Johannes Zillinger: organic roots and a different approach to amphora
From the newsletter archive. Originally sent 1 October 2019; adapted for the Journal on 29 October 2026.
A family tradition in the Weinviertel
Our October 2019 spotlight introduced Johannes Zillinger in Velm-Götzendorf, in north-eastern Austria. He took over his parents’ vineyards in 2012, building on a family commitment to organic farming that began with his father. Johannes wanted to take that approach further, extending biodynamic thinking across the farm.
The grapes connected familiar Austrian varieties, including Zweigelt, St. Laurent and Grüner Veltliner, with Riesling, Welschriesling, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. The important link was the way they were grown and the character of the vineyards they came from.
Learning from Georgia
Johannes travelled to Georgia to learn more about amphora. In the range described in the original newsletter, those vessels became part of each cuvée, used in different proportions rather than as a single recipe for every wine.
Velue took its name from the old name of the village and introduced the estate through village wines. Reflexion focused on individual vineyards and older vines. Revolution allowed more freedom: short skin fermentations, blends of vintages, solera systems and amphora were all part of the picture.
Numen brought the focus to fruit from his best plots, fermented and aged in amphora. The newsletter described the Revolution and Numen wines as bottled without fining, filtration or added sulphur. These were the practices and ranges described at the time of that release.
A way of life
The thread through the story was simple: organic and biodynamic farming were part of how Johannes lived and worked. His wines were intended to express the fruit, the land and the wider life of the vineyards.