Gerhard Pittnauer's wine and spirit emanate simplicity and honesty, rooted in his generosity and humility. Taking over his vineyard in the mid-1980s after his father's sudden death, Gerhard, then only 18, navigated the tumultuous Austrian wine market, teaching himself winemaking amidst chaos. Embracing the uniqueness of his land and indigenous grapes, he experimented until he found his approach: to 'grow' wine rather than 'make' it in the cellar, focusing on autochthonous varietals. Inspired by wines from France and beyond, he adopted biodynamics, tending 15 hectares with his wife Brigitte to create what they call living wines. They eschew calendars, prioritizing quality over speed, selecting grapes for perfect ripeness and responding to vintage conditions in the cellar.