A friend from the Danube valley — Johannes Maringer from the Wagram
Hand-picked, family-shaped, full of character. Grüner Veltliner, Weißburgunder — and a verjus that reinvents summer.
Sometimes a friendship starts with somebody simply walking through the door. Shortly after we opened, Johannes Maringer stood in the bar and asked whether we would like to taste his wine. We would. That became a working relationship — and a friendship.
Ottenthal on the Wagram — loess, light and Danube breeze
Anyone who has ever driven along the gentle loess hills of the Wagram knows: this landscape carries a calm all of its own. Vines as far as the eye can see, broken up by little cellar lanes and farms that haven’t changed hands in five generations. Ottenthal, a quiet wine village near Kirchberg am Wagram, is one of those places.
This is where Johannes Maringer has run his family’s winery since 2010 — now in its fourth generation. He grew up between the rows of vines, trained at the Klosterneuburg wine school, and came back with the ambition to carry on the craft of his uncle Willibald while thinking ahead. Selective hand-picking, the gentlest handling in the cellar, and since the 2024 harvest every vineyard certified organic — that’s not a marketing promise, it’s Johannes’ everyday life.
“Aus Freude am Genuss” — for the joy of good taste. Those words don’t hang on a sign above the door. They are the attitude with which wine is made here.
The Wagram loess soil is the heart of it all. Deep, calcareous, heat-retaining — it gives the wines body and that creamy texture you won’t quite find anywhere else. Add a climate shaped by the Danube: warm days, cool nights, enough wind. Ideal conditions for Grüner Veltliner and Weißburgunder.
Two wines we pour at Liane’s
The Austrian original, matured to its best form on loess. Full-bodied, spicy, with the typical hint of pepper in the finish — and that earthy minerality you only get from the Wagram.
The elegant brother of Pinot Gris, endowed with a special juiciness on the Wagram. Fine acidity, delicate fruit — a wine made for good conversation, and even better for a mild evening.
Both wines carry Johannes’ signature: clearly varietal, without frills, with the courage to be straightforward. Wines that don’t need to explain what they are — because you taste it with the first sip.
Everything by Maringer on our menu
It has grown to more entries than we first expected — from the Grüner Veltliner by the glass to the Große Reserve, plus rosé, frizzante and the grape juice. Liane will tell you at the bar what is open right now.
⅛ means we pour that wine by the glass. 0.75 l means we are happy to bring a whole bottle.
Johannes’ verjus — the summer drink you don’t know yet
Liane doesn’t just pour Johannes’ wines — she has added his verjus to the list as well. And if you ask what that actually is, she’ll give you an answer that whets your appetite.
What is verjus? The name is French: vert jus — green juice. It’s the juice of grapes harvested unripe, before they have developed any sugar. The result is a completely alcohol-free natural product with a pleasantly mild, fruity acidity — finer than lemon juice, more elegant than vinegar, with an aroma all of its own that recalls early autumn mornings. No additives, no sugar, no preservatives. Just grape.
Verjus has a long history — in the Middle Ages, known as agrest, it was a matter of course in almost every kitchen and on every table. Then it fell into oblivion. Today winemakers, chefs and food lovers are rediscovering it — and we understand why.
Verjus with soda — that’s our tip for the summer. Poured over ice, a sprig of mint on top, done. Refreshing, complex, alcohol-free. It tastes like a wine spritzer with nothing to prove.
If you’d rather not drink alcohol, or simply fancy something special: Johannes’ verjus is our proof that alcohol-free and boring are two different things.
Why Johannes Maringer, why here?
Because he came himself. Not a sales rep, not a catalogue — the grower, with his bottles under his arm. We tasted, and what was in the glass made the decision on its own. That first visit turned into more than a purchasing decision: a partnership between two businesses that share the same values — handwork, honesty, and the conviction that quality begins in the vineyard.
Johannes is one of those winemakers you like straight away: down-to-earth, funny, in it with all his heart. His network spans the whole of Austria, his wine knowledge runs deep — and still he stays curious, tinkers with his vineyards, listens to his customers. Exactly the kind of people we want to know behind the wines on our list.
Drop by, let Liane pour for you — and do ask about the verjus. We’re happy to tell you more.
