Jídlo a pití

Eight hectares, eight grape varieties. Well, this correspondence may well be purely coincidental, but otherwise Andreas Huber at the Pacherhof in Novacella near Bressanone leaves little up to chance. Rather, what reigns here are competence, commitment, passion, and the heritage of wine pioneers.

One of them was Josef Huber, the grandfather of Andreas who runs the estate today. Both have wine in their blood, as the Hubers’ Pacherhof in Novacella has existed since 1142. For his part, Grandpa Josef undertook quite a number of voyages of discovery on which he came across the knowledge that for the soils and steep slopes of the Valle Isarco, Sylvaner, Pinot Grigio, and Gewürztraminer would be the most suitable grape varieties. He was the first one to focus on Kerner, and today the assortment of wines from the Valle Isarco cannot be imagined without it.

But Andreas Huber does not follow in these admittedly big footsteps without preparation. He went and got educated at the Veitshöchheim winemaking school near Würzburg, Germany and today, with his competence and know-how, he sets the tone in the vineyard and winery.

Under Huber’s leadership, dry wines are created today at the Pacherhof in Novacella with a prominent fruit and a definite mineral quality. “In order for the characteristics of the vines and the earth to be maintained, we focus on gentle processing and intentionally avoid maturation in small oak casks,” explains the winegrower-slash-winemaker.

The legacy of his grandfather is therefore still alive today, even in the selection of varieties. So what grows at the Pacherhof in addition to Müller Thurgau, Grüner Veltliner, and Pinot Grigio are also Riesling and Sylvaner. And, of course, Kerner. In Grandpa’s name.

Winegrower, wine connoisseur, wine drinker: what Matthäus Ladurner’s great passion might be can be guessed without a great amount of difficulty just from this list alone. And he can live it out at the Partaneshof estate winery in Merano, an historical estate winery in the health resort city to which a bed and breakfast hotel also belongs.

Merano was once regarded as the southern balcony of the Austro-Hungarian empire, and its particular climate has turned the city into a health resort that is renowned and popular throughout all of Europe. And more than just that: a lot of sunshine, very little precipitation, mild temperatures, and good air circulation are also optimal for winegrowing, which also emphasizes the century-old wine tradition at the Partaneshof estate winery in Merano. A tradition which proprietor Matthäus Ladurner continues to cultivate today with passion.

So it is not only organic fruit that grows in the orchards around the Partaneshof, but also the basis for top-quality wines. “We make a comparatively broad palette of varietals, ranging from Lagrein and Pinot Noir to Chardonnay, Schiava, and Cabernet all the way to Shiraz,” Ladurner explained.

And it is specifically from the indigenous Schiava grapes that an extraordinary wine is made at the Partaneshof in Merano. “With the ‘Merano Küchelberg’, we produce the typical light Merano Schiava variant,” explains the winegrower, who also has a second favorite in his assortment on offer. “Chardonnay is one of our preferred Alto Adige wines: a fruity, noble white wine that goes with all occasions.”

For an impressive 27 years, Thomas Dorfmann was the winemaker at the Eisacktaler Winery. A dream job in the wine sector, and yet in 2018, he turned his back on it. The reason for the decision was an even bigger dream: that of his own estate winery.

And that dream was fulfilled on one of the warmest spots in the whole Valle Isarco, at which the former lord over the cooperative winery went independent with the Thomas Dorfmann Estate Winery in Velturno. With two hectares of grape growing areas at an elevation from 550 to 650 meters, the estate winery is small. The vineyards, up to 70 percent of which are steep, are surrounded by dry stone walls and tended only by the Dorfmann family.

“I can bring all of my experience and live out my own wine philosophy in my estate winery,” Dorfmann waxes enthusiastically, “and thus create wines that are specific to the area and the variety: through sustainable working of the vineyards and being extremely protective of quality in the winery.”

Because Dorfmann’s focus lies on typical Valle Isarco varieties, his product line is first and foremost white: Sylvaner, Grüner Veltliner, Gewürztraminer, and Riesling. But Dorfmann also grows and makes Pinot Noir – “a rarity in the Valle Isarco”, as he himself says. And there is another rarity at the Thomas Dorfmann Estate Winery in Velturno: the white wines are delivered with a screw-top. “For me, that is the seal of the future,” the winegrower says.

Now in its seventh generation of winegrowers, the Clemens Waldthaler Estate Winery is based in Ora in the heart of the Lagrein and Pinot Noir areas in the Bassa Atesina. Today, Clemens Waldthaler focuses not just on those two calling card varieties, but also has white wines and Bordeaux varieties in the selection.

Ora is a traditional winegrowing village in the Bassa Atesina. It is on a porphyry scree cone which lends the wines grown here a mineral-rich tone. In addition, the climate and slight slopes provide the conditions that are optimal for winegrowing. The Waldthalers also recognized that, but it was back in 1735. That was when the family purchased the estate winery which today bears their name and comprises seven hectares of grape growing areas.

In the vineyards of the Clemens Waldthaler Estate Winery in Ora, it is not just the two varieties that are classic for the Bassa Atesina that grow there, Pinot Noir and Lagrein, but also Cabernet and Merlot. The best grapes of the latter three varieties are made into the wines that are the calling card of the Clemens Waldthaler Estate Winery: the Raut line. In addition to the reds, there are also white wines in the assortment on offer consisting of Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Blanc.

“We focus on gentle processing of the grapes, controlled fermentation, and the constant inspection and care of the wines,” Waldthaler says, going on to also explain the goal of this guiding principle: “All of that is imperative for the quality and drinkability of the wine.”

Selling wine twice with three hundred years in between. At the Haidenhof in Cermes, wine was already being sold out of the cellar in the eighteenth century. The winery is still there, and the Erb family has been selling wine again since 2006. Their own, mind you, and not just out of the cellar.

Around 15,000 bottles are produced every year by three generations who currently run the operation together at the Haidenhof in Cermes. And with success. “Over the past fifteen years, we have steadily increased the quality of our wines and also expanded the number of varieties,” explains Johann Karl Erb.

Today there are eight varieties that carry the Haidenhof label. Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Kerner, Gewürztraminer, Merlot, Schiava, Pinot Noir, and Diva “Every variety requires a special processing and aging,” Erb says, although he also attaches even greater importance to another topic: the selection of the right point in time for the harvest. Only when that is attained is the entire potential of a vintage available.

Erb attributes the wines from the Haidenhof as being rather fruity and full-bodied in style and thus having their own profiles. These are formed not in the winery, but rather already in the steep vineyard situated at an elevation of 450 meters with its loamy soil and Mediterranean climate. This is the place where the raw materials grow for the wines of the Haidenhof, and thus the raw materials for the continuation of a three hundred year tradition. After a pause.

Mentioned in documents for the first time in 1545, the Perlhof Estate Winery, Max Thurner has existed for almost 500 years but is known more for its innovations than for its long tradition: “Never stand still, onward and upward, be brave enough to try new things, that’s what keeps us going,” explains Max Thurner, who, together with his family, is responsible for the entire wine production process at the Perlhof in Bozen-Oberleitach/Costa di Sopra-Bolzano: from growing the grapes all the way to bottling the wine.

The grapes for Max Thurner’s wines are grown in four different locations at altitudes ranging from 270 up to 550 meters above sea level on vineyards facing different directions, but all with excellent conditions. “The steep south-facing slopes around Bolzano/Bozen offer the perfect climate: masses of warm air rise from the Bolzano valley basin, while cooler streams of air come from the Eisacktal/Valle Isarco valley,” explains Thurner. In addition, the old vine stocks at the Perlhof grow on skeletal soil made up of quartz porphyry.

Not only four different locations but also four different wines characterize the range of products offered by the Perlhof Estate Winery. Aside from Santa Maddalena and Sauvignon, two classic wines, there is also a rosé made from Merlot grapes and the “Milo,” a cuvée made from Merlot and Schiava (Vernatsch). As the Perlhof never wants to stand still, it is continuously growing its range of wines.
 

In the winegrowing village of Cornaiano, it’s always appropriate to have passion for wine – but of course only if the passion has already been in the family. With Lorenz Martini, that is precisely the case. He earned his stripes in the family’s own winery and then took the next step: to sparkling wine.

Within that context, it goes without saying that his many years of experience came in useful, and the fact that he had started from the very bottom up to learn to work with his hands. And from all of this it can be seen not least from the fact that Martini consistently focuses on quality. In his winery specializing in sparkling wines, grapes from Cornaiano, Appiano-Monte, and Cologna are processed. “In spite of the Mediterranean climate, these locations provide our sparkling wine with a pleasant freshness and an unmistakable aroma,” Martini says.

To make the sparkling wine, he uses 30 percent Chardonnay, another 30 percent Pinot Blanc, and 40 percent Pinot Noir, with four vintages aging in his vaulted cellar at the same time. Because in the Lorenz Martini Winery dedicated to sparkling wines in Cornaiano, production is according to the classic méthode champenoise bottle fermentation, so the wine is on the yeast for three years. After that, it continues to age in the bottle, with each one being riddled by hand.

In that way, a sparkling wine is created which has been described by experts as “having a scent of fresh bread crust and honeycomb with light tones of citrus fruit” and “a good mouth-feel, full-bodied, and harmonious in taste.”

Sparkling wine which, as can be read by this description, awakens the poet in us.

Heiner Pohl calls his Marinushof in Castelbello “an agricultural start-up enterprise.” And the description comes not by chance. For two reasons: first of all, it originates from a former marketing manager who, secondly, built the estate winery out of nothing.

Let’s turn to the ex-manager: Heiner Pohl was in his late thirties when he crossed over into agriculture. “Up to this very day, I am grateful for this decision every single day,” Pohl says, “including because I built up my operation myself out of nothing, and everything sprang out of my ideas and my ideals.” So it is a start-up in the truest sense of the word which, however, brings satisfaction more at the spiritual level than the financial one. “It’s hard, but it’s very gratifying,” he says.

The vineyards of the Marinushof lie on terraces on steep slopes that are pampered by the Val Venosta sunshine – and by cool nights. “It is precisely the temperature differentials between day and night in the autumn that bring finesse and excitement to our wines,” explains Pohl, who calls his operation a factory. But in the end, the vineyards are for the most part tended by hand.

The product line of the Marinushof consists of varieties that feel right at home in the Val Venosta: Pinot Noir, Zweigelt, Riesling, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Grigio. “Our wines are characterized by harmony and naturalness, and they age very well,” says the winegrower. And for all those who are perhaps not so familiar with wine vocabulary: “These wines make you most prefer to drink the whole bottle without stopping.”

The tradition of winegrowing at the Tschötscherhof in Castelrotto has both a museum side and one that is most definitely still living. Thus not only is old agricultural equipment exhibited here, but their own wine is made, as well – both then and now with success.

For over a century, grapes have demonstrably been grown at the Tschötscherhof in the Castelrotto district of San Osvaldo, with just the venerable grapevine in front of the farmhouse being over a hundred years old and thus living proof of the winegrowing tradition. Within that context, the farmhouse with its grape growing areas is situated at an elevation of 750 meters. “Thanks to the southwestern exposure of the slope and the especially mild climatic conditions, though, it is in fact possible to achieve outstanding grape quality,” explains the young grower Andreas Jaider.

He is a trained winegrower and bears the responsibility for the wine pillar of the Tschötscherhof in Castelrotto. Under his aegis, their own wines are made at the estate for which Jaider has also won awards, including the white wines (Müller Thurgau, Sylvaner, Kerner, and Gewürztraminer) and the reds (Blauer Zweigelt and Pinot Noir).

The fact that he is standing on the shoulders of his forefathers with what he does is made clear not least by the Agricultural Museum which the elder boss Michael Jaider set up around 15 years ago in the estate’s barn. Old equipment tells of the early life on the farms in and around Castelrotto. And thus of the winegrowing tradition of this landscape which is otherwise characterized by the Alps.

The name of the Villscheiderhof in Bressanone is derived from the Ladin language and refers to cutting hay with a sickle. Although that continues to grace the coat of arms of the farm, it is not used so often with winegrowing. At the Villscheiderhof, they focus on the white wine tradition of the Valle Isarco.

Since 1997, Florian Hilpold has run the Villscheiderhof in Bressanone, which he took over from his father, with its steep vineyards with southern and eastern exposures. “The soils here at an elevation of 700 meters are rocky, low in lime, not fertile, and water-permeable, and they produce very interesting wines,” says the winegrower.

The wines to which Florian and also his son Meinrad refer are first and foremost white, primarily Sylvaner, Kerner, and Riesling, which are typical varieties for the Valle Isarco. Some 25,000 bottles leave the winery each year, with part of the production being served up in the family’s own inn which was set up in 2004 in the Villscheiderhof’s former barn. Anyone who tastes the estate’s own wine there will notice that it is a fresh, fruity, elegant white wine with a good sugar to acidity balance. Winegrower Hilpold’s particular pride, though, is the late harvest passito from the Villscheiderhof. “It tastes like honey and candied fruits, an unending reverberation in the nose, an extraordinary combination of roasting aromas and the perfect sugar-acidity relationship,” says Hilpold, describing this particular wine.

When winegrowers go into raptures...

In the search for the best Gewürztraminer vineyards, sooner or later the seeker also arrives in Sella above Termeno, where wine has been grown for four centuries. For a good two hundred years now, that is also the location of the Plattenhof Estate Winery that is run by the Dissertori family – today along with the hotel and restaurant of the same name.

The Dissertoris are therefore winegrowers, restaurateurs, and hoteliers all in one, but if the question is posed as to how they would describe themselves, the answer comes out clear and simple. They are first and foremost wine connoisseurs and wine lovers, as Werner Dissertori replies. Whereby “wine” in this case stands for Gewürztraminer, as the Plattenhof Estate Winery is in fact one that has dedicated itself completely to a single grape variety. And to the goal of producing top-quality wines as a small, hands-on winery.

The preconditions for this are in any case present: the location of the Plattenhof Estate Winery is blessed for that grape, their know-how is broad, and the family’s experience ranges over many years. As a small family-run operation, every detail is attended to here by themselves, and everyone has a clear role in the operation, whether that is in the hotel, the traditional dining establishment, or in fact in the winery.

But in any case, wine plays a weighty role in all three pillars of the operation. And we in fact know what wine means in Sella above Termeno: the best Gewürztraminer, of course.

The alpine microclimate, mitigated by the Mediterranean influence, together with the dolomitic soil, calcareous and clayish, create in South Tyrol the ideal environment to produce excellent wines, appreciated all over the world for their minerality, structure and unique flavors.
Kellerei Auer wines are the result of the passion of expert oenologists, who are very devoted to this area and select the best grapes of the region for genuine wines with a strong character.

What is more impressive? The history of an estate winery that dates back well beyond four hundred years, or the fact that it has been in the possession of one and the same family for nearly three hundred of them? It doesn’t really matter, because with the Popphof Estate Winery in Marlengo near Merano, both are the case. Wine has provably been made here since 1592, and since 1722 the farm has been in the possession of the Menz family.

Today, it is Andreas Menz who runs the Popphof Estate Winery in Marlengo with his decades of experience in winegrowing, creating wines here in which are reflected, as he himself says, “the efforts of the work in the vineyard, the nutrient-rich soils, and the course of the weather throughout the year.”

Menz, who fills the roles of both winegrower and winemaker at the Popphoff, goes on to add, “In order for these properties to be tasted in our wines, we focus on careful vinification, controlled fermentation, and maturation in large wooden barrels.” He thus sets the tone both in the vineyards that encompass three hectares of grape growing areas and with the production of around 25,000 bottles of wine per year.

One particularity in the product line from the Popphoff Estate Winery in Marlengo is their Lagrein. After all, the Lagrein from Merano – which of course also includes that from the Popphoff – differs significantly from its counterpart elsewhere in Alto Adige. “While the Lagreins from Gries or the Bassa Atesina are already convincing after a brief maturation period through their round, soft tannins, the Lagrein from Merano needs more time to smooth out its rough edges,” the winegrower explains.

Roberto Ferrari came into winegrowing from a different field. And yet not exactly. After all, he has been active forever in the world of wine, specifically as a winemaker. “After having done that for years, I wanted to create wines under my own name,” Ferrari says. For that reason, he runs the Profil Wine Factory in Termeno.

In 2007, Ferrari made the leap, quit his position in a renowned winery, and went independent with four hectares of vineyards. Since that time, he has been growing Chardonnay, Lagrein, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, and Merlot, tending them organically even if not certified. The former employee now makes three lines of his own: Profil, Pulsar, and, as a select wine in the best vintages, RF Selection.

In the winery, Ferrari pursues the goal of creating extraordinary wines, wines which, as he himself puts it, are characterized by passion, expertise, and creativity. “I always attempt to mix that extra breath of personality into my wines, and in that way, wines are created with my name, my signature,” explains the head of the winery.

Today, around 18,000 bottles per year leave the Profil Wine Factory in Termeno: aromatic and mineral rich, surprising and genuine, but above all else natural wines, That was also the reason why Ferrari wanted to go independent. He wanted to create his own wines: with strong character, individual, but not overbearing.
If winegrower Ferrari’s life had a navigation system, it would now announce, “You have arrived at your destination.”

For more than twenty years, Karl Kasseroller has run the Strickerhof in Frangarto in the community of Appiano organically. The broad reaching effects which that has on the environment have been proven by a study from the University of Innsbruck. It shows that in none of the estate wineries that were studied were so many soil organisms found as in the soils of the Strickerhof.

The estate winery in Frangarto has been in the possession of the Kasseroller family since 1834, but in the beginning it still carried the name Schlafferhof. Only when a new farmhouse was built next to the old one in 1907 did it get the name Strickerhof, as well as its own winery. Josef Paul Kasseroller was responsible for both of them at that time, and today the selected Strickerhof wines carry his initials JPK .

While the foundation was laid in 1907 for a flourishing operation, a decisive step for development followed nearly a hundred years later, taken by today’s proprietor Karl Kasseroller. In 1998, he converted the entire operation to organic cultivation. “It was a decision based upon conviction, and I am proud that since that time, we have been able to offer our customers organic products at the highest level,” Kasseroller says.

The assortment from the Strickerhof includes such classic varieties as Chardonnay, Schiava, and Lagrein, but also Yellow Muscat and the fungus-resistant variety Bronner. And they all feel right at home on the warm, humus-rich, sandy loam soils of the Strickerhof. As much at home as the numerous soil organisms, apparently.

The Ritterhof Estate Winery in Caldaro can assert that it is the best place for Alto Adige winegrowing. Or that it has the best address. After all, the building number says it all: Alto Adige Wine Route No. 1.

Eva Kaneppele run the family estate winery with care, prudence, consideration, and a philosophy that can best be expressed with colors. “Brown stands for the soil, the origin, the terroir; green means growth and symbolizes our careful approach to nature; while blue stands for the grapes that are harvested by hand and with care,” explains Eva Kaneppele.

And the three colors also correspond to the three lines of the estate winery. Brown is the color of the Terra line, and thus of down-to-earth Alto Adige wines, while green decorates the Collis line for which only completely mature grapes from the best terraced slopes are used. Blue, on the other hand, stands for the top line Rarus, consisting of wines that are carefully aged in small oak casks. But it doesn’t matter which line or which color: “Our wines have character. Every bottle is unique.”

And uniqueness is provided by the vineyards of the Ritterhof, which are distributed from Salorno all the way up to Renon. The product line is extremely broad, ranging from Red Muscat to Merlot and Lagrein all the way to Pinot Noir and Gewürztraminer. And, it goes without saying, Schiava. That is a bow to the winegrowing tradition by the Ritterhof Estate Winery. And innovation is provided by the fungus-resistant varieties with which the Ritterhof Winery is experimenting.

At the Moarhof in Postal, they have dedicated themselves to Schiava – perhaps because not only that wine but also the estate have a lengthy tradition. The Moarhof appeared in a document for the first time in 1324, so its roots reach back nearly 700 years. And they are still cared for today.

Originally in the possession of the church, the Moarhof in Postal has belonged to the Pertoll family since 1923. Today it is Florian Klotz Pertoll who is at the helm at the estate. He already earned his stripes in fruitgrowing and winegrowing operations in Friuli at the age of sixteen, and he brought what he learned there into his father’s operation. “My father recognized that, and from that moment onward, he supported me in professionalizing the operation,” Klotz Pertoll says today.

Professionalizing also includes the expansion of the estate through the leasing of additional areas of cultivation. Thus today, the Schiava grapes, which are processed into the calling card of the Moarhof, no longer originate from the porphyry soils in Postal, but rather from the loam slopes in San Valentino. “They are grown very traditionally on pergola trellises,” Klotz Pertoll says, “because Schiava cannot be exposed too long to full sun.”

Once they are in the winery, the wines of the Moarhof in Postal – which in addition to Schiava also include Cabernet Sauvignon, Lagrein, and Merlot – are first matured in stainless steel tanks and then in large oak barrels which lie in the historical vaulted cellar. Where else?

“Fritz” was not just the first name of the founder of the Kupelwieser Estate Winery in Cortina sulla Strada di Vino. It is also the name of the fresh, youthful line of this estate winery. Through his passionate commitment, as early as the founding in 1878 Fritz Kupelwieser already paved the way for later developments, and his enthusiasm for people, nature, and environment can still clearly be felt even today.

Kupelwieser’s wines clearly express the characteristics of the terroir and the varieties, whereby excellent soils, numerous hours of sunshine, and prominent temperature differentials between day and night are the guarantee for the constantly high quality. What is bottled is exclusively the core varieties that are typical for Alto Adige, the unambiguous representatives of their kind. Within that context, attention is paid to traditional processing and adherence to the strictest quality standards. 

In “Fritz”, the spirit of innovation of Kupelwieser is shown: stylish, tasteful bottles designs bring out the exquisite quality wines in an appealing, contemporary form. The connecting element is value. Which creates trust – as it did yesterday, so it continues to do so today.

With an area of six hectares, the Jöchler famliy at the Tschiedererhof in Varna grows apples, grapes, and vegetables. The grapes are for the most part processed through a cooperative winery, but they make their own interesting wine from a small portion of them. And what is unusual for the Valle Isarco: they are red.

The community of Varna lies on a south-facing glacial moraine in the Valle Isarco which is known in the wine world for its white wines. Sylvaner, Kerner, Müller-Thurgau, Gewürztraminer: they all find the best conditions here and see to it that the northernmost cultivation zone of Alto Adige has established itself on the winegrowing map.

But at the Tschiedererhof, they swim against the stream. Located for more than 200 years on the western side of the Varna glacial moraine, the estate has been in the possession of the Jöchler family for seven generations. They take care of not only the apple plantation and vegetable beds, but also the vineyard that is located at an elevation of around 600 meters. Within that context, “take care of” does not mean “only” a lot of work. It also means having passion in winegrowing. “On our estate, we tend everything ourselves with heart and soul and offer our products for sale in our farm shop,” the family says.

Processing their own raw materials into quality products runs through all of the agricultural areas that are covered by the Tschiedererhof in Varna. And the grapes are no exception – much to the joy of their red wine friends in the Valle Isarco. Or friends of Valle Isarco red wine.

A lovely manor, a wine history going back more than seven hundred years, and the history of the settlement dating back a full two thousand years: all of that may be found at the Kornellhof in Settequerce, which has been run by Florian Brigl since 1996. For nearly twenty years now, he has made his own wines and has set himself the goal of creating an Alto Adige Super Merlot.

The basis for the wine production at Kornellhof is formed by the vineyards of the Brigl family, 11 hectares at elevations from 270 to 550 meters in Settequerce, Appiano-Monte, and Kampenn. “Our grapes enjoy more than 2,100 hours of sunshine per year, while cool nights provide the temperature differentials that lend them their prominent character,” Brigl explains.

The grapes that are pampered in this way form the foundation for the wines of the Kornellhof. After fermentation in stainless steel tanks, they are aged for 14 to 18 months in small oak casks and large oak barrels. Before they can be sold, though, they age again for nearly ten months in the bottle. In addition to Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, and Gewürztraminer along with Lagrein and Cabernet Sauvignon, Brigl focuses above all else on Merlot, with which he pursues an ambitious goal: to create a Super Merlot, an Alto Adige Pomerol which will serve as the calling card of the Kornellhof.

So there are no sour grapes in the process at the Kornellhof. Brigl considers working with them to be a privilege. And a guiding force: “For me, Kornell means home, this is my pole of calm,” he says, adding, “The estate winery also has to continue to be both home and a source of energy for our children and future generations.”

Innovation yes, tricks no. When what is concerned is the further development of wines that are typical for the region, a clear line is followed at the Obermoser Estate Winery in Bolzano-Santa Maddalena. A line that was already prescribed by the forefathers of Thomas Rottensteiner more than a century ago.

Since 1890, the Obermoser Estate Winery has been in the possession of the Rottensteiner family, and since that time, the family has distinguished itself by not being so inclined to follow the well-trodden path. As early as 1929, Franz J.C. Rottensteiner had already launched the idea for an irrigation system that would provide water not only to his own vineyards, but to all of those surrounding them. The idea caught on, and Rottensteiner became the father of the first large-scale winegrowing irrigation system in all of Europe.

So being open to new ideas is in the blood of Thomas Rottensteiner, generation number five at the Obermoser Estate Winery. “For generations, we have been concentrating on the care, further development, and intensification of wines that are typical to the region – without tricks, but rather through innovation,” he says. Within that context, all of the innovations serve the promotion of the quality and individuality of the wines. And thus also of the grapes.

The latter grow in two areas that are far apart from each other. The larger of the two lies predominantly within the classic Santa Maddalena zone in Bolzano, while the smaller is in the core zone of the Lake Caldaro cultivation zone. Together, the two of them provide the raw material every year for around 34,000 bottles: from the classic Santa Maddalena to Lagrein and Cabernet all the way to Sauvignon Blanc.

The Angergut farm is located in Castelbello. Its grape growing areas are spread out along the sunny slope of the Val Venosta between Castelbello and Sluderno and range up to 900 meters (3,000 feet) above sea level. They are thus among the highest situated vineyards in all of Alto Adige. Within that context, although the elevation is in fact a prominent feature, it is by far not the only one that distinguishes the estate winery in the Val Venosta. “Our vineyards are typical for the Val Venosta: sunny, dry, and windy,” explains winegrower Tobias Mitterer.

The interplay of sun, location, soils, and wind form the natural foundation for outstanding wines. But with sustainable and gentle management that is close to nature, the Mitterer family does their part for their well-organized, practical, and carefully arranged vineyards. In that way, classic Alto Adige wines – first and foremost the reds Schiava and Pinot Noir primarily in the higher situated vineyards, but also Zweigelt, and then also the white wines such as Kerner and Riesling – are made in the old family tradition and served up in their own farmhouse inn. And in addition to the wine, it goes without saying that other products from their own farm also show up on the table there.

The Angergut is therefore far more than “just“ an estate winery. It is a classic Alto Adige mountain farm, a farmhouse inn that is popularly frequented, but first and foremost a deeply rooted family operation.  
 

“My wines are made for people who know that wine is much more than just a drink.” Klaus Lentsch’s credo indicates the path that he follows with his Klaus Lentsch Estate Winery in San Paolo. The path to cru wines from the Valle Isarco, fresh white wines from the Oltradige, and powerful reds from the Bassa Atesina.

Lentsch comes from a winegrowing family rich in tradition from Bronzolo in the Bassa Atesina. In 2008, along with his wife Sylvia, he put his winemaking knowledge on his own two feet and founded the Klaus Lentsch Estate Winery in San Paolo. The goal: to blaze new trails and also create wines that are typical for the region.

“The region” in that regard is not just San Paolo or Oltradige. Rather, under the Klaus Lentsch name, three winegrowing areas are tended which are completely different and yet classic. On five hectares in San Paolo, three hectares in Campodazzo, and two more in Bronzolo, Pinot Noir, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Blanc, Grüner Veltliner, Gewürztraminer, Yellow Muscat, and Lagrein all grow.

But it doesn’t matter at all where the vineyards are located: “Striving for quality already starts in the vineyard, and specifically right at the vine,” Lentsch says, “and it continues in the winery and the marketing.” Only when the ideas about quality encompass every link of the chain are outstanding wines created. Those that are more than just a drink.

The Mumelter family has been living at the Griesbauerhof in Santa Maddalena above Bolzano since 1785, so the estate winery is now being run by its seventh generation. It is represented by Lukas Mumelter, who took over his parent’s estate in 2018 – with the best preparation.

Lukas laid his professional foundation with the study of winegrowing and oenology in Geisenheim, Germany, after which he gathered practical experience: in Tuscany, Piemonte, and New Zealand. All of this has now flowed together in the vineyards and the winery of the Griesbauerhof, starting with a professional evaluation of the location and soils: “The airy location and the sandy loam soils of a porphyry origin characterize our wines,” Mumelter explains, “with both the alluvial soils at the south of Bolzano and the moraine soils in Appiano.”

These soils, the locations he described, and the diligence with work in the vineyards all come together in the harvest of Cabernet, Merlot, Lagrein, Schiava, and Pinot Grigio, which he turns into fruity, velvety, authentic wines. These can be tasted at the farmhouse inn “Freiraum mumi” which is run by Lukas’ brother Michael and which is supplied by their mother Margareth Mumelter with homegrown tomatoes – some thirty different varieties.

But even with all that variety, the main attention of the Griesbauerhof still goes to tradition. Thus Lukas Mumelter indicates the goal of his work: “To make great wines from the indigenous varieties of Schiava and Lagrein.” So even if he feels at home anywhere in the world, his roots will always be in Bolzano.

How can an operation that was founded in 2005 have deep roots? The Bellutti Vineyard Estate in Termeno shows how it’s done: with an uncompromising path to the highest quality and their concentration on indigenous varieties. Exclusively indigenous varieties.

So the Bellutti Vineyard Estate is not even twenty years old, and with grape growing areas of 2.8 hectares in Termeno, it is also substantially manageable. And because the vineyard area is small, the product line is also not exhaustive. But that also has a second reason: winegrower Christian Bellutti concentrates only on indigenous varieties – on Lagrein, on Lago di Caldaro and thus Schiava, and on Gewürztraminer. Above all else Gewürztraminer.

The local varieties have the advantage of finding their optimal terroir here, and in the winery, Bellutti places great value upon it being possible to taste this terroir in the wines. “Our goal is to produce single varietal, elegant, genuine wines that do not have an overpowering effect and which reflect the individual varieties and locations as well as the vintage,” he explains.

For Bellutti, an uncompromising orientation toward the highest quality is furthermore necessary. In both the vineyard and the winery, the work is carried out with expertise, commitment, modern technology, and a love of detail. In the end, therefore, by following traditional, tried and true values.

Only with the sales does Bellutti follow an unusual path: the wines from his vineyard estate go over the counter in his own wine bar. But it is not within the property of the vineyard estate, but rather right in the middle of Termeno – at the main town square.

When real estate agents say that a home has “potential”, then you usually think that you’re standing in front of ruins. Against this background, the Putzenhof in Laives-S. Giacomo had a heap of potential back in the 1950s. And in actuality, the Schweigkofler-Mottironi family took full advantage of it.

In 1956, Viktoria and Johann Schweigkofler bought the Putzenhof in S. Giacomo, a part of Laives. The vineyards were old, some of them hadn’t been tended for years, the buildings were dilapidated, the approach on the road was arduous. But behind that realtor’s word “potential”, the Schweigkoflers recognized the reality: “The vineyard at the foot of a porphyry wall, the slopes with a southwestern exposure, and the climatic conditions were virtually ideal for winegrowing,” says grandson Roman Mottironi, who runs the estate winery today.

The ideal conditions were exploited by the owners over three generations to turn ruins into a functioning estate winery. Today, it has grape growing areas of 5.5 hectares that are worked in a manner close to nature. For instance, herbicides have been avoided for years.

And thus the raw materials grow for a series of wines: gentle and close to nature. And likewise created gently in the cellars of the Putzenhof in Laives are a white assortment with Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Kerner as well as a red line with Lagrein, Pinot Noir, and a Colli di Bolzano cuvée made from Schiava, Lagrein, and Pinot Noir. Some 37,000 bottles are filled every year. So the potential of the Putzenhof has in fact proven itself with numbers.

The Gottardi family from Innsbruck had already made a name for themselves in the world of wine as dealers when, in 1986, they fulfilled a dream: with their own estate winery and grape growing areas in Alto Adige’s Pinot Noir heaven. Thus the Gottardi Estate Winery came into existence in Egna-Mazzon.

But before the Gottardis were able to get the first bottle of their own wine onto the market, a great deal of work was necessary. All of the vineyards were replanted and set up with Guyot trellises. And the winery was also rebuilt. Only in 1995 was it possible to make the first wines, starting out with Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir. “But because Pinot Noir enjoys great popularity both nationally and internationally, in 2010 we decided to devote ourselves exclusively to this unique grape variety,” says Alexander Gottardi.

And the conditions for this in Mazzon above Egna are absolutely ideal: sandstone, limestone, and marl soils with long evening sun and cool mountain winds at night prevent the grapes from maturing too quickly. “They also grow rich in finesse and elegance,” Gottardi says with enthusiasm, as he makes his contribution to top-quality Pinot Noirs with a consistent policy of quality. Thus the grapes are harvested by hand and carefully selected.

“From the first year, the grape material has been transported into the winery only with gravity, which is very important since Pinot Noir is very sensitive,” the winegrower explains. His Pinot Noir is first matured in stainless steel tanks and then in small French barrique barrels, and finally allowed to age in the bottle. A lot of work for a place in the Pinot Noir heaven.

A castle, an estate winery, a family of counts: what sounds like the abridged version of the plot from a dime novel is in fact that of the Englar Castle Estate Winery in San Michele-Appiano, which has been in the possession of the Khuen-Belasi counts since 1640. After a pause of more than eighty years, in 2012 they began making wine here themselves once again from their own grapes.

Because Englar Castle is found in San Michele-Appiano and thus in an area that is virtually predestined for winegrowing, grapes have from the very beginning been a part of the economic pillars of the castle estate. Up until 1930, the Khuen-Belasi counts also ran their own winery which, however, was then shut down. For more than eighty years, the grapes from Englar were then supplied to the cooperative wineries until a little less than ten years ago, when Count Johannes Khuen-Belasi began to once again make the castle wines.

“Our goal is excellent wines, and they require grapevines that grow harmoniously in a healthy environment,” says Khuen-Belasi, describing the philosophy that he follows at the Englar Castle Estate Winery in San Michele-Appiano. What results from them is a prudent selection of varieties that is coordinated with the soils and climate, cultivation methods that are close to nature, gentle work processes, and a corresponding control of harvest yields. “We intentionally reduce the yield per hectare, and specifically to match each corresponding grapevine, in order to be able to harvest top-quality grapes,” says the castle winegrower.

A total of seven hectares of grape growing areas belong to the Englar Estate Winery. They are planted with Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer, and Schiava. A traditional assortment for a traditional estate winery.