Producer Focus – Weingut Salzl Seewinkelhof

What springs to mind when someone mentions Austrian wine? Snow-capped mountains, cosy chalets, crisp white wine, lederhosen, and the distant sound of yodelling?

For many consumers, that might still be the case. Austria remains, in the minds of many, the German-speaking country you visit for skiing.

Does any of this encapsulate the reality at Weingut Salzl? Does it heck.

Picture otherworldly white donkeys grazing across a flat, steppe-like landscape, encircling a vast, salt-rich lake. The striking beauty and ecological importance of the region have earned the Seewinkel National Park – home to our Austrian partners, Salzl – a place on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list. This unique corner of Burgenland is key to creating wines that are truly one of a kind.

So, what makes it so different? Firstly, Burgenland is Austria’s hottest wine region and, unlike most others in the country, production here is roughly split between red and white wines.

At the heart of the Neusiedlersee DAC lies Lake Neusiedl – a vast, shallow body of water known as an endorheic lake. It’s the largest of its kind in Central Europe (for reference, the Caspian Sea is the largest in the world).

An endorheic basin is an area where the river network is completely isolated from the ocean—water flowing in never makes it to the sea. Lake Neusiedl covers 315 km², with 240 km² on the Austrian side and the remaining 75 km² in Hungary.

The lake is central to the region’s distinctive terroir. Acting like a giant heat reservoir, it absorbs the hot daytime temperatures during the warm summer months and slowly redistributes that warmth across the surrounding vineyards. This natural heating system, combined with the lake’s humidity, also helps protect the vines from frost.

Much like the Médoc before it, large parts of the lake were drained in the early 19th century. What was revealed beneath was a patchwork of gravel soils—ideal for cultivating red grape varieties. Elsewhere in the region, you’ll find sandy and loamy soils, adding further complexity to the terroir.

Aren’t the grapes too hot?

Not quite. The lake is also a very windy place—as evidenced by the many wind farms that dot the landscape. These constant breezes help cool the vineyards at the height of summer, preserving acidity in the grapes and keeping the wines fresh and vibrant. The wind also naturally manages the humidity caused by the lake’s proximity, reducing the risk of disease in the vineyard.

Did you put salt in my wine?

The water isn’t freshwater; it has a salt concentration making it about 1/20th the salinity of seawater, which is quite high. The salt originates from the sediments on the bottom of the lake, formed thousands of years ago when the lake was still connected to the ocean.

The salt finds its way to the vines in two key ways:

This results in a distinctive salinity in the wines—subtle, enticing, and completely unique to this place.

The area around the lake remains marshy, with extensive reed beds providing a rich habitat for wildlife. This thriving biodiversity plays an important role in maintaining a natural balance in the nearby vineyards.

The Grapes

Neusiedlersee sits at 47˚ latitude – the same as Beaune in Burgundy- so it’s no surprise that the grape varieties grown here tend to prefer cooler conditions. Grüner Veltliner is king, but Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc (Weißburgunder), and Pinot Gris (Grauburgunder) also thrive.

When it comes to red wine, Zweigelt is the region’s star. A cross between Blaufränkisch (another local favourite) and St. Laurent, it was developed by Professor Fritz Zweigelt in 1922. Naturally disease-resistant and highly productive, Zweigelt shows up in a broad range of styles from light, juicy and easy-drinking to full-bodied, concentrated, and barrel-aged.

Salzl’s Zweigelt is vibrant, supple, and just a little bit spicy—a medium-bodied little number that’s downright delectable.

The Salzl Family

As their name suggests (Salzl means ‘salt’ in German), the family’s roots lie in the salt trade. Weingut Salzl was founded in 1840, though winemaking was just one of many agricultural activities the family pursued for several decades. That changed when Heribert Salzl, father of Josef and grandfather of Christoph (who runs the winery today), decided to focus entirely on wine. He was one of the few farmers to take that step, and while he mainly produced white and sweet wines, his efforts earned him several gold medals. The family never looked back.

Today, the Salzl family is deeply involved in every aspect of the business—from the winery’s day-to-day operations to the marketing of their wines. It’s charming to see elements of the family’s heritage reflected in the range, with several wines named in homage to their history.

Salzl in the UK

We began importing Salzl wines exactly a year ago, and the response from independent wine merchants and the On-Trade has been truly heartwarming.

What’s even more refreshing is that our best-seller is also the most expensive wine in the range: Figaro. Named after a hairdresser uncle who owns the vineyard where the vines are cultivated, this Grüner Veltliner comes from old vines and is aged in small oak barrels on fine lees, with regular stirring. It’s both saline and creamy, perfectly balanced by a light acidity. Simply put, it’s absolutely delicious.

Keep an eye out for its red partner, which has just landed. We’re only bringing in 20 cases, as production is limited: Josanna (named after the owner’s children) is a red blend of Zweigelt, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Cabernet Franc, aged for 12 months in small oak barrels.

Here’s what our Head of Independents, Tim Carlisle, had to say about it:

“The wine is grown on soil with a very high gravel content, close to water. This is why they’ve planted Cabernet and Merlot, but the Pannonian climate (warmer summers, colder winters, with some mitigation from the lake) plays a crucial role. It gives the wines ripe, fine, velvety tannins, plush fruit, and a backbone of acidity and structure that allows it to age well—at least 10 years, if not longer. Because this is still Neusiedlersee, Zweigelt takes centre stage—and rightly so. On this side of the lake, with these soils and the warmer climate, Zweigelt reaches its peak. The ripe tannins, thicker skins, and fuller body mean more oak can be used, adding layers of complexity and allowing the tannins to polymerise into something altogether incredible.” Be sure to reserve a couple of cases as soon as possible. In the meantime, try the rest of the range—they might just change your, or your customers’, perceptions of Austria as a wine-producing country.