Zahel – The Family

Our
Family

At Zahel, wine has always been a family affair. Although the Heurigen and winery have grown over the years, we remain 100% family owned and operated.

Alex Zahel is the 4th generation leader of Zahel, having been passed the torch by his uncle Richard. Since taking the lead, he’s proud to continue the tradition of ushering Vienna’s most charming wines from the vineyard to the bottle. As in the past, Richard works carefully to maintain the vineyards and manages the tradition steeped Heurigen. Alex’s wife Hilary works alongside her husband at the winery, supporting the team with strategic and creative projects. Together, this small yet mighty team ensures that the family business continues to grow.

Zahel – Die Familie
Alex Zahel is the 4th generation leader of Zahel, having been passed the torch by his uncle Richard. Since taking the lead, he’s proud to continue the tradition of ushering Vienna’s most charming wines from the vineyard to the bottle. As in the past, Richard works carefully to maintain the vineyards and manages the tradition steeped Heurigen. Alex’s wife Hilary works alongside her husband at the winery, supporting the team with strategic and creative projects. Together, this small yet mighty team ensures that the family business continues to grow.

Our
Family

At Zahel, wine has always been a family affair. Although the Heurigen and winery have grown over the years, we remain 100% family owned and operated.

Hilary and Alex
Alex Zahel Famly

Alex Zahel is the 4th generation leader of Zahel, having been passed the torch by his uncle Richard. Since taking the lead, he’s proud to continue the tradition of ushering Vienna’s most charming wines from the vineyard to the bottle. As in the past, Richard works carefully to maintain the vineyards and manages the tradition steeped Heurigen. Alex’s wife Hilary works alongside her husband at the winery, supporting the team with strategic and creative projects. Together, this small yet mighty team ensures that the family business continues to grow.

Richard Zahel

Winemaker and Restauranteur

Wiener Gemischter Satz has become a household name, not only in Austria but on the international market, largely because Richard recognized its potential roughly 30 years ago. Today he is responsible for maintaining the winery’s vineyards and operates the second arm of the family business: the Heurigen.

Alex Zahel

Winemaker

In 2005 began leading the winery, inheriting the role from his uncle Richard. With extensive practical and academic training in winemaking and business, he directs not only operations and sales, but functions as winemaker and has produced each vintage since 2006.

Hilary
Merzbacher-Zahel

Hilary works together with her husband Alex, helping guide and grow the winery into the next generation. The American-born artist and former food editor leads the winery’s creative initiatives. Her mark is found on the butterflies on each bottle of Zahel wine, which she designed and printed by hand.

Lars Lackner-Petz

Sales und Marketing

Born with Austrian roots in Cologne, Germany, Lars has called Vienna home for many years. With more than 20 years of experience in the wine industry, he has come to understand the field from the perspective of both sommelier and salesperson. Lars takes care of domestic and international sales of the complete Zahel portfolio.

Wine from Vienna

Vienna, the world’s only city also classified as its own wine growing region, is home to distinctive, tradition-rich wines. Our 35 hectares of vineyards are distributed throughout all of the city’s main growing zones. The varied terroir of each region ranges from flysch sandstone to loess to Dolomite chalk and in concert with numerous micro-climates, provides a basis for world-class wines. In this unique sense, Vienna’s diverse terrain reflects the multi-faceted nature of city itself.

Wine from Vienna

Vienna, the world’s only city also classified as its own wine growing region, is home to distinctive, tradition-rich wines. Our 35 hectares of vineyards are distributed throughout all of the city’s main growing zones. The varied terroir of each region ranges from flysch sandstone to loess to Dolomite chalk and in concert with numerous micro-climates, provides a basis for world-class wines. In this unique sense, Vienna’s diverse terrain reflects the multi-faceted nature of city itself.

The
Heurigen

Winery and Heurigen simply belong together, as they always have. Housed in what was once the local primary school, the classic Viennese wine tavern first opened its doors about 90 years ago. Today, with help from his wife Cornelia and daughter Franziska, Richard Zahel guides the tradition-rich establishment into its next chapter, offering guests a classic, yet refined taste of Vienna’s distinctive Heurigen scene. On the menu, you’ll find fresh and lovingly prepared local dishes, seasonal specialties and of course, our signature wines.

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A moving Story

Zahel – Winery and Heuriger
Zahel – Winery and Heuriger

Until about 30 years ago, the Zahel family served the local community with a one-hectare vineyard and about four Heurigen tables. In 1989, Richard hung up his proverbial helmet, leaving a career in car racing to grow the family business. That same year, he became the first Viennese winemaker to write “Wiener Gemischter Satz” on a wine label, celebrating what had previously been sold primarily as a tap wine in local restaurants.

Out of a small family business, a larger one has flourished. Although we’ve grown, our guiding principles are unchanged — respect for the craft of winemaking, our natural world and Wiener Gemischter Satz remain at the core of our daily operations.

Until about 30 years ago, the Zahel family served the local community with a one-hectare vineyard and about four Heurigen tables. In 1989, Richard hung up his proverbial helmet, leaving a career in car racing to grow the family business. That same year, he became the first Viennese winemaker to write “Wiener Gemischter Satz” on a wine label, celebrating what had previously been sold primarily as a tap wine in local restaurants.

Out of a small family business, a larger one has flourished. Although we’ve grown, our guiding principles are unchanged — respect for the craft of winemaking, our natural world and Wiener Gemischter Satz remain at the core of our daily operations.

A moving
Story

Until about 30 years ago, the Zahel family served the local community with a one-hectare vineyard and about four Heurigen tables. In 1989, Richard hung up his proverbial helmet, leaving a career in car racing to grow the family business. That same year, he became the first Viennese winemaker to write “Wiener Gemischter Satz” on a wine label, celebrating what had previously been sold primarily as a tap wine in local restaurants.

Out of a small family business, a larger one has flourished. Although we’ve grown, our guiding principles are unchanged — respect for the craft of winemaking, our natural world and Wiener Gemischter Satz remain at the core of our daily operations.

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Wine from Vienna