“I’m just not as good as nature.“ — Karl Fritsch
Like his father before him, Karl Fritsch understands that quality comes first and foremost from the vineyards themselves. Karl Fritsch Sr. established the winery in Wagram, then known as Donauland, and had long been focused on improving the quality of his grapes – he had been minimizing yields to do so in the 1970’s when quantity was the name of the game. In the wake of the diethylene glycol scandal of 1985, Fritsch Sr. was among the first to formalize a quality movement in the region in 1989. It’s then no surprise that when Karl Fritsch Jr. took over 1999, he began to push the boundaries in the vineyard. Biodynamics were implemented as the heart of the estate’s viticulture by 2006. Not only did he improve the quality of his own winegrowing, but he was also a founding member of Respekt – Austria’s premiere biodynamic winegrowers association.
Weinberghof Fritsch primarily focuses on an excellent array of Grüner Veltliner from top sites, as well as vibrant Pinot Noir, and of course the region’s ubiquitous Roter Veltliner.
Karl Fritsch
Karl Fritsch knew early on that his focus would keep him in the vineyards. After graduating from the Krems School of Viniculture he became the winemaker at his family estate. As a technically trained winemaker, it may have been viewed as odd that he became such a proponent of Biodynamics in an era when the idea was still viewed as outlandish. But having grown up watching his father spend so much time in the vineyards, it’s no surprise that he’s adopted a practice that only enhances nature’s rhythms and the vine’s vibrancy.
His approach to winemaking and biodynamic farming are centered on the idea of stewardship and maintaining the land and vineyards for future generations. In 2025, his son Alex has started to officially get involved at the winery.
Wagram
Wagram, known as Donauland until 2007, lies just east of Kamptal and is bisected by the Danube River. The northern portion is defined by the Wagram plateau itself – a 30 kilometer mountain range that stretches eastwards. At 40 meters high, this plateau is the northern shoreline of the ancient Paratethys Sea and consists of weathered bedrock of granite and gneiss, with deep loess in the lower slopes. In and around Oberstockall, where Fritsch is located, lie several 1er cru vineyards where the soil is generally rockier with more exposed bedrock making it a prime location for vineyards.
The southern region’s wine villages center further east around the rolling hills of the Tulin Basin and Klosterneuburg. This portion of the region that lies south of the Danube is more fertile and is more influenced by the heat of the Pannonian plain. At the eastern end of the region is Klosterneurburg, the university in the eponymous town where the historical heart of Austria’s institutional knowledge of wine is based. The The Höhere Bundeslehranstalt für Wein- and Obstbau in Klosterneuburg (Federal College for Viticulture, Oenology and Fruit Growing) is the oldest viticultural college in the world today.
As of the 2021 vintage, Wagram gained DAC status for white and red wines.
Biodynamics and Farming
Karl Fritsch was able to take the quality farming that the estate was founded upon and build on it. After taking over in 1999, he soon began to implement biodynamic practices. It was clear that quality wine came from the vineyards themselves could only be enhanced by nurturing the vines to be vibrant and healthy – which the biodynamic process especially seemed to encourage.
In 2005 Karl and 12 of his colleagues began to collaborate and discuss biodynamics throughout Austria based on their ambition to grow quality wine. In 2007 their shared attitude drove them to become an official growers’ association – respekt. In 2009 they grew to 14. In 2015 they changed the association name to “respekt-Biodyn” to further clarify their aspirations. The association continues to grow bit by bit as growers throughout Europe continue to push their vineyards in ways that help guide quality and long-term vision of the future. As of 2025, there are 37 members from 4 countries (including our own Karl Haidle as of the 2025 vintage). Respekt-Biodyn encourages soil health, biodiversity, native yeasts, and minimal influence in the cellar while encouraging wineries to maintain their individual style.
Fritch’s takes a holistic philosophy to biodynamics in which the vine and grower are symbiotic. Site, soil, climate, and how the vine is cultivated influence everything, and it’s the vintner who is to nurture the process through careful attention with natural treatments such as teas, to create positive influence on the vines’ periods of rest, growth, and gestation. The lunar phases guide action in the vineyard with respect to the soil’s composition and microorganisms and vitality. The effect on terroir is to create healthy soils and healthy vines, and therefore healthy grapes and high-quality wine.
Work in the vineyards and the cellar is conscientious, minimal and purposeful. The goal is to create wines that are alive and unique. Wines that reflect their terroir and the characteristics of the vintage. “We only want to achieve when working in accord with the surrounding nature in its entirety; animal, plant, terrestrial and cosmic. Therefore, we rely on a respectful relationship with the environment and all its living organisms.”
The Vineyards and Wines
The focus at Fritsch is Grüner Veltliner primarily in the 1er crus of Schlossberg and Steinberg. Fritsch also makes excellent Riesling and Pinot Noir, and of course the region’s idiosyncratic Roter Veltliner.
Ried Schlossberg is in Oberstockall itself and is a sun-drenched southwest-facing vineyard of pure loess, (a chalky loam) at around 240 meters. These are full-bodied Grüner Veltliners that are well balanced, textured, and deliver the characteristic spice of the variety.
Ried Steinberg is a steeper site to the east of Ruppersthal at about 280 meters and consists of slate and granite. Grüner Veltliners from this site are crisp with mineral tones and bright fruit. The Pinot Noir is also from Ruppersthal.
Roter Veltliner is an indigenous variety to Austria. There is no relation to Grüner Veltliner and in the hands of producers like Fritsch, it is taken seriously. With more restrictive yields the variety produces a delightful wine of intense aromatics, concentration, and high extract. Wagram is its home.
