Leo Hillinger

Leo Hillinger - tenacious to success

Leo Hillinger was born in 1967 in Eisenstadt, Austria, and grew up in Jois. He was born with a love of wine, as his father was a wine merchant with a wine tavern. His life has not only been marked by success, there have also been many setbacks. The road was rocky, but persistence and determination finally paid off. When asked how he achieved his goals, Leo Hillinger replies, "With consistency, consistency, consistency." 

Leo Hillinger - winemaker with heart and soul

Leo Hillinger's heart clearly beats for viticulture. Not only as an entrepreneur, but also as a winemaker, he has won several awards, and his winery is internationally renowned.

Leo Hillinger spent his early apprenticeship years at various wineries in Europe and California. He completed his training in Germany as a state-certified economist and master winemaker. His success story finally began when he took over his father's wine business and purchased 12 hectares of vineyards. After building and opening his winery in Jois in 2004, Leo Hillinger set about establishing his first Wineshop & Bar. He now has four of them, spread throughout Austria. 

Then in 2012, Leo Hillinger began his long-standing and fruitful collaboration with the South African winery Constantia Glen. This is where the Constantia HILL wine line is created. He therefore likes to call South Africa his "second home", to which he travels several times a year.

2012 was also the year in which he became the first winemaker to be named "Entrepreneur of the Year" by the management consultancy Ernst & Young.

Today, Hillinger cultivates 100 hectares of vineyards around Lake Neusiedl in the Leithaberg region. 30 percent of his wines are now exported to over 20 countries. In doing so, he has always remained true to himself and his vision. This vision and his unconventional approach are ultimately also responsible for the fact that his network has grown and grown over the years. Part of his vision was to press top wines as close to nature as possible. Various branches opened up for him along the way, and today he is not only a winemaker, but also an investor and marketing strategist. Today he is an organic winemaker, entrepreneur and ambassador for his region.

Once his winery was fully funded, it was time for entrepreneur and winemaker Leo Hillinger to make new investments. Thus, ongoing reinvestments in the winery continued the expansion course. The goal was and still is that the winery should be one of the most modern in Austria, where exceptional wines are vinified under the aegis of recognized wine experts.

Leo Hillinger - a winemaker with (TV) stature

As a modern entrepreneur, Hillinger himself does not shy away from the screen. In 2015, he joined "2 Minutes - 2 Million," a Pulse 4 television show, as an investor. In the framework, he helps start-ups and uses his broad network for this purpose. For the series "Dorf braucht Wirt. Die große Wirtshausbelebung," he toured Austria. He also created his own format together with the station Puls-4: "Austria's Next Top Winemaker."

Enough life for a biography in book form

Leo Hillinger is not only a winemaker, investor, TV star and sportsman with a passion. in 2017, he also became a writer. At least once, because this year saw the release of his autobiography "Konsequenz, Konsequenz, Konsequenz!" In this book, Hillinger doesn't just tell his story. Rather, he gives insight into his vision, his desire to change the world. Into what drives him and what drives him.

Leo Hillinger - A distinguished entrepreneur

In 2012, the flood of awards for Leo Hillinger began with the Entrepreneur of the Year award, as mentioned above. An award he was the first winemaker ever to receive worldwide. The very next year, the winery was named "Best Family Business 2013 Burgenland" by WirtschaftsBlatt and its partners Bankhaus Spängler, BDO Austria and Notariatskammer. A prize that is awarded annually to companies that stand out for their regional commitment, creating value and jobs. Followed by many other awards. in 2016, he was awarded the title "Kommerzialrat" by the State of Austria. A professional title that stands for successful business management and efforts for the general public. Leo Hillinger GmbH was honored with the "Superbrand Austria Award" in 2017. The dignitaries for this are selected by consumers and experts.

Naturally, its wines - first and foremost the top cuvées

• HILL 1
• HILL 2
• HILL 3

are regularly awarded at home and abroad (Falstaff, Gault Millau, Parker, Mundus Vini, Wine Spectator, German Wine Award, Wine and Spirits, and many more).

Leo Hillinger - The wines

Quality standard

High quality standards are the be-all and end-all of Leo Hillinger's wines. The quality is inseparably linked to the organic cultivation and organic vinification of the wines. 

The grapes are given the longest possible ripening period, they remain on the vine as long as possible. In this way, the grapes can accumulate and ripen as long as possible. When pruning, each vine is treated according to its needs. Of course, this requires a lot of knowledge and experience. The care of the vines is spread over the whole year. Each cane and each shoot is individually positioned, straightened and plucked, or - if necessary - left alone. The motto in cultivation here is "as little as possible and as much as necessary". In this way, the grape can ultimately remain on the vine for the maximum time.

Leo Hillinger also follows this motto in the cellar. The wine is allowed to mature here. The wines mature in 1,200-liter barriques, in large wooden barrels or in 30,000 stainless steel tanks. Thus, each wine can develop according to its individual requirements. 

The wine categories

Leo Hillinger wines are produced in five categories:

• Sparkling: Sparkling moments with Secco & Brut
• Fresh and fruity: Drinking pleasure with youthful wines
• Trendy: breaking new ground with seasonal wines
• Earthy: The power of the soil in site wines
• Premium: Premium and noble wines