Living, thinking & working across generations
To give this motto even greater weight and to communicate our sustainable way of doing business transparently, we decided in 2023 to have our event location certified as a “Green Location” with the Austrian Ecolabel.
What sets us apart as a sustainable location?
As a family-run business, sustainability is more than just a word to us—it’s something we live every day, with the aim of leaving a livable planet for future generations. That’s why our sustainability concept addresses all three dimensions of sustainability. In our view, truly sustainable business is only possible when ecological, economic, and social aspects are all taken into account and put into practice.
Austrian Ecolabel “Green Location”
Since 1990, the Austrian Ecolabel has been making an important contribution to a more environmentally friendly future. It is the only government-awarded environmental certification in Austria and therefore guarantees a credible and objective representation of our company’s environmental performance. The label is granted only to products and services that meet a wide range of environmental criteria, as well as high standards in quality and durability. As such, the Austrian Ecolabel serves as a reliable guide for environmentally conscious consumers in their everyday purchasing decisions. The seal reflects a company’s commitment to high environmental quality in its products and services. In the tourism sector, the Austrian Ecolabel stands for consistently sustainable business management.
Lived Sustainability
For me, sustainability is not just a buzzword—it’s part of my roots. I grew up on a farm and learned early on how closely we are connected to nature and how carefully we need to treat it. I have always been particularly fascinated by the concept of a circular economy—the idea of not simply consuming resources, but keeping them in use and reusing them in meaningful ways. This mindset still shapes me today, and it’s exactly what I want to carry forward and actively develop at the Weinschloss.
Since 2026, I have taken on responsibility for sustainability management within our business and look forward to taking you along on this journey!
Sustainability Manager & Green Events – Andrea Thaller
Taking Responsibility Together as a Family
As a mother and entrepreneur, it is especially important to me to set the course for the future. The world our children grow up in is largely shaped by the decisions we make today. It is our responsibility to take the right steps to safeguard the quality of life for future generations and to leave them a healthy, livable environment.
For us, sustainability means not only the conscious use of resources, but also living by values that are in harmony with nature and with one another. As a large family, we see ourselves not only as part of a business, but as part of something bigger. We want to lead by example and act as role models—for the people around us, for our team, for our family, and above all for our children. It is important to us that they learn how crucial it is to take responsibility today in order to create a better world tomorrow.
Event Lady Bettina Maria Thaller
Green Events License
After our event location was successfully certified as a “Green Location” with the Austrian Ecolabel, we took the next step and obtained the Green Events license. With this license, we aim to make events even more sustainable—from guests’ travel and accommodation to service providers and post-event follow-up. Our goal is to work together with partner businesses and the region to further promote environmentally responsible standards.
Sustainability at Our Green Location
Are you wondering what we are already doing at the Weinschloss to promote sustainability? Together with our team, we gathered ideas and inspiration in a workshop, which led to the development of our action program. This program forms the foundation of the holistic sustainability concept of our Green Location.
For us, sustainability is not a fixed goal, but a dynamic process. Through our action program, we continuously evolve, regularly implement new measures, and adapt to current challenges.
Regionality & Seasonality
We love transforming high-quality agricultural products into refined ingredients and creating imaginative dishes. The Thermen- & Vulkanland Styria offers an exceptional culinary diversity. That’s why it is especially important to us to collaborate with producers from the region. With the Austrian Ecolabel, we have also made this commitment more visible by clearly indicating the origin of our products within our culinary portfolio.
100 % Biomass
From the very beginning, when building the Weinschloss, it was important to our family to keep an eye on the future. With our in-house wood chip heating system, the entire building is heated using 100% biomass. We are especially proud that the raw material for the wood chips comes entirely from our own forests.
Since these 15 hectares of woodland are located within a 5 km radius, we can also ensure short transport distances in line with our sustainability principles.
100% Green Electricity
The entire energy demand of the Weinschloss is covered by 100% green electricity. With the construction of the staff residence in 2016, we also installed our own photovoltaic system, which supplies around 10% of our total energy consumption.
To further reduce electricity usage, LED lighting is predominantly used throughout the entire business.
Sustainable Use of Resources
When purchasing detergents, dishwashing liquids, and cleaning products for our Green Location, we make sure they carry officially recognized environmental labels. In our office and administrative areas, we aim to work as paperlessly as possible. The paper we do use is certified eco-friendly paper with the EU Ecolabel. Documents are printed double-sided to conserve resources.
Circular Economy
In line with the principles of a circular economy, green waste, grape pomace, and organic waste are collected separately and composted within the business. This compost is then used in our gardens and vineyards.
In addition, rainwater is collected and reused for irrigating the garden areas.
On the Path to Organic Certification in Viticulture
For more than ten years, we have been engaged in organic farming practices in our vineyards, as well as a holistic circular economy approach on our estate. Over the years, we have had the opportunity to try many things, learn from experiences and mistakes, and face new challenges season after season. This journey has truly captivated us—the organic way of working has become an integral part of who we are.
In 2024, as a family, we made the decision to take the next step and begin the process of obtaining organic certification for our vineyards.
TEAM
In our company, we employ women and men on an equal basis. It is particularly important to us that our philosophy of sustainable business is deeply embedded in our employees’ mindset. For this reason, our team receives regular training in sustainability and the responsible use of resources. In addition, as part of a workshop led by a sustainability management consultancy, our employees were trained on the Austrian Ecolabel.
In addition, our employees receive the following benefits:
* 20% discount on all purchases in our shop
* Free accommodation in our newly built staff residence
* Complimentary meals with regional food and beverages
* Support for training and further education
* Free weekly Pilates sessions
Accessibility at Our Green Location
The building is fully accessible. We also place great importance on accessibility in our online presence. Further details can be found in our accessibility statement on the website or obtained on-site from our trained staff. In addition, since 2015 our business has been a partner of the project “Barrier-Free Holidays for People with Disabilities” by the self-help group in Hartberg-Fürstenfeld. In March 2024, our Weinschloss was re-certified by chairman Stefan Pflanzl and project manager Silvia Lackner.
Would you like to learn more about our environmental performance or do you have suggestions for our sustainability concept?
Feel free to send me a short email at
andrea@weinschloss-thaller.at
I look forward to hearing from you—whether by message or in person!
See you soon,
Andrea
WE PLAN – YOU CELEBRATE!
Our event manager Bettina Thaller is always available for you and your individual requests.
We look forward to creating special moments together with you at our Green Location!