Opitz

Willi Opitz, in Illmitz on the Neusiedlersee, makes Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and Gewürztraminer. He invented reed wine, an innovation that required an amendment to Austrian wine law. The cellar produces Opitz One, Pole Position, Reed Wine, Pinot Reserve, Pinot Gris TBA, Gewürztraminer Ice Wine, and Orange wines. Opitz One appears in 'The 1000 Finest Wines Ever Made' and '1001 Wines You Must Try Before You Die'. The 2006 Pinot Reserve won best of its vintage in the ÖGZ Red Wine Guide. Opitz One and Gewürztraminer Ice Wine each received three stars at Vinaria. No chemical herbicides or pesticides are used. Birdhouses provide natural pest control. The harvest is hand-picked. Willi Opitz has established wineries in Cornwall, Italy, England, Finland, Transylvania, and Armenia, and offers wine coaching and consulting. The house produces the official Paralympics wine, most recently for the Olympic Games in Paris.