Willi Opitz Illmitz

Willi Opitz works in Illmitz, on the Neusiedlersee, where he has shaped a program defined by invention and precision. He pioneered reed wine, a category that required amendment to Austrian wine law itself. The portfolio spans Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and Gewürztraminer, alongside orange wines and ice wines. Opitz One appears in 'The 1000 Finest Wines Ever Made' and '1001 Wines You Must Try Before You Die.' The 2006 Pinot Reserve took best of its vintage in the ÖGZ Red Wine Guide. Harvests are hand-picked and the work does not use chemical herbicides or pesticides. Opitz was the first Austrian named Late Harvest Winemaker of the Year, in London, 1996/97. The house produces the official Paralympics wine, most recently for Paris.