Vinařství v Jižním Tyrolsku

The Hof Pomaria estate in Caldaro has an unusual name which refers to the Latin “pomus,” which means “fruit tree.” That comes as no surprise: the estate is located in the Palude di Caldaro area and is surrounded by orchards. But the Rellich family business has a second leg to stand on, and not just in the geographical sense: the grapes, which are then single-handedly matured into top-quality wines, are cultivated in Cortaccia.

Regarding wine, Klaus Rellich took over from his ancestors, who had been cultivating grapes and making wine for generations. Rellich uses an area of approx. 1,500 square meters for that. “The calcareous gravel and loamy soil in the hills of Cortaccia create ideal prerequisites for winegrowing; moreover, the sunny site and good ventilation are conducive to bringing forth excellent grapes,” explains the winegrower, who cultivates Pinot Blanc, Merlot, and Schiava grapes in his vineyards.

The reference to the excellent suitability of the area for winegrowing is not just a marketing trick employed by the Rellich family, by the way: it is historically documented. The old field name “Frauenrigl” was already mentioned in very old documents; today, it is the single vineyard that forms the foundation of the wines produced—and mainly sold—at the Hof Pomaria estate in Caldaro: from Pinot Blanc and a classic Schiava to a Merlot Rosé.

 

The motto at the Michael Puff winegrowing estate in Cornaiano is “Keep it chill!”. The addressee of that instruction is not, however, the founder of the winegrowing estate of the same name but the vines, some of which are grown in high grass here: wild shoot distribution, no pruning, and as little defoliation as possible. “Our method is unconventional, but our ultimate goal is always to put the vines under as little stress as possible,” says Michael Puff.

And Michael’s philosophy in the cellar is not much different: his wines are spontaneously fermented in concrete barrels and then aged for twelve months in small oak barrels before they go back in the concrete barrels for another six to nine months. “We are going entirely without fining and filtration in the bottling process,” says Michael Puff, “so our wine is very much a no-frills product.”

Michael Puff founded his own winegrowing estate in Cornaiano/Ronchi in 2020 after completing vocational training at the Laimburg professional school, some internships at winegrowing estates and wineries, and conducting experiments at his own parents’ estate. Today, Michael’s winegrowing estate is based on locations in Cornaiano/Ronchi and Appiano Monte. He has focused exclusively on Pinot Noir—and a vision of fresh and new Pinot Noir stylistics.

The Pinot Noirs from the Michael Puff winegrowing estate bear a dragonfly in the label that symbolizes elegance, power, and timelessness—and is also at home on the winegrowing estate.

 

The Laimburg Provincial Winery in Vadena is the estate winery of the Province of Alto Adige. It has a whole series of vineyards in every winegrowing region in the province, and it is affiliated with the Laimburg Research Center for agriculture and forestry. So its task is not just to produce outstanding wines, but also to test new paths for Alto Adige winegrowing.

In total, the Laimburg Provincial Winery manages around 20 hectares of grape growing areas at elevations from 200 to 750 meters. “For us, the main focus of our work is maintaining and improving the quality of grapes and wine,” explains winemaker Urban Piccolruaz, “and, in so doing, it is necessary to test simple methods of management that save time and costs.”

From the grapes that are grown that way, around 90,000 bottles of wine are made every year. A portion of them, the estate wines, are traditional vintage wines that are typical of the grape variety. “The Burgselektion wines, on the other hand, are individual and aged primarily in large oak barrels or else they are select wines,” Piccoluraz says.

Since the early 1990s, barrels and bottles have been stored in a special cellar. “The opportunity basically presented itself to create the cellar in the porphyry rock of the Monte di Mezzo,” the winemaker reminisces. In retrospect, this unconventional decision proved itself to be doubly advantageous: on one hand, a cellar was built in which the naturally constant room temperature prevails, while on the other hand, a huge amount of money could be saved in comparison to the classic new construction of a cellar. And because the Laimburg Provincial Winery is in fact just that, the winery of the province, the taxpayers were grateful.

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.

 

Two friends, three locations, one project: with the Pföstl Estate Winery in Scena, Stefan Pföstl and Georg Weger have fulfilled a common childhood dream. Weger takes care of the vineyards and the winery, while Pföstl handles sales – including in the Schenna Resort that he runs. In addition to the fact that the foundation of the Pföstl Estate Winery is based upon a sandbox friendship, there are above all else three thoroughly different locations that distinguish the estate winery. Thus there are grape growing areas in Merano, Scena, Lana, and Pochi that are managed, all of which take advantage of a great deal of sun and heat.

Each of these locations has a different climate and different soils and exposures and is therefore ideal for different grape varieties. “The fact that the whole is more than the sum of its parts also holds true for wine,” says Pföstl. “It is the interplay of soil, variety, weather, and human labor.”

A large part of this work takes place in the vineyard and in the winery, “With passion and honesty,” as both Pföstl and Weger emphasize. It is thanks to the variety in locations that such a conceivably wide product line of wines has been established at the Pföstl Estate Winery. It ranges from Merlot, Cabernet, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Grigio to Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Noir and all the way to the special Merano spa treatment grape, Schiava Grossa. Also in the range of the winery are two sparkling wines produced according to the classic method: A Blanc de Blancs and a Rosé sparkling wine.

The Radoin 1560 winery is situated between the deep canyon of the Bletterbach, a Unesco World Heritage Site, and the enchanting Trudner Horn Nature Park in Radein in the south of South Tyrol. Of course, the conditions for growing grapes at 1560 metres above sea level would be too harsh, despite the many hours of sunshine - but the grapes from which the noble wine Radoin 1560 is made come from estates of the Perwanger family in the municipality of Montan. The village on the South Tyrolean Wine Road with the settlements of Pinzon and Glen lies in the broad and bright Adige Valley.

In the 15th century, the name Radoin stood for the mountain on which Sepp Perwanger's winery is run with high standards. He followed in the footsteps of his grandfather, Josef Perwanger, who pressed his grapes on the farm in two barrels for decades. The grandfather's vineyard still belongs to the family - despite the massive political and economic upheavals and despite the wars of the past century. Today, Gewürztraminer and Chardonnay are grown in the Kühmösl estate, as the one site is called. Sepp Perwanger has acquired two more vineyards in the nearby Glen. This is where the Pinot Noir Riserva, the signature wine, and the flagship of the young winery, grows.

The Egger-Ramer Estate Winery in Bolzano has been in existence since 1880, and since that time it has followed one simple principle: cultivating indigenous grape varieties in a modern way. Peter Egger-Ramer, fifth generation winegrower at the estate winery, has expanded this goal by one dream: to create the perfect Lagrein.

Located right in the midst of the provincial capital of Bolzano, the Egger-Ramer Estate Winery has the best conditions for it – including because the focus was on Lagrein here very early on. “My father Toni already believed in the power and potential of Lagrein as early as the 1970s,” Egger-Ramer recounts, “so at a time when this grape variety was notorious for being a simple farmer’s wine with far too many sharp edges.”

Peter built upon the preparations by his father, worked tirelessly on the quality of his Lagrein, and with the Kristan Lagrein Riserva has created an extraordinary representative of its kind. But anyone who believes that with this, the Bolzano winegrower has achieved his goal will be mistaken. When asked about his dream, he responds, “It would be nice to create the perfect Lagrein someday.”

Even if Lagrein is the showpiece wine of this traditional estate winery, the palette of grape varieties in the vineyards that encompass some 15 hectares in and around Bolzano is much larger. Yellow Muscat, Pinot Blanc, Schiava, and Lagrein also grow there. With the indigenous varieties and all of the wines that reflect the particular character of the locations, Egger-Ramer says, “It combines the best of both worlds: the Alpine and the Mediterranean.”

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.”

The Rametz Castle Estate Winery in Merano has one of the richest traditions in the province. There is documentary evidence of wine grapes having been grown here since 1227, and Pinot Noir since 1860. Why is that worthy of mention? It’s quite simple: those at Rametz Castle were the first Pinot Noir vines in all of Alto Adige.

The fact that wine grapes have been grown here for almost 800 years is not by chance: the climate in Merano is ideal, and the soils on the moraine hill upon which the manor stands are water-permeable. These conditions are also still made use of today, with the 10 hectares of grape growing areas around Maretz Castle being planted with Pinot Noir, Riesling, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon. The grapevines are supported for the most part with Guyot trellises, although with a special feature: “We use only posts made from weather-resistant chestnut wood, and in the castle vineyard, we avoid the use of concrete posts that are broadly utilized elsewhere today,” explains general manager Stanislaus Schmid.

What is also special are the cellars in which the harvest from the castle’s own vineyards are made into wine. The large cellar originated in the eighteenth century, is made entirely of stone blocks, and without a doubt is among the most beautiful cellars in the entire province. “This is where we keep the large oak barrels, while in the small cellar from the twelfth century, the valuable barrique wines in small oak casks are matured.” So at the Rametz Castle Estate Winery in Merano, history and tradition meet the visitor at every turn. And also at the level of a museum, since for decades now, tools and equipment from winegrowing and winemaking have been collected here. Just the Winemaking Museum alone is worth a visit.

Mazon, a hamlet located above Neumarkt/Egna in the south of Alto Adige, is known as Alto Adige’s most typical Pinot Noir location. This is where the pioneers first experimented with this variety, where the first renowned Pinot Noirs from Alto Adige originated, and where the best wines of this grape variety are still coming from to this very day.

So it should not come as a surprise that the Praxmarer Estate Winery located on the Fritzenhof estate in Mazon has set itself the goal of “creating our own interpretation of a Mazon Pinot Noir.” And Sebastian Praxmarer, owner of the estate winery of the same name, is well aware of the responsibility that comes with the long tradition that he is following: “Our aim is to create authentic wines that fully represent this special location with its characteristic soil conditions and its unique microclimate,” says Praxmarer.

While the location has a very long tradition, the Praxmarer Estate Winery is still new in the business here in Mazon. In 2020, they first started cultivation on some of the estate lands, which span a total area of 15 hectares. But the history of the estate winery is much longer than that. For more than 220 years, since 1800, grapes have been grown on the Fritzenhof estate. Since 2020, the Praxmarer family has added a new chapter to this wine-making tradition.

“My family’s roots are also the foundation of my wines.” With his winegrowing estate in Cortina sulla Strada del Vino, Manuel Taddei has committed to going back to those roots. He is a third-generation winegrower, and he firmly believes that the character of a wine is always influenced by the people working on the estate. And its development, too: “A mix of patience, endurance, and passion helps us to grow continuously and improve our estate,” says Manuel Taddei.

In 2013, he replanted his grandmother’s vineyards in Val di Cembra, which had been lying fallow for more than 50 years—another testament to his return to his roots.

Because it is not just the reuse of old vineyards that is so special, nor is it the “cross-border” cultivation in Cortina in Alto Adige and Val di Cembra in Trentino. What is really special is the location of those vineyards: The area under vines of newly planted Müller-Thurgau is located at approximately 900 meters above sea level; the area where Taddei has planted Sauvignon vines, at approximately 750 meters. Taddei’s range of varieties is completed by Chardonnay.

2022 saw the first harvest brought in at the Manuel Taddei Winegrowing Estate in Cortina sulla Strada del Vino. “We are striving to create extraordinary and harmonious high-quality wines that are full of character,” says Taddei with regard to his philosophy. That also means that the wine is given all the time it needs to mature and unfold its potential. Accordingly, the Müller-Thurgau and Sauvignon wines go on sale one year after the harvest whereas the Chardonnay even takes two and a half years to mature.

 

“Family business” is a tag that many operations pin to their lapels. But the Hans Rottensteiner Estate Winery does so legitimately. “All of the family members are involved in some way in the success of the operation – whether directly in the winery, in the office, or as grape suppliers,” explains Hannes Rottensteiner, who runs the estate winery along with his wife Judith in what is now the third generation.

But the estate is not just rooted in the family, it is also rooted in the world of Bolzano wine and its tradition. “Our focus lies fundamentally in the single varietal indigenous wines with a strong emphasis on the two typical Bolzano wines of Santa Maddalena and Lagrein,” the winegrower says. These have found the ideal conditions in the Bolzano porphyry soils, added to which these soils provide accentuated mineral tones in the wines.

In addition to those classic Bolzano reds, the significance of Pinot Blanc is also growing for the Hans Rottensteiner Estate Winery. “In recent years, it has become more and more important for us,” says Rottensteiner. At the current time, they make around 35 percent white wine, which is rather unusual for an estate winery right in Bolzano.

So the two main pillars of the Hans Rottensteiner Estate Winery have now turned into three. And in the future, this will be emphasized even further. “We want to establish ourselves even more strongly as specialists for Santa Maddalena, Lagrein, and Pinot Blanc,” says Rottensteiner, formulating the goal for his estate winery. But nothing will change with another established tenet: they are and will continue to be a family operation steeped in tradition.

Merano is not just a health resort city with a tradition dating back centuries, but also one of the classic Alto Adige winegrowing areas. Above all else on the more or less steep slopes around the cities, grapes have been grown since time immemorial, finding their optimal conditions here. In the district of Maia Alta, for instance, the scree cone from the Rio Val di Nova provides fertile soils with a rich skeleton, added to which the climate here seems almost Mediterranean. And the Riedingerhof in Merano thrives from all of this.

So it is no wonder that as with so many farms in the Burgraviate, the roots of the Riedingerhof are to be sought in fruitgrowing and winegrowing, even if the farmhouse has developed more and more over the years into a hospitality establishment. But with this development, the Verdorfer family has not sacrificed their passion for winegrowing and wine. Quite the contrary: It is the young winegrower Hansi Verdorfer who continues to live with it today, not just growing grapes on his own vines, but also making his own top-quality estate-grown wines at the Riedingerhof in Merano.

And when asked about his passion for winegrowing and winemaking, he also says, “For me, the care of our vineyards, the grape harvest in the autumn, the work in the winery, and the weekly wine tasting with our guests are very special moments.” And that is hardly astonishing. In the end, he can not only live out his great passion, but also share it.

Wineries are something almost sacred for wine connoisseurs. And at the Muri-Gries Monastery Winery, that impression may be even stronger. After all, up until the end of the eighteenth century, the rooms which are used as a winery today were the church of the Augustinian seminary at that time. And even today, the winery is reached directly through the cloister of the monastery.

The connection between wine and monastery which has already existed for centuries therefore also becomes clear at the monastery complex. Thus the heart of the vineyards, the monastery meadow, is still a part of the monastery complex today in the Bolzano district of Gries. In addition, the grapes from other vineyards in and around Bolzano and the Oltradige also come to the monastery winery.

The proprietor of the winery and the estate is the Benedictine Community of Muri Gries, while the daily work concerning wine lies in the hands of laymen, first and foremost winemaker Christian Werth. He describes the wines from the monastery winery as “elegant, linear, emphatically typical to the variety, powerful, and closely connected with their origins.”

Special attention is due to the Lagrein. “We want to display this traditional variety in all of its facets: from the rosé known as Kretzer to the Lagrein that is traditionally matured in large wooden barrels to the Riservas, which are carefully aged in small oak casks,” says Werth.

Thus it is no surprise that great emphasis is placed upon tradition at the Muri-Gries Monastery Winery. As well as on continuity, striving for quality, and the bond with nature and the cultural landscape. Values, it is to be understood, are upheld in a monastery.

The Widum Baumann winegrowing estate in Avigna, high above Bolzano, is a bit of a pocket-sized version of the wine country Alto Adige: located at a high altitude, characterized by the mountains, run in a sustainable manner, with a diverse range of varieties on offer and a long history. That history begins in the mid-13th century when the Widum Baumann farm in Avigna was first mentioned in a document. Back then, this used to be the seat of the administrator of ecclesiastical property; the farm itself was a typical mountain farm, however. This would not change until the Widmann family took over. Thomas Widmann, an agricultural economics professional, recognized the potential of the farm and began experimenting with apple farming. In 2012, he added winegrowing to the mix, which was only made possible by climate change considering the altitude of 1,048 meters above sea level. “We began by cultivating eleven different varieties and maturing them in different ways in order to understand which variety and method would yield the best results,” recalls Thomas Widmann. It eventually came down to seven remaining varieties, which are matured as a mixed set (gemischter Satz) according to ancient tradition. “They are harvested together and fermented in wooden tubs or amphoras,” says Widmann. Tradition also rules how cultivation is organized at the Widum Baumann winegrowing estate, dictated by nature, the weather, plants, the moon, and the seasons. The production follows strict biodynamic rules: “We realized something very simple very early on,” says Thomas Widmann. “Keeping chemical treatment to an absolute minimum will yield the most authentic products.”

Engadiner Wines, located in Gleno in the municipality of Montagna, is a fairly young wine estate—in more than just one way: Under the brand “Engadiner Wines,” the Zelger family started to produce wines, each of them imbued with a distinctly unique character, from their own grapes as recently as in 2021. And the Zelgers themselves are still young both in age and spirit and turned their hobbies – nature, agriculture, and wine – into a family business.

The Engadiner Wines wine estate has two locations. One of them is the family estate in Gleno, a location most famous for its Pinot Noir. Located in the south of Alto Adige at an altitude of 650 meters, their vineyards benefit from intense sunshine during the day and cooler temperatures at night. These fluctuations in temperature produce fresh, elegant wines.

The estate’s second location is their wine gardens in Ora, located at the valley floor, where Lukas Zelger mainly grows Lagrein, as the soils rich in porphyry and the comparably high temperatures are especially beneficial for this variety.

In addition to their varietal Pinot Noir and Lagrein, the Engadiner Wines estate also offers a Kerner characteristic for the variety. “It is our philosophy to produce wines typical of the terroir and true to our standard,” explains Lukas Zelger.

 

Nestled between mountains and orchards, flanked by olive trees and ancient cypresses in the sun-drenched south of South Tyrol, the H. Lentsch winery is located in Branzoll.

About half of the 20-hectare cultivation area of the old estate is vineyards, thriving under optimal conditions due to their location on a large alluvial cone. Porous porphyry soil, which stores warmth during the day and releases it at night, along with natural ice holes, create a unique, natural microclimate.

Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, and the classic Lagrein find ideal growing conditions on the warm, sandy-stony soils. In harmony with natural conditions, for generations, the vines have been carefully tended and cultivated through meticulous manual labor.

The distinctive, fruity wines offer the highest enjoyment for discerning palates. The longevity of these wines has inspired the H. Lentsch winery to also fill large formats.

Only grapes from their own vineyards, grown under optimal climatic conditions, are processed for the wines. Full-bodied and powerful, elegant and fresh, they stand out for their longevity.

On the sunny slopes above the Valle Isarco in Velturno is found the Garlider Estate Winery. Christian Kerschbaumer follows a very particular philosophy here having to do with maintaining the characteristics of the grapevine and soil in the wine. Organic cultivation is one puzzle piece of this philosophy.

But sustainability is not the only topic which, in the eyes of Kerschbaumer, speaks for organic growing. The effects upon the wine are also smaller with this type of cultivation than with the conventional. In the winery, the Valle Isarco winegrower also uses primarily indigenous yeasts – another tile in the mosaic of an unadulterated wine.

And incidentally, “wine” at the Garlider Estate Winery stands for white wine. First and foremost, but not exclusively. On a small plot, the only Pinot Noir in the Isarco Valley is grown, with the large remainder of the vineyards bringing forth five white varieties. “In the Valle Isarco, the white wines find hard but very good conditions that substantially shape their character,” Kerschbaumer says with conviction.

These conditions include warm days, fresh, cool nights, good aeration, and soils that consist of a mixture of quartz phyllite. “All of this together gives the whites their fruity, subtle aromas, sleek elegance, and individual, dry tanginess,” explains the head of the Garlider Estate Winery in Velturno.

So it is no wonder that the Garlider wines are making headlines. For English wine critic Stuart Pigott, Kerschbaumer is one of the ascending stars in the Valle Isarco. He writes, “Above all, his white wines are in a special class.”

Two geographical locations that share an ancient connection come together at the Wieserhof Estate Winery in Völlan/Foiana. One of the two vineyards of the winery is located in Völlan above Lana, the second vineyard in Castagnara-Masetto near Lake Garda. But what is so special about that? Both vineyards have been connected by an ancient trade route for about 3,000 years now, which is why the Wieser family named its wine project after this route: La Traversara.
Hubert Wieser and his wife, Silvia, have been working on the “La Traversara” project for about 20 years now. They are the second generation to work the land at the Wieserhof estate. And their daughters Maya and Emma are now the third generation on the Wieserhof. The family produces four wines, which, just like the vineyards of the Wieserhof, are connected in many different ways.
Both vineyards—the one in Völlan and the one in Castagnara-Masetto—are located at approximately the same altitude (600 meters above sea level) and are home to the same two grape varieties (Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc). “The grapes of both vineyards and both varieties are aged in an identical process in wooden barrels, but they turn into four very characteristic wines, which each tell their own, unique story,” explains Hubert Wieser.
Again, that perfectly fits the Wieserhof Estate Winery from Völlan, which also tells us a story: a story that started approx. 3,000 years ago and tells us of the fusion of two geographical locations and cultures.

 

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.

 

Twenty-one generations. That’s how far the Schmid family at the Schmid Oberrautner Wine Estate in Bolzano-Gries can trace back their family tree. Thus without a doubt, they are among the oldest winegrowing families in all of Alto Adige. Today it is Florian Schmid who continues the heritage at the Schmid Oberrautner Wine Estate.

In 1411, and thus long before Columbus visited America, Andrä Schmid laid the cornerstone in Bolzano-Gries for the Schmid Oberrautner Wine Estate, and he did so in the truest sense of the word. He had a farm complex built with agricultural and residential buildings, parts of which still stand today. Thus it was solid workmanship that became second nature to the Schmids.

And that also holds true for the wine production which, starting from the seventeenth century, played a greater and greater role and today is the most important pillar of the Schmid Oberrautner Wine Estate – and also because of its outstanding wines: “It is important to me to bring character into the glass year after year,” explains Florian Schmid. The conditions for that are unmistakable soils in good locations, know-how, and that gut feeling. “For that reason, there is a piece of me in my wines, of my personality, of my style, and above all else of my passion for mineral-rich, fresh, quaffable wines,” the winegrower says.

The raw materials for these wines grow on a good nine hectares of vineyards of the Schmid Oberrautner Wine Estate. These are primarily Lagrein and Schiava, added to which are Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Merlot, and Chardonnay. And with them, around 50,000 bottles per year are produced from the winery at the Schmid Oberrautner Wine Estate. Right in the middle of Gries.

Less is enough: Klaus Schroffenegger only needs three short words to describe the philosophy behind the HochKlaus Estate Winery located in Karneid/Cornedo all’Isarco above the city of Bolzano/Bozen. This does not come as much of a surprise, because Klaus has always been a no-nonsense type of guy. “I let nature speak for itself. In my opinion, a winery has a natural cycle that I want to disturb as little as possible,” he says and adds: “I want the finished product to be authentic, honest, and vibrant.”

His parents, who have been tending to the vineyards for many years, laid the foundations for the HochKlaus Estate Winery. Klaus Schroffenegger is more than grateful for all the work they did: “Taking care of a vineyard means investing a lot of time, energy, and patience,” he says, “and having old, healthy vines makes your life considerably easier.”

Thanks to his parents being in the same business, he not only got healthy, strong vines, but also acquired a profound knowledge of the world of wine growing – and when we say “world,“ we mean it literally: Klaus Schroffenegger gathered experience in Australia, the United States, and France before taking over his parents’ business.

His philosophy of “less is enough” is not only his credo out in the vineyards but also down in the cellar. All wines produced at the HochKlaus Estate Winery are subject to spontaneous fermentation, come without any additives, and are not filtered before bottling.

The young winemaker uses clay amphoras to make sure none of the terroir is lost. “Our wines are absolutely vibrant, which perfectly reflects our passion for typicity and our close connection with nature,” says Schroffenegger.

 

In the only surviving Lagrein terrain of Gries in Bozen, the unique alluvial soil of the rivers Eisack and Talfer with sandy loamy porphyry provides the natural foundation for our wines. We refrain from using any kind of fertilizers, but instead produce biodiversity through specific crop sowing. Thus, soils become autarchic, allowing striking personalities to thrive here year and again.
All making and creating in the vineyard and cellar alike is marked by gentle and careful procedures to allow the end product in the bottle to remain as natural as possible.
Often planted by our ancestors, the vines here have been defying all ages for decades now. And still, they stand and persevere, even against our modern and fast-paced world of today. To guarantee winegrowing in harmony with nature, we have been raising our vines with loving care according to certified ecological principals since 1996.
Reyter stands for certified ecological wines – a result of our idealism but above all else, a guarantee for our customers to enjoy purity and nature with every sip of wine.