Vinařství v Jižním Tyrolsku

We - Ingrid and Arthur Rainer - have gone the indirect way, looked around and permanently learned. As a consequence, we want to go an open, modern and future-oriented way. In 2013 a new milestone was set. For the first time all the grapes of the family-owned vineyards were vinified in our cellars.

The Kuenhof in Bressanone makes no less than four white wines, each filled with character. The grapes are grown on steep terraces on the slopes of Valle Isarco and vinified in the estate’s historic cellar, which is protected as a historic monument and has roots going back centuries. Eight centuries, in fact.

The Kuenhof in Bressanone was first mentioned in a document in the 12th century. Back then, like so many other Valle Isarco estates, it was owned by the bishop of Bressanone. For approximately 200 years now, however, the Pliger family has run things at the Kuenhof, which has been gradually transformed into a wine-growing estate. The last, most important step in that direction was taken in 1990: ever since then, the Kuenhof grapes have been pressed on-site and the estate wines marketed independently.

All that is made possible by the cultivation area of roughly six hectares. The steep south-east-facing terraces are located at an altitude of 550 to 890 meters. “The climate is rough, but it is virtually ideal for our whites,” explains Peter Pliger, who runs the Kuenhof together with his wife Brigitte and their son Simon. By “our whites,” he is referring to four varieties: Sylvaner, Riesling, Veltliner, and Gewürztraminer.

“It is very important to us that our wines are born from a well-balanced symbiotic relationship between humans, the cultured plant, and nature,” says Pliger. And this credo also includes vinification with natural yeasts, which makes the Kuenhof whites turn out particularly long-lived and digestible. “Long-lived” being the operative word here—considering the estate is 800 years old.

 

In 1820, the Josef Weger Eppan Winery was founded in Cornaiano-Appiano. The founder’s name was, as may be expected, Josef Weger. Let’s call him Josef Weger I, because after him, three more gentlemen with the same name have stood at the head of the estate winery. Today, the Josef Weger Estate Winery in Cornaiano is run by the great-grandson of the founder. Can you guess what his name is? Wrong! His name is Johannes.

Josef Weger I was one of the pioneers of a professional winemaking and wine dealing operation in Alto Adige, and his descendants have successfully followed in the footsteps of the old gentleman. Even before the turn of the twentieth century, wine was delivered to Switzerland and all of the crownlands of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and before the First World War, a branch was even founded in East Tyrol. After the two wars, the growth of the estate winery continued, and vacation apartments were set up in the twelfth century manor house.

Johannes Weger has been active in the estate winery since the 1990s and has run it since 2015. Under his leadership, the winery was renovated and new grape varieties were planted, above all else Burgundy varieties. They are ideal for the vineyards of the Josef Weger Estate Winery. They are located at elevations from 435 to 600 meters in and around Cornaiano and provide grapes for white and red wines which Weger makes as single varietals that emphasize terroir: with gentle pressing operations, temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks, and cold maceration.

“In our wines, the interplay between landscape and climate should be reflected, as should the soul of the winegrower.” Weger says. And it is not surprising when he adds, “Our wines are the expression of years of experience that are transferred from generation to generation.” And from Josef Weger to Josef Weger. And to Johannes.

If someone is looking for a suitable location for a winery specializing in sparkling wine, then a former monastery would be right at the top of the list. And the Braunbach Winery specializing in sparkling wine in Settequerce near Bolzano is housed precisely in one of them. And because there is an obligation to tradition, the sparkling wine here is produced strictly according to the classic méthode champenoise bottle fermentation.

The history of the monastery building in Settequerce goes back over 800 years. Presented as a gift from the bishop of Bressanone to the Teutonic Order, at some point it had to be abandoned. But in order for it not to fall into disrepair, the former monastery winery was renovated and the Braunbach Winery was set up in it. Its specialty, sparkling wine, is produced strictly according to the traditional process. And that means: aging on the yeast, manual riddling, and then the removal of the yeast from the bottles, known in the industry as “degorging”.

At Braunbach, they are especially proud of the classically fermented sparkling wine Braunbach Brut. “It matures for 36 months on the fine yeast and is captivating through its fine-grained perlage and its fresh, youthful, and stimulating character,” explains Hans Kleon, head of the Braunbach Winery specializing in sparkling wine.

in addition to sparkling wines, the Braunbach Winery also makes white and red wines: Merlot, Lagrein, Cabernet, Chardonnay, Sauvignon, and Gewürztraminer. And Kleon also knows their secret: “The geological and microclimatic conditions of our areas of cultivation provide the basis for juicy, quaffable, but also complex wines with a strong character of the zone,” he explains.

Anyone who talks about the Castelatsch wine estate in Cengles, Val Venosta, must first talk about construction. The construction business, that is. After all, the owner of the wine estate, Werner Schönthaler, has a background in construction and has been researching ecological construction materials for a decade. “It has always been our goal to find alternatives for existing construction methods, so we started producing bricks made of hemp and lime,” explains Werner Schönthaler.
This construction material is sustainable through and through—and it was also used to build the Hof Castelatsch estate located on the slopes above Cengles. However, sustainability is not only skin-deep here: Werner Schönthaler pursues his agricultural activities with the same approach (and passion) which he already applied to his attempts to revolutionize the construction business.
And so the values at Hof Castelatsch reflect all those buzzwords that have become more and more popular since the climate crisis: future-friendly, for example, or health and well-being. And these values are, in turn, reflected in viticulture. After all, it is very important to Schönthaler to produce his wines in harmony with nature; in other words, sustainably …
… while following his own rules. His disinterest in conventional methods, which he already demonstrated in the construction business, also extends to wine, prompting him to tread on different paths. His grape varieties are all fungus-resistant (PIWI). His Eschkolot wine, for example, is a spontaneously fermented cuvée containing the Solaris, Muscaris, and Souvignier Gris grape varieties. And marble powder. Different paths, remember?

With the founding of the Cantina Produttori San Michele Appiano in 1907, an eventful success story began, and today the name stands for great wines and extraordinary quality. The 320 members of the cooperative winery work their vineyards in harmony with nature, and the secret to their success is the combination of decades of experience and constantly striving for perfection. The unique terroir, the respectful dealing with the grapes, and careful processing guarantee unique wines filled with character. In particular, the vineyards in and around Appiano offer the ideal conditions for varieties such as Pinot Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Yellow Muscat, and Pinot Noir.

But for well-structures red wines, outstanding small vineyards are found at lower elevations and along the Wine Route. The mild and sunny climate forms the basis for the unique quality of the wines. Today, San Michele-Appiano is one of the most renowned wineries in Alto Adige and Italy, with wines winning prizes both within the country and abroad. Experts attribute finesse, elegance, depth, and longevity to the wines from the Cantina Produttori San Michele Appiano.

These qualities are just as valid for both the winery’s larger productions, such as the “Sanct Valentin” line, and for the super selections, such as APPIUS and “The Wine Collection”. With them, San Michele-Appiano has made a name for itself around the globe.

In the heart of South Tyrol, on the sun-kissed southeastern slopes of the St. Magdalene hill in Bolzano, a young winery has taken shape—founded on passion, expertise, and a deep connection to the land. Here, where winemaking has been a family tradition for generations, a project has emerged that is rooted in history yet driven by a fresh, forward-looking vision.

The estate benefits from an exceptional location: during the day, the sun warms the soil and supports the ripening of the grapes; in the evening, a gentle Dolomite breeze flows down from the Rosengarten massif, lending finesse and aromatic depth to the wines.

With a solid education in agriculture from Bolzano and Vienna, the work in the vineyard and cellar is based on strong technical knowledge—paired with a constant desire to learn and grow. Every step, from vine to bottle, is carried out with care and attention, always in harmony with nature and the rhythm of the seasons.

The result is an authentic, terroir-driven range of wines that expresses not only the unique characteristics of St. Magdalene but also the energy and vision of someone who turned a lifelong passion into a profession.

“Wine has always been part of my life – now it has become my path”, says Katharina Martini.

A young winery – deeply rooted in tradition, yet open-minded, curious, and contemporary.

“I’m just a small, passionate winegrower,” says Gerda Kiem. It’s just that anyone who is induced by that little word “small” to underestimate Kiem and her Mauslocherhof is making a mistake. A big mistake.

The Mauslocherhof is run by the winegrower according to clear guidelines. Kiem calls herself “an open-minded thinker who gets the best from nature with passion.” And that also means working sustainably and close to nature – both in the vineyard and in the winery. “For us, working sustainably is something which is self-evident,” the committed winegrower says, adding, “But we’ve always worked that way.”

The goal of the quality work at the Mauslocherhof is creating eloquent wines with a relationship to their zone which are authentic and have their own character. “They should be elegant, pleasant, balanced wines that reflect our commitment and our conscientious work in the vineyard and the winery,” Kiem explains. In order for it to be possible to achieve that, great value is placed at the Mauslocherhof in Cermes on an ideal selection of grape varieties. “For every plot of every single vineyard, we have considered for a long time and with great care which grape variety can best develop there,” the winegrower says.

And the care with the selection of varieties has led to a broad product line. On the red side, this encompasses Lagrein, Merlot, and Pinot Noir, and with the whites Gewürztraminer, Yellow Muscat, Pinot Blanc, and Sauvignon Blanc. As has been stated, “small winegrowers” are not to be underestimated. Ever.

The Innerleiterhof in Scena is a small, fine, broadly structured operation. In addition to the winegrowing operation, it also includes its own winery and a hotel. And as one can imagine about a small, fine operation, everything lies in the hands of a family: that of the Egger-Pichler family.

While Karin Egger-Pichler holds the scepter at the hotel, her husband Karl Pichler and her father Franz Egger are responsible for the estate winery at the Innerleiterhof. Its name is derived from “Leite”, an expression in South Tyrolean dialect meaning a steep slope.

So at least in the vineyard, the name says it all. On 1.6 hectares at 450 meters above sea level in sun-drenched Scena up above Merano, Pinot Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and Schiava, Lagrein and Merlot are all grown here. “For ten years, we have been working with our grapes in our own winery, and that, in turn, is in combination with our hotel,” explains Karl Pichler.

Guests are offered such a unique experience and given that good feeling to be able to enjoy a wine whose transport path is measured not in kilometers, but rather in meters. From the vineyard to their own winery to the adjacent hotel.
What grows together goes together. Always in a small, fine, broadly structured family operation.

Blueberries, apricots, cherries, peaches, plums, pears, apples, chestnuts, but also fruit spreads, juices, syrups, and preserves: there is hardly anything you cannot find at the Runsthof in Lana, situated directly by the hiking trail from Lana to Foiana. So it is hardly surprising that the Lobis family, who has run the Runsthof since 2017, also cultivates vines as well as produces wine in their own cellar—at least in part.

The vineyards which supply the grapes are located above Lana on a steep slope, which means that cultivation depends very much on manual labor. But no matter how strenuous, it guarantees a very special kind of quality control, seeing as the winegrowers are, quite literally, very close to their grapes.

At an altitude of 350–500 meters, a broad range of grape varieties grow on those steep parcels of land, and they are ideally suited to the site. At the Runsthof in Lana, the favored grape varieties are Pinot Noir, Sauvignon, Sauvignon Gris, Bronner, and Chardonnay. “The location and the climate are ideal for very special wines which retain their own special characteristics typical of the variety but whose flavors also bear hints of the terroir,” explains Günther Lobis.

By the way: winegrowing, like all other work at the Runsthof, is a family affair, as the estate is run by Günther Lobis, his wife Helga, and his daughters Johanna and Lisa. Diversity is very important, after all.

 

“Anyone who has specialized in the production of natural wines has to accompany the wine along its entire path.” Thomas Niedermayr of the estate winery of the same name in Appiano views himself as just such a companion, as someone who wishes to guarantee purity and wants to support nature in its own production. “In the end,” his credo goes, “nature is the highest form of quality.”

The fact that top-quality wines can only come from grapes that are grown in a healthy environment is obvious for Niedermayr. For that reason, he manages his Gandberg estate ecologically. Growing and thriving between the grapevines, the visitor is greeted by chickens and runner ducks, the vines themselves are fungus-resistant, and the use of chemicals and other artificial aids is avoided. “We leave room for nature,” Niedermayr says.

In the case of the Gandberg Hof, nature starts right around the farmhouse. The vineyards are located at an elevation between 500 and 530 meters. Their microclimate is influenced on one hand by the ice holes and on the other hand by the Gandberg mountain itself, which rises up behind the farmhouse.

The special natural features and the sustainable management can be tasted in the wines from the Thomas Niedermayr Eppan Winery in Appiano. And that should also be tasted, says Niedermayr. “My entire commitment is targeted toward my wines radiating that which accompanies and guides their creation process” the winegrower says: “tranquility and relaxation, depth and the force of nature, lightheartedness and the pleasure of enjoyment.”

Under the sign of the raven, Stephan Pramstrahler of the Grottnerhof in Fiè produces multifaceted wines, all of which carry the name of a different bird – “A bird with great character,” as Pramstrahler emphasizes. For the old Grottnerhof, winegrowing in any case means a new future.

In 2007, Pramstrahler, who runs the Hotel Turmwirt in Fiè, purchased the dilapidated Grottnerhof in Novale di Fiè and thoroughly renovated it – with a great deal of care and respect for the history of the farmhouse. Thus great pains were gone through to preserve the traditional wood-paneled Tyrolean Stube parlor, the curing kitchen, the oven, and the vault over the hallway. “In the cellar, there are even still old wine barrels that tell of earlier times,” the owner tells us.

And the barrels fit perfectly, since in its new life, everything in the Grottnerhof revolves around wine. Or, more aptly: around multifaceted wines with lively, mineral-rich tones and a special finish: Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Noir that reflect the character of the surroundings. And those of the people who stand behind them. “The maturation of our wines takes place in stainless steel tanks and in large wooden barrels,” explains Pramstrahler. “That requires great attention and a lot of patience.”

What remains is just the question about the “birds with great character” that decorate the labels of the Grottnerhof bottles that were designed by artist Florin Kompatscher. And especially the question as to why the common raven was chosen as the “coat of arms bird”. The answer is simple: not only is the raven indigenous to the Novale di Fiè, it can also be trained very well. And above all else, it is highly intelligent.

Anyone who has been passionately active in the wine sector for a long time wants to put their own stamp on wines at some point. That may be at their own risk, but in fact also with their own signature. That is precisely what the Martini family has done, and it was now more than forty years ago that the K. Martini & Sohn Winery in Cornaiano was brought to life.

The K in K. Martini & Sohn stands for the father Karl Martini, who founded the winery in 1979 with his son Gabriel, and specifically in the middle of their own vineyards in the winegrowing village of Cornaiano, which belongs to the community of Appiano. At that time, both father and son had already made their careers in the sector, so they brought along the necessary know-how and the experience regarding wine that was essential for their success.
In spite of that, the step to being on their own was not an easy one: “Building up the winery was a hard piece of work,” Gabriel Martini recounts today. “We filled, sealed, and labeled the first bottles by hand.”

Because they were well aware of their size (or lack thereof), they understood themselves at K. Martini & Sohn from the very beginning to be a small but fine operation that focuses not only on comprehensive and friendly service, but also above all else on quality. “That alone justifies the existence of a small family operation,” says Martini.
In addition, it is built upon a palette of wines that is astonishingly large for a small operation which today comprises four lines and ranges from Pinot Blanc, Pinot Grigio, and Pinot Noir to Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Schiava, and Lagrein all the way to Yellow Muscat and Red Muscat.

There is a very good reason why the wines of the Untermaurerhof estate in Santa Maddalena, Bolzano, carry the earth pyramids of Renon in their name and their logo. After all, this natural monument—the highest and probably most beautifully shaped earth pyramids in Europe—can be found in Soprabolzano, right above the Katzenbachgraben, which is also where the vineyards of the Untermaurerhof are located.
The wine-growing area is centered around the steep and sunny terraces of Santa Maddalena in Bolzano. They are among the oldest wine-growing sites in the capital of Alto Adige—unsurprisingly so, seeing as they can offer everything vines and grapes love best: lots of light and sun, warm temperatures, and not to forget substantial temperature differences between day and night.
In addition, there is the soil, and one does not have to be a geologist in order to understand its structure due to the earth pyramids: they consist of glacial moraine rocks and weather-beaten porphyry, and they can store heat like none other. “Low harvests are typical of these hillside sites. This requires careful selection and extremely careful processing of the grapes,” explains Wolfgang Hofer from the Pyramidis wine estate.
Consequently, its wines are the result of careful selection and only come in limited editions. The range of varieties is small, too. It includes—and that should almost go without saying considering the location—a Santa Maddalena Classico as well as a flowery, fresh and aromatic Müller-Thurgau, an elegant and intense Pinot Noir Riserva, and a Pinot Blanc which wins over wine lovers with a fruity range of aromas and a well-structured body.

“Class instead of mass” as the saying goes, but at the Jürgen Weitgruber Estate Winery in Merano-Maia Alta, that is a specification that is followed consistently. In the vineyard, in the winery, and in the no less than 1,500 hours of work by hand every year.

The district of Maia Alta in Merano lies somewhat above the center of the old capital of Tyrol, with its slopes being sundrenched and hot in the summer with the nights significantly cooler. The particular microclimate contributes to high grape quality and a broad spectrum of aromas in the wines that are obtained from them.

On top of that, the vineyards of the Jürgen Weitgruber Estate Winery are located at elevations between 300 and 600 meters and are therefore planted on very different soils: from fine sandy and warm to rocky with a rich skeleton. “So all of our grape varieties find the conditions that are suitable for their needs,” explains Weitgruber.
The estate winery’s product line comprises Pinot Blanc, Kerner, Schiava, Lagrein, Pinot Noir, and Regent, and what is made from them are crisp, fruity, fresh white and rosé wines and harmonious red wines filled with character. Wines that have to fulfill two characteristics in the philosophy of the Weitgruber family: “Our focus,” the winegrower explains, “lies in being and remaining authentic and providing people with joy in our wines.”

And that may sound like a platitude, but that, too, is pursued consistently at the Jürgen Weitgruber Estate Winery in Merano-Maia Alta: in the vineyard, in the winery, and in the 1,500 hours of work by hand every year.

The Burgerhof Meßner wine estate in Bressanone is a prime example of the fact that combining the old and the new will invariably lead to something exciting. The old in this equation is represented by the Burgerhof itself, which is located on a glacial terrace at 750 meters above the episcopal town of Bressanone in Valle Isarco and has records going back as far as the 13th century. Since 1843, the Meßner family has owned the estate, which has now been in the family for five generations.

The face of that fifth generation—at least when it comes to viticulture—is Johannes Meßner. His passion for wine and sustainable operations is the leitmotif of wine production at the Burgerhof, which has been an organic farm since 1983. Johannes Meßner combines this heritage with know-how acquired at wine estates in Australia and South Africa, in North and South America, in Germany, and in Alto Adige.

And his credo is as simple as it is memorable: “A good wine is born on the vine itself,” says Meßner, a bona fide cosmopolitan on a quest for wine expertise. “Every little step in the process, from the plant to the wine poured in a glass, will characterize the wine in some way or other.” And because all wines start out on the vines, the only varieties cultivated at the Burgerhof are fungus-resistant (PIWI). The selection includes Johanniter, Solaris, Muscaris, Souvignier Gris, Regent, and Cabernet Cortis.

On the whole, however, that kind of variety is actually rather unusual at the Burgerhof, one of the tenets of organic viticulture being “as much as necessary and as little as possible.”

Wine and its production have a great deal to do with values. And Andreas Theiner must have also thought that. Before he took over his family’s historical estate with Plars Castle in Lagundo in 2003, he was a banker.

As unusual as the change from the teller’s window to the vineyard may be is how simple the explanation is that Theiner provides. “Wine is my passion”, he says, “and even though I had pursued a completely different professional career, it made my love of wine even stronger.” And that may also have to do with the fact that passion for wine is in the genes of the Theiners. Andreas’ grandfather Franz had already studied at the Winegrowing Technical College in Klosterneuburg near Vienna – back in 1895! In 1911, he returned to South Tyrol, he acquired the Plars Castle estate in Lagundo, produced wines for the rest of his life, and in the end handed the estate down to his son Karl, who expanded it.

Finally, in 2003, Andreas took over the castle and concentrated on the production of quality wines. The conditions for them are ideal: the vineyards in Plars di Mezzo, situated at 450 meters above sea level, benefit from a great deal of sun and a constant breeze. “This climate is ideal for a Sauvignon Blanc that is extremely strong in character, but also for Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Schiava, Lagrein, and Merlot,” Theiner explains.

In the winery, a gentle processing of the grapes and careful handling of the wine are important to him, because, “Only in that way are we successful in having the individuality and essence of the vineyard finding their way into the wines.” And that’s also what passion for wine sounds like.

WeineWolf – the product of a passion for nature. “Making wine from what Mother Nature provides” – that is the philosophy that persuaded Wolfgang Ladurner to become a vintner. What was originally a dream developed over the years into a project and was finally fulfilled in the form of a winery of his own. As a boy, he spent many days in the vineyards and became familiar with the rhythm of the vines. In 1990 Wolfgang Ladurner founded W.Ladurner GmbH, a company that specialized in importing and selling recycling plants. But at the back of his mind he was always dreaming of making his own wine. In 2002 he moved a step closer to his goal by buying a first plot of land, which he started to cultivate in 2004.

How he was going to do it was clear from the start: His vineyard was to be terraced and laid out for dense planting to obtain optimum results from the site. Step by step, he hunted out other sites in Caldaro that had the location, climate and soil to offer ideal conditions for wine-growing. With the foundation of the WeineWolf company in 2013, Wolfgang Ladurner’s childhood dream of making wine out of a passion for nature finally came true. His next goal is to build his own cellar, a project that will bring the Ladurner family and lovers of wines from WeineWolf still closer together.

In the middle of the nineteenth century, when Franz Morandell built a farmhouse, he at the same time also immortalized his wife. Her name was Elisabeth, which in its loving nickname becomes “Lisele”. Today, the Lieselehof Estate Winery in Caldaro is an imposing estate in which the winegrowing knowledge of three generations meets together and where Werner Morandell has the say. He is the great-grandson of “Lisele”.

The fact that with this story, the Morandells inherited their passion for wine right from the cradle may sound like a platitude. Except that it is true. Werner’s grandfather was a winegrower, while his father Gottlieb-Amadeus attended to the grafting of young grapevines and produced rootstock for surrounding vineyard nurseries.

Werner Morandell also thoroughly devoted himself to winegrowing. He even wrote a book about it and along with his vineyard, he is a contractual partner of the Freiburg in Breisgau State Viticultural Institute in Germany. Within that context, the main attention lies with fungus-resistant varieties, on the organic cultivation of traditional grape varieties (such as Schiava and Cabernet), and on wines that are made in an ecologically friendly manner. “That means that during the vinification, only a few natural treatment agents are permitted, and we completely do without synthetic materials,” Morandell says.

The particular pride of the Morandells is wines that are made from exclusively fungus-resistant grapes for which no chemical herbicides are used in the vineyard and for which strict conditions are met for grape yields per vine. A separate brand name has even been developed for them: Green Mountain Wine.

The Fliederhof ["Lilac Estate"] in Bolzano/Santa Maddalena really ought to be called “Tulpenhof” ["Tulip Estate"]. “Twenty years ago, we planted some tulip bulbs, and now in the springtime, the vineyard below the farmhouse turns into a whole sea of tulips,” recounts Stefan Ramoser. But it doesn’t matter whether it is lilacs or tulips: the Fliederhof in Bolzano/Santa Maddalena does not have any flowers in their product line, but rather produces genuine, natural wines.

In the possession of the Ramoser family since 1930, grape growing areas of three hectares are currently managed, whereby it is nature who sets the tone. “The method of operation and the planning of all production steps both in the vineyard and the winery should not influence the course of things to the greatest degree possible,” says Ramoser.

The vineyards of the Fliederhof in Santa Maddalena have a slope of up to 40 percent, so as a result of the steepness, they can only be tended with a great amount of work by hand. Ramoser is therefore convinced that precise work in the vineyard contributes to success as much as the natural conditions do – soil, rain, wind, and sun, and his own concept of sustainability. Added to that is greenery management that is adapted to the location for the building up of humus, but also the application of compost from their own production.

All of this ought to be tasted in the result: “Wines from the Fliederhof ought to enjoy special drinking pleasure,” says the winegrower Ramoser. “Sincere, natural, and with character, without any special styling that could mask these properties.” And in view of the location, the fact that these wines also include Schiava – Santa Maddalena is a given. Or, as Ramoser puts it, “We view ourselves as a genuine champion of this indigenous grape variety.”

The Köfererhof in Novacella works with special vineyards and under special conditions. At an elevation of nearly 800 meters, the climate is somewhat harsher, the temperature differentials between day and night are greater, and the grapes mature somewhat later than in the classic grape growing zones. But who says that all that has to be a disadvantage?

In any case, the Köfererhof in Novacella (in the community of Varna) is among the oldest winegrowing estates in the Valle Isarco. The ancients already knew to appreciate the harsh conditions here around the Novacella monastery. And so do Gaby and Günther Kerschbaumer, who today are responsible for the 5.5 hectare vineyards of the Köfererhof. “With certain work, harsh conditions are in no way negative,” says Günther Kerschbaumer, “and they even contribute to the creation of intense, mineral-rich, juicy, and complex white wines.”

As a passionate winegrower, he certainly knows that, and some 48,000 bottles of this wine leave the winery at the organically managed Köfererhof year after year. They are exclusively whites, first and foremost Sylvaner, Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Müller Thurgau, and Kerner. The harvest of the latter provides particular challenges, since there is actually not one Kerner harvest, but rather three. “With the first one, especially fresh wine is made; with the second, the bulk is harvested, and with the third, a complex, complete wine is created,” Kerschbaumer says.

So that’s a lot of work under harsh conditions. But who says that all that has to be a disadvantage?

Edmund Pomella could have chosen an easier path: As a third-generation winegrower, he had the opportunity to take over a thriving winery in Cortaccia in 2016. The vineyards boasted old grapevines of classic varieties, so it seemed a no-brainer to just continue as it was. Yet what he wanted was something more natural. Pomella is passionate: passionate about nature, passionate about protecting our environment. And, as a consequence: passionate about natural, digestible wines.

But Edmund Pomella also values old treasures, so he decided to graft the vines in his vineyards, some of which are up to 100 years old. The old rootstocks formed the basis for modern PIWI varieties: Bronner, Johanniter, Muscaris, Souvignier Gris, Prior, Cabernet Cortis. These varieties can be cultivated without using chemical pesticides. And Pomella did not only keep the rootstocks, he also continues to use the old pergola training system, which offers significant benefits in locations exposed to intense sunlight and scarce in water.

Cultivating natural wines helps accomplish two goals simultaneously: Promoting human well-being without harming nature. And it doubles the quality: “This is not just about the quality of our wines but also about quality of life, respect for nature, our vines, our soils, and all life on our planet,” says Pomella, who also offers farm tours and runs his own farm store, where consumers can buy his wines and other natural products.

 

History consists mostly of rock. At the Larcherhof in Bolzano-Rencio, for instance, the wines age in large wooden barrels in a cellar that dates back centuries. But even more impressive are the powerful Lagrein grapevines of the Larcherhof which themselves are more than a hundred years old. As can been seen with them, history lives.

The vineyards of the Larcherhof in Bolzano-Rencio belong to the classic Santa Maddalena cultivation zone which is distinguished by a mild, nearly Mediterranean climate, by hot days and cool nights at the time of maturation, and by warm porphyry soils and loose alluvial soils. The Spögler family has five hectares of grape growing area here. “We manage our vineyards in an environmentally-friendly way that is close to nature, without herbicides or insecticides,” explains Hans Jochen Spögler.

The vineyards are planted with Merlot, Schiava, and Pinot Grigio. And above all with Lagrein, which is to be understood as such a typical variety for Alto Adige. From the vineyards of the Larcherhof in Bolzano-Rencio, it is made into wines of different forms: Lagrein, Lagrein Kretzer rosé, Lagrein Riserva. The winegrowing tradition of the Spögler family, which runs the Larcherhof, dates back to 1893. But only since 2008 have they been making and bottling their own wines. In the meantime, production has risen to 45,000 bottles per year, a figure that will continue to grow further in coming years.

The wines from Baron Di Pauli were already drunk at the court of the emperor in Vienna and that of the tsar in St. Petersburg. And in 1999, a new chapter was added to the long history of the Baron Di Pauli Estate Winery in Caldaro. That was when the foundation was laid for the cooperation with the Cantina Kaltern, which drove forward a prestige project with upper echelon wines.

The Baron Di Pauli Estate Winery consists of two farms: the 10.5 hectare Arzenhof, that is located on a hill at Lake Caldaro and, at 4.5 hectares, the substantially smaller Höfl unterm Stein in Sella above Termeno. Because the locations of the vineyards are so different, the two locations also deliver very different grapes. Thus the Arzenhof grapes are made into the Bordeaux blend Arzio, the Carano Lagrein, and the Kalkofen Lago di Caldaro, while the grapes from Sella turn into the Exilissi and Enosi Gewürztraminers and a cuvée of Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Blanc.

But it doesn’t matter which grape variety or which wine – one guiding principle holds true for all of them: no compromise! “The yields in the vineyard are reduced to a minimum so that the vines can concentrate all of their energy on a few grapes which are then harvested by hand,” explains estate manager Baron Carl Philipp von Hohenbühel. The ideal composition of the soils, the Mediterranean climate, and the considerable temperature differentials between day and night make their contribution to top wines being created at the Baron Di Pauli Estate Winery.

Wines that would also be drunk at imperial courts. If there still were any left.