Austrian Family Breakup Leads to New Winemaking Project

Exclusive interview with Alex Zahel and Hilary Merzbacher

They say that blood runs thicker than water, but Viennese winemaker Alexander Zahel would probably choke on that phrase right now. Following his exit from the family business Weingut Zahel in July 2024, Alex now faces multiple lawsuits and an uncertain future for his career. His wife Hilary Merzbacher was also caught in the crossfire, fired from her position as one of the winery’s employees. Alex describes the last nine months as “the most disgusting part of my life.”

I sat down with the couple, over breakfast in Eisenstadt, to try to understand how a successful family business can implode so dramatically, and - more positively - to hear about their plans for the future and their new micro-negociant project Alexander Zahel. This is the first such interview they have given to an international publication.