Karl Fritsch

believes that quality originates in the vineyard.  He learned this philosophy from his father, Karl Fritsch, Sr., who had been carefully cultivating the foliage and thinning out the grapes (yield minimization) since the 1970’s. After graduating from the Krems School of Viniculture, Karl Fritsch, Jr. became the winemaker. 

The Fritsch estate is situated in the Donauland wine region, about 50 km northwest of Vienna, along the Danube River. During ancient times, powerful winds blew fine particles of sand, creating a huge barrier of loess soil, with pockets of loam and gravel under the surface – the hills of the Wagram.

More than a third of Fritsch’s 17 hectares of vineyards is planted with Grüner Veltliner (Schlossberg, Steinberg), which requires very mature grapes and is vinified separately, according to the location of the site. The grapes are estate grown, and, as of vintage 2006, the winemaking is following bio dynamic rules and methods.  (However, it takes several years of practicing these methods before certification appears on the wine label.)

Fritsch also makes powerful Rieslings, as well as red wines. All Fritsch wines shine with fruit and finesse that can only be expected from a master of the art of winemaking. In 2006, he added a Riesling and Zweigelt Windspiel to the already very successful Grüner Veltliner Windspiel, to provide a complete line for easy drinking and a value oriented consumer.

Wine region:    
Donauland (stretching along the Danube River from an area east of Krems, to Klosterneuburg) Wagram (known for its loess soil)

Town and Province:
Kirchberg am Wagram/ Oberstockstall, Niederösterreich (Lower Austria)

Hectares/Acres: 17/42
Wine Varietals: 62% white wine, 38% red wine

White Wine: Grüner Veltliner comprises 30% of the entire wine production.
Other varietals are Riesling and Chardonnay

Red Wine: Zweigelt, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot

Single Vineyards: Schlossberg, Zeiselgnabo, Mordthal, Kapuzinerberg, Steinberg, Kreuzberg, Foggathal