Fritsch Karl

In 1999, Karl Fritsch decided to inherit his father's estate. Compared to his father, Karl has a more innovative vision and a more sensitive approach to the environment and the plant. His idea is based on a "respectful" philosophy, and together with 14 well-known and acclaimed local winemakers, he founded the "Respect" association. He first secured organic certification and then decided to put the principles of biodynamic viticulture, studied at length by the esotericist Rudolf Steiner, into practice. The winery is located in Wagram, an Austrian municipality in the western part of the Lower Austria region, around 60 km west of the capital Vienna. Here, the Danube river, which flows powerfully just a few kilometres away, has designed and shaped the morphology of the valleys for years. Granite, lime, leiss and gneiss deposits (typical metamorphic rock) have created a unique soil, which over the years has proved to be one of the most suitable for viticulture in the country. The climate tends to be dry and breezy, although in some seasons it is more humid with the presence of mists that favour the growth of botritys cinerea. This noble rot affects the grapes and allows the production of sweet and concentrated nectars, which are known in these lands as Beerenauslese.

The Karl Fritsch winery lies on the same parallel as Burgundy, and perhaps this is the reason why the quest for quality and individual expression of the vineyard characterises the area's production. Only two preparations are used in the vineyard in the form of pulverised mixtures, preparation 500, based on horn manure, which is mainly used in the growth phase, and preparation 501, which is made from silica horn and is used for ripening. These preparations are produced from cow horns filled with manure and quartz, which are placed in the ground for months during the phases of the moon. Before being applied to the soil, the preparations are placed in barrels in contact with water. This is a decidedly biodynamic approach that favours the vitality and immunity of the plants. In the cellar, the vinification process involves soft pressing, spontaneous alcoholic fermentation catalysed by indigenous yeasts and maturation in large oak casks or steel tanks, which are all designed to follow the phases of the moon.

The wines of Fritsch are of the highest quality and are made from Riesling, Pinot Noir and Veltliner grapes grown on 25 hectares of the estate. They are pure and polished expressions of personality, which uniquely represent the vocational and prestigious Wagram region. Pure Austria in liquid form without any compromises!