is famous for the easy soils of sandy, loamy gravel, low elevation, proximity to the Neusiedlersee and the morning fog which supports the 'noble rot' botrytis. Theresa and Gerhard are fourth generation winemakers on their 15 hectares family vineyards.
Organically certified since 2019, their winemaking also reflects a little more low intervention than classic sweet wine makers. Fermentations are spontaneous, and when they’ve reached the intended sugar levels. They arrest the fermentation by cooling the wines and gently pad filtering, this results in a removal of yeasts and a sweet wine with much lower sulphur levels than traditionally used.
We are really excited to see how these wines are received in Denmark; they have huge potential to support restaurant lists and pairings of all levels.
