His name is Friedrich Rieder, but he calls himself Weinrieder (Wine reader). "I want to distinguish myself from all the dozens of Rieders around here", he says. Fritz, as he is called by his friends is proud that he has established the name Weinrieder not only in the neighboring villages and towns but that this name has become an internationally recognized brand. Located in Kleinhadersdorf near the wine town of Poysdorf in the Weinviertel, the largest Austrian appellation, he grows almost exclusively white grapes. This region is renowned for supplying most of Austria's Champagne-style sparkling wines. The area between Vienna and the second largest city in the Czech Republic, Brno (Brünn) is also sometimes referred to as "Veltliner Land" since the Grüner Veltliner is the most common grape in this region. Already in 1987 the Falstaff Magazine awarded Weinrieder the prestigious title of Wine Maker of the Year. His reputation has continued to grow ever since. At the highly regarded Hamburg Wine Salon 2001, organized by eminent German wine critic Mario Scheuermann, Weinrieder received the Grand Prix d' Excellence for the Collection of the Year and won the top award for his ice wine against contenders such as his fellow Austrian sweet wine super star Alois Kracher.