A town, a family, a winery: "Wine must touch the inside," says winemaker Fritz Wieninger from the winery of the same name. How does he achieve this? With straightforwardness, passion and a clear commitment to nature.A cosmopolitan metropolis meets the historical flair of the imperial and royal monarchy, fast-paced life meets roots and tradition. An environment that is virtually tailor-made for the 60-hectare Wieninger winery. After all, with its unique location in Vienna, it combines urbanity and closeness to nature at the same time. "Our vineyards are strictly protected and may not be built on," says Fritz Wieninger, who is considered a pioneer of modern Viennese viticulture. What once started as a family business with mixed farming has long since become one of the flagships of the Austrian wine industry: "My grandfather Edmund Steinbatz built up our Heuriger in a professional way, my parents filled it with quality and transported it into the new age." Fritz Wieninger himself started in the 1980s and at first didn't want to know anything about the gastronomic side of the business, because his heart beat solely for wine production. His goal: to get high-quality wines onto the fine tables of the country. He has more than succeeded, because Wieninger wines have long been drunk on all continents.
"We want to bring the uniqueness of our terroirs into the bottle with as little intervention as possible. Respect for nature and the conviction that it is not primary fruit but character that makes a good wine are the essential points here," the passionate winemaker explains the philosophy of the family winery. Characteristic of the Vienna winegrowing region are the different sites in a small area. "We have the great fortune to cultivate vineyards on the slightly sandy Bisamberg and on the extremely chalky Nussberg, which, separated by the Danube, not only have these different soils, but also a different climate. This gives us a wonderful range of wines." In this multi-layered landscape, grape varieties such as Grüner Veltliner, Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Noir and Zweigelt ripen with biodynamic management, a lot of attention and a good balance between vigour and yield - and under constant scrutiny: "When the leaves glow a medium grassy green, I know that everything is fine in the vineyard." However, it is the regional speciality, the Gemischter Satz, which for Fritz Wieninger most vividly represents all the special features of this area and for whose renaissance from 1997 onwards he was the main initiator: "Highest quality is our ambition in all areas. To get the maximum out of the different sites. In this respect, the Wiener Gemischter Satz captures our wine-growing region in a special way and expresses all this very well." It is the transformation of sweet grape juice into a differentiated, delicate beverage - the wine - that excites Fritz Wieninger and has driven him for three decades: "It's such a creative process!"
A process that not only fills him with pride and enthusiasm. For his three children have long since also been working in the most diverse areas of the winery: "I am a happy person," Fritz Wieninger says about himself. "I have lived and realised my dreams. Now it's about handing over well to the next generation in the coming years and supporting my children to the best of my ability." It is about continuing to live Wieninger's passion.
We cordially invite you to discover this great winery and the 2021 Ried Ulm Wiener Gemischter Satz DAC Nussberg at our German-speaking wein.plus:club online tasting 'Grillweine - weiß oder rot?' in July 2023. The places available for wine professionals and private wine fans are very limited.
You can also order this wine from the online shops listed in wein.plus:find+buy.