Blog #2 Fritz’s Winery

We started the day off with a tour of city hall and the Hofburg. It was nice to see the different levels of government within Austria and Vienna. 

Later in the day, we had the opportunity to visit one of Vienna most popular winery’s, Weingut Wieniner. It was an amazing experience to hear the owner, Fritz Wieniner, describe his story. One of the main things he talked about is his personal responsibility in making wine. He has a little different approach to make wine. He does not necessary make wine that the market wants. He creates wine that he would personally drink. He also stress how important making connections with people in different countries is to expanding globally. In order to be able to understand and function in a global market, you first need to be in that market. It is important not only to make connections but also friendships. Most businesses strive to interconnected globally with other. Fritz is committed to keeping Weingut Weinier as a biodynamic winery. Bio dynamics is a alternative agricultural practice which involves eliminating all pesticides, herbicides and artificial fertilizers. Fritz uses natural wine producing methods to create high quality wine. 

Fritz is a leader of corporate social responsibility and he feels that the quality of his product and the success of his business is founded on his commitment to being a social and ecologically friendly business. He is a strong force within the agricultural lobbyist community. He has successfully played a role in protecting land which has historically been used for wine production. He knows now that the land his winery is on is protected and will be preserved as it is now. For big corporation who go international, can sometimes have a hard time keeping their corporate social responsibility. In the case of Weingut Weinier, they have not experienced his because of Fritz’s commitments to his beliefs and his formative experiences in wine make it. 

Our visit to Weingut Weinier was inspiring. Fritz’s attitude towards his business and life is contagious. We would like to know why some company are firmly committed to CSR and others are not? How will business like Fritz’s maintain and expand their sense of CSR  as globalization continues.

- Ashton and James