NUMEN Riesling 2022

Wine Description for NUMEN Riesling 2022 by Johannes Zillinger

Character

Johannes Zillinger is among Austria’s most idiosyncratic and uncompromising natural winemakers. His NUMEN Riesling 2022 embodies a philosophy that understands winemaking as a dialogue between human, soil and climate – not as technical optimisation. With 12.5% alcohol and a dry profile, this Riesling presents itself as lean, focused and driven by a tension that is typical of Zillinger’s reductive, minimalist approach.

Terroir & Origin

The Weinviertel in north-eastern Austria is an often underestimated region – sprawling, windswept, shaped by continental climate with hot summers and cool nights. This temperature amplitude is crucial: it preserves the natural acidity structure and aromatic precision of the grapes. Zillinger’s winery in Velm-Götzendorf operates according to biodynamic principles, allowing the soil – mostly loess and primary rock – to express itself in the wine.

Grape Variety & Vinification

Riesling is a rarity in the Weinviertel, not a flagship – and that is precisely what makes Zillinger’s choice of this variety so programmatic. Riesling demands patience and a clear terroir consciousness. In Zillinger’s cellar, this means: spontaneous fermentation, minimal sulphur addition, no intervention that interrupts the wine’s natural flow. The result is a wine that understands origin and craft as equal partners – pure, vibrant, without cosmetic smoothing.

Food Pairing Suggestions

The directness and freshness of this Riesling make it an ideal companion to Austrian cuisine. Particularly harmonious: pike-perch with root vegetables, Wiener Schnitzel of veal with cucumber salad or a classic Liptauer on dark bread. International combinations also impress – such as Vietnamese summer rolls, sushi or light goat’s cheese variations. A wine that enlivens both table and conversation.