Zusammenfassung
Weingut Scheiblhofer in Andau is one of Austria's best-known and most successful red-wine addresses. On the eastern shore of Lake Neusiedl, in the flat Seewinkel of Burgenland, the family farms around 85 hectares of vines. The leading grape is Zweigelt, which – often blended with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir – yields powerful, dark and internationally popular reds. Since Erich Scheiblhofer took over the estate from his father Johann in 2000, he has built it into a brand that shines far beyond the region: with the cult blend „Big John“, a strong export business and the award-winning wine and wellness hotel „Scheiblhofer The Resort“.
Geschichte
The estate's story begins in 1983, when the then 34-year-old Johann Scheiblhofer (1949–2022) started bottling his own wine in Andau from around 25 hectares of vines. In the following years he built a reputation for full-bodied reds and, with the „Big John“ label, created an early crowd favourite.
The decisive turning point came in 2000, when his son Erich Scheiblhofer (born 1978) took over the business. The young winemaker steadily expanded the vineyard area, modernised the cellar and put powerful, internationally accessible reds centre stage. Under his leadership, Scheiblhofer grew from a regional family operation into one of Burgenland's largest and best-known estates, today employing dozens of staff and exporting to numerous countries. With the opening of its own resort, the family has additionally turned the winery into a destination for excursions and indulgence.
Lage & Terroir
Andau lies in the Seewinkel, the flat, wide plain east of Lake Neusiedl – one of the warmest wine regions in Austria. The large, very shallow steppe lake acts as a huge heat reservoir: it moderates temperatures, extends the growing season and provides the many hours of sunshine that make powerful, fully ripe reds possible in the first place.
Here the Pannonian climate, with its hot summers and dry autumns, meets predominantly sandy and gravelly soils. This combination favours healthy, aromatically ripe grapes and tannic, dark wines. Lake Neusiedl also gives its name to the wine region and to the appellation Neusiedlersee DAC, whose flagship is Zweigelt.
Stil & Philosophie
Scheiblhofer stands for a modern, powerful red-wine style. At its heart are dense, dark wines with ripe fruit, present but well-integrated tannins and often barrique ageing that lends structure and spice. Zweigelt – Austria's most important native red grape – forms the backbone of the range and is used both as a single variety and as the base for blends.
Characteristic is the delight in rich blends, in which Zweigelt is combined with international varieties such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir. The red programme is rounded out by Blaufränkisch, along with fresh, fruit-driven whites from Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc and – true to the Seewinkel – by nobly sweet wines. Overall, the style aims for accessible, flavour-intense wines that give pleasure to a broad audience, without denying their origin in the warm east of Lake Neusiedl.
Bekannte Lagen & Weine
The estate's defining flagship is the blend „Big John“ – named after founder Johann Scheiblhofer. It embodies the powerful, dark house style and is made as a ripe, densely built red from varieties such as Zweigelt, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir. Complementing it, „Big John White“ offers a white version of the brand.
Around these figureheads stretches a broad range: single-varietal Zweigelt and Blaufränkisch wines, international reds from Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, fresh whites and sweet wines. Since the estate works in the flat Seewinkel landscape, the focus at Scheiblhofer is less on individual vineyard names than on clearly profiled wine lines and brands.
Auszeichnungen
Scheiblhofer regularly earns ratings in the leading Austrian wine guides such as Falstaff and Gault&Millau and has secured a firm place among the country's most successful red-wine producers. The family also attracts particular attention for „Scheiblhofer The Resort“: the wine and wellness hotel was designed by architect Arkan Zeytinoglu in the style of the typical Burgenland farmhouse, awarded the Michelin Key several times and named Austria's best wine hotel by the Falstaff Hotelguide 2026. The name Scheiblhofer today thus stands for the successful union of powerful wine, commercial success and modern wine tourism in Burgenland.