About us

About the origin of UNA, a brief history

The Winery

The Friedrich Pittner winery is a traditional family business dedicated to the production of high-quality wines. The operation is located in Kleinschweinbarth, in the heart of the Weinviertel, the largest wine-growing region in Austria.

Wine Cultivation and Production

The winery currently cultivates about 35 hectares of its own vineyards and has another 80 hectares under contract. The company produces both red and white wines, bottling the best red wines from Gols in Burgenland as well as the best white grape varieties from the Weinviertel.

Modern Technology and Tradition

The winery places great emphasis on continuously modernizing its production facilities to ensure the highest standards. These investments make it possible to produce larger quantities without any loss of quality. Both the cellar and logistics are state-of-the-art and ISO certified. Despite technological progress, tradition is not neglected. The long-standing, close connection with smaller winemakers in the surrounding area and in the Neusiedlersee region ensures that traditional cultivation methods continue to play an important role.

Sustainability and Quality Control

Sustainability is a top priority at the Pittner Winery. Cellar master Fritz Pittner personally monitors the quality of the grapes to ensure that only the best fruits are used for wine production.

The region

The Weinviertel is located in the northeast of Lower Austria and, with a wine-growing area of around 14,000 hectares, is the largest wine region in Austria. It borders the Waldviertel to the west, the Danube to the south, Slovakia to the east, and the Czech Republic to the north. The region is known for the Weinviertel DAC, Austria’s first controlled designation of origin, which has been awarded to typical Grüner Veltliner wines since the 2002 vintage. Weinviertel DAC Grüner Veltliner is characterized by a light to greenish-yellow color and a fruity, spicy-peppery taste. The typical “Pfefferl” (peppery note) is a trademark of Weinviertel DAC wines. The soils and microclimates vary within the Weinviertel, leading to a wide variety of wine styles. Over the past few decades, the Weinviertel has developed into a recognized quality wine region, particularly known for its characterful Grüner Veltliners, but also producing a wide range of other high-quality wines. The Riesling grape variety is gaining importance and ranks second among the white grape varieties at the Pittner winery. Mineral-rich Rieslings are especially cultivated on the primary rock soils around Röschitz. Weißburgunder (Pinot Blanc) and Chardonnay, these two Burgundy varieties are often recorded together and play an important role in the Weinviertel.

The Climate

Weinviertel

The Weinviertel is classified as a “cool climate” wine region, lying in the second-coldest of seven climate zones defined for viticulture in Europe
This climate creates ideal conditions for viticulture, particularly for aromatic white wines like Grüner Veltliner. The sunny autumn days, cool nights, and temperature variations contribute to the development of aromas and flavors in the grapes, enhancing the quality of the region’s wines

Soil

The predominant soil type, covering more than 50% of the wine-growing areas, is loess. It is characterized by high porosity, good water retention capacity, and a high nutrient content, making it ideal for viticulture.

Burgenland

Southeast of the Austrian capital Vienna, the constant influences of the warm Pannonian climate determine the character of the wines. In contrast to other regions, a fuller, rounder body is characteristic of the wines from Carnuntum, the Thermenregion, and Burgenland. In this region, Austria demonstrates its capabilities in red wine production. The full-bodied Zweigelt dominates from Carnuntum to the Seewinkel. This translation captures the essence of the original German text, highlighting the unique climate and wine characteristics of the southeastern wine regions of Austria, particularly emphasizing the prominence of Zweigelt in these areas.

Soil

The soil is loess ( wind-blown silt, 20-50% micrometer size range, 20% or less clay, a bid sand and calium carbonate) and blacksoil, closer to the lake in Seewinkel you find gravel, Sand and salty soil which is very mineralic.

The team

Heinz und Fritz Pittner

Sales and Winemaker

The origins of UNA date back to 1995 when Friedrich Pittner senior and Rudolf Trischler met. Over the years, a strong partnership developed. The winery and cellar have continuously evolved to become one of the leading wine producers in Austria. Some of their brands are among the most successful in Austria and neighboring countries. The sons, Fritz and Heinz Pittner, are trained oenologists, winemakers, and cellar masters by full conviction. For them, high quality and a good price-performance ratio have always been and continue to be at the forefront. Fritz and Heinz Pittner cultivate a large portion of their wines themselves and stand behind their quality. No chemical additives are used in the cellar. Animal protein was banned from the process long ago; only organic protein is used for fining. Therefore, the wines from Weinkellerei Pittner are vegan and committed to the spirit of our times. Sustainable work is an important factor in their company. For many years, large, well-known companies have been interested in the wines from Weinkellerei Pittner. To establish themselves in the modern, demanding world, they created a new brand in collaboration with Rudolf Trischler… UNA. This summary highlights the history, values, and practices of the Pittner Winery, emphasizing their commitment to quality, sustainability, and innovation in the wine industry.

Rudolf Trischler

My story !

I came into contact with wine during my hotel training, but it was not until 2008, when the economic crisis hit us, that I devoted myself exclusively to wine.

I attended several courses at the Rust Wine Academy to deepen my knowledge and from then on worked in the international wine trade.

My path led me to Drasenhofen in the Weinviertel in 1995 and I got to know and appreciate Friedrich Pittner Senior. Since 2008, we have been working together more and more and I was partly responsible for exports at the Pittner winery.

In 2015, the time had come: we wanted something new, an attractive label that would appeal to young people. It had to look modern, young, lively and vibrant.

Consumers should get good wine that was also affordable. As I had realized from many years of experience that Austrian names were not always easy to pronounce, I was looking for a name that was easy to remember. Our search led us to UNA, the name of Sabine’s daughter. It was perfect, a simple, beautiful name to which we also had a personal connection.

Sabine Basista came up with the ideas, I was able to contribute my experience in international trade and Fritz Pittner took care of the wine.

UNA was born! The lightness of wine – our slogan!

Polina Tatarinova

Growing up in Moscow, I was soon drawn to faraway places and so, during my studies, I travelled to Bordeaux, one of the most famous wine regions in France. During this time, I experienced the culture of viticulture, visited famous wineries, and learnt to understand wines. This experience has stayed with me, and I was delighted to be invited by Rudi and UNA Wines to join his team of professionals for whom quality, culture and tradition are very important. I am delighted to have this great opportunity to open up new markets, make the UNA brand even better known and introduce outstanding Austrian wines to the wine lovers of the world.

Sabine Basista

Sabine and UNA.wine …. the connection 

With Rudi’s knowledge and experience in the Sales field, he knew exactly how important having the right label was. As an architect, I thought this would be a good opportunity to try my hand at something more graphic, something I have always loved. So, when Rudi asked me to help with the new label design, I jumped at the chance of doing something more creative!

Each wine varietal is represented by a different color and the main design is a collection of wine bottles in various shapes and sizes either drawn in pencil or painted with ink.

Great attention to the finer detail was given in finalizing the designs and with the name of my daughter represented in this brand, the UNA range is very dear to my heart.

James Wearing White

Originally from Australia, I have been living in Thailand for almost 30 years. I met Rudi Trischler in Austria and I appreciated the wines of the Weinviertel from the very beginning. Very impressed by the winery and the vineyards, I appreciated the traditions and above all the warmth with which I was welcomed. Over the years, Rudi and I have become good friends, so it is all the more natural to support them in their expansion in Southeast Asia.

Franz Schöpfer

I have lived in the USA for over 30 years and have been in the wine business for more than 10 years.

I have been working with UNA for more than 5 years now. As a native of Switzerland, I have been familiar with Austrian wines for a long time and have a long-standing partnership and friendship with Rudi and Fritz the winemaker.

I have visited the wine region and the winery several times and it is always nice to see where the wine we enjoy in the USA comes from.

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