Helmut Lang produces a wide range of sweet wines from his small winery in Illmitz. He is the third generation to run this 13 hectare estate, three quarters white varieties with Sämling (Scheurebe) and Welschriesling the most widely planted. Reds are from Zweigelt, Merlot and Pinot Noir mainly. Sweet wines are very much his speciality and he has acquired an international reputation as one of the top producers of this style. He has recently invested in a refrigeration room, which gives him total control over his winemaking. His vineyards hug the shoreline of Lake Neusiedl where afternoon mists, that develop off the Lake and the many small pools around it, create a perfect climate in the vineyards for the development of botrytis. Migrating birds cause real problems, and vines have to be netted to prevent the precious berries being eaten.