Vinařství v jižním Tyrolsku

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.

An estate winery also lives from strong personalities. The Castel Juval Unterortl Estate Winery in Castelbello at the entrance to the Val Senales has three at the same time: the king of mountain climbing, Reinhold Messner, is the owner, and Gisela and Martin Aurich run it as tenants. Three heads for one estate winery, so to speak.

While Reinhold Messner most likely needs no further introduction, in the context of his estate winery it is worthwhile to take a closer look at the Aurichs. They have dedicated themselves to wine and distilled spirits since 1992. In the Castel Juval Unterortl Estate Winery, they are responsible for 30,000 bottles that are produced here year after year: Müller Thurgau, Riesling, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Noir, whose very particular character is passionately looked after by the Aurichs. As their credo goes, in the end it should be possible to taste the characteristics of the grape variety, the soil, and the microclimate.

Their newest child is a rosé, with the description of which Martin Aurich waxes eloquently, “Our Pinot Noir rosé is salmon-colored, stimulating, and multifacetedly fruity, its flavor is seductively full and lasting,” says the winegrower, who has taken under his wing the production not only of wine, but also of grappa at the Castel Juval Unterortl Estate Distillery.

With Martin and Gisela Aurich, the threads are woven together of the Castel Juval Unterortl Estate Winery and Estate Distillery. In the castle, they are the winegrowers and distillers of the king. The king of mountain climbing, but a king nevertheless.

Wine has been made for nearly four centuries at the Unterganzner-Hof on the eastern edge of Bolzano. So it is no wonder that wine has become the great passion of the Mayr family. But in addition to that, there is a second one: “We all love music, and each one of us plays an instrument or sings,” says Josephus Mayr.

He runs the Mayr-Unterganzner Estate Winery in the tenth generation and also makes no secret of the fact that he profits from the preparatory work of his ancestors. Or, in more precise terms, from the selection of grapevines that was carried out with experience and a great deal of instinctive feeling. “Added to that is our precise work in the vineyard from pruning the vines to the late harvest and the gentle vinification in our own winery,” says Mayr.

And the ideal location, one is inclined to add. After all, the Mayr-Unterganzner Estate Winery is located in the classic Santa Maddalena zone and benefits from an outstanding red wine climate, good aeration, many hours of sunshine, and alluvial soils that warm easily. “The high plant density, the advanced age of the vines, and the pergola training also make their contribution,” the winegrower explains.

Thus what is created is Santa Maddalena as well as Lagrein that is rigorously matured in oak barrels that can age in the bottle for many years, classic wines that are still tirelessly honed. For example, making the cultivation more ecological is continuously pushed forward, and fungus-resistant vines are increasingly being planted. And where does Josephus Mayr see his estate winery in ten years? “In ten years, my son Josef will be running the estate. At that point, we will have been managing it for 401 years – hopefully with even better wines.”

Never stand still – that, too, is family tradition.

Creating a typical wine: it sounds simple, but it’s actually highly complex. Because “Typical wines have to reflect the uniqueness of the grapevine, the soil, the microclimate, the people, the location, and the specific vintage,” says Hansjörg Donà, who is responsible for his family’s Donà Estate Winery in San Paolo.

Therefore, anyone who wants to create typical wines has to not only be familiar with the location, soil, and climate down to the last detail, but also know which grape variety feels especially at home where. At the Donà Estate Winery in San Paolo (in the community of Appiano), the decision was made for Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Blanc, and the indigenous varieties of Schiava and Lagrein. “The foundation of our wines is formed by the traditional grape varieties,” Donà explains.

The harvest also takes place traditionally. The grapes of the Donà Estate Winery are harvested by hand – with a great deal of commitment, help from the family, and particular attention to quality. “We focus on top-quality grapes, gentle and modern winemaking technology, and long-term, sustainable planning,” explains the winegrower, who brings his many years of experience and all of his wine know-how into the winery. The goal of the efforts is authentic wines with an independent character which, both with white wines and red wines, are aged in 500 liter medium-sized oak barrels.

The aging is also a part of creating an authentic, typical wine. Which sounds simple, as was said, but is actually highly complex.

For thirty years, Franz Josef Pfeifhofer has dedicated himself to organic and biodynamic cultivation. At the organic Zollweghof Estate Winery in Lana, he makes wines of the highest quality from fungus-resistant varieties and creates completely new wines – including one with lemon balm.

The Zollweghof in Lana is a small, family-run winegrowing operation whose winery dates back to the fourteenth century. In these historical surroundings, winegrower Pfeifhofer matures his wines in old large wooden barrels and clay amphorae. In so doing, he uses long-established methods which only enhance the biodynamic cultivation at the estate. “My grapevines are fungus-resistant, so I hardly need to treat them: applying sulfur twice at the most suffices,” Pfeifhofer says.

And doing all of the work in the vineyard by hand also fits in with this philosophy. And for the grower, there is no alternative, since the vineyard areas are so steep that work by machine would in any case be impossible.

As a winegrower, Pfeifhofer has set for himself the goal of making “great, modern top wines” from fungus-resistant varieties. And to do so, he is prepared to travel unconventional paths. His glowing rosé sparkling wine “Swing”, for instance, is intended as an aperitif, while “Melissa gold” can be drunk as a digestive. “We have refined this wine with bee balm, thus combining the knowledge of organic wine with the knowledge of nature and herbs,” Pfeifhofer says.
“This knowledge is ancient,” he adds. And yet totally new.

Producing mineral-rich, fruity, elegant mountain wines with their own character: the credo of the Cantina Valle Isarco is as clear as it is simple. This is the youngest of Alto Adige’s cooperative wineries and, with 135 members, also the smallest, as well as the northernmost in all of Italy. And its credo is followed without compromise.

The grapes grow on steep terraces at elevations from 250 to 1,000 meters. The work in the vineyards is hard and in many cases done by hand. Specifically right here, it is necessary to work in harmony with nature, to take the infertile resources into consideration, and for that reason to produce as close to nature as possible. But in any case, it is actually the elevation that also has a series of advantages. For instance, the harvest period is relatively late in the year, which is why the grapes also take along a whole series of sunny and warm autumn days and cool nights with them into the approximately 950,000 bottles that are produced annually.

“The particular climate of the Valle Isarco, its mineral-rich soils, and the late harvest are the optimal conditions for fresh, fruity, and mineral-rich white wines,” explains Stefan Donà, who has been winemaker of the Valle Isarco Winery since 2023. The calling cards of his winery are therefore the outstanding Sylvaner, Kerner, Müller Thurgau, and Grüne Veltliner, which make up no less than 98 percent of the assortment. They score a hit with their unmistakable stylistic direction and acidity structure, and they present themselves as extremely typical of the variety. As they know all too well at the Cantina Valle Isarco, quality in fact knows no compromise.

The Radoarhof in Velturno is situated at no less than 850 meters above sea level – and directly at the Chestnut Path in the Valle Isarco. It is thus one of the highest winegrowing estates in Alto Adige. And one on which Edith and Norbert Blasbichler have been working strictly biodynamically for a quarter century: according to the phases of the moon, with herbal teas, and with exclusively natural yeasts.

But biodynamic or not, it doesn’t matter: work is work. The leaf trimming of the vines that are up to forty years old takes place at the Radoarhof just like everywhere else, and it is also taken just as seriously. And yet the work in the vineyards of the Radoarhof that are situated at 900 meters and encompass three hectares differs fundamentally in many ways from those that are more conventional, and that is also reflected in the results: Norbert Blasbichler is convinced that “The use of biodynamic preparations, various herbal teas, the planting of greenery, and the consultation of the phases of the moon yield special grapes.”

Contributions to the “special grapes” are also made by the slate soils and the constant sunshine. And they are also processed specially in the winery. For the fermentation, for instance, only natural yeast is used, and the wines – Müller Thurgau, Kerner, Zweigelt, and Pinot Noir – are allowed to mature after that for nine months, some of them in large oak barrels.

And by the way: at this winegrowing estate so close to the sky, top-quality distilled spirits are also produced. Biodynamically, of course.

The family history of the Carlottos reads like a novel, with the dust cover blurb saying, “In three generations from sharecroppers to an estate winery dynasty.” Ferruccio Carlotto takes responsibility for this today in Ora – right in the heart of the Alto Adige Pinot Noir cultivation zone.

The cornerstone for the family’s success story was already laid by Umberto Carlotto as early as 1940 when he signed up as a sharecropper at the Schlosshof in Mazzon. As such, he did in fact work the estate under his own responsibility, but the financial risk lay with the proprietors – as did the profits. In spite of that, Umberto carried out his tasks with passion for fifty years, flanked at first by his brother and then by his son Ferruccio.

And the latter was also the one who ventured to make the leap into independence in 2000 – new millennium, new luck – along with his daughter Michela and on the basis of six hectares of winegrowing area in Ora. The two of them devote 70 percent of this area to Pinot Noir – and not by chance. “The north-south alignment of the vineyards and the soil with its clay content are good preconditions for a round, spicy Pinot Noir with pleasant tannin and fine tones of fruit,” Ferruccio Carlotto explains.

Aside from the Pinot Noir, Lagrein makes up a quarter of the annual production of the Ferruccio Carlotto Estate Winery. His grapes grow on the rocky alluvial soils of the Rio Nero, while the winery’s Schiava is raised in a small vineyard, also in Ora, that was planted in 2013. As a bow to tradition.

Since its inception, Franz Haas winery has tirelessly worked to express the quality of the grapes at their finest. Founded in 1880, the winery has been handed down for eight generations to the firstborn son, to whom has always been given the same name, Franz.

In the 1980s most of the vineyards were renewed, leaving space to new varieties more suitable for the type of “terroir”. The grapes are sourced from 60 hectares of vineyards, divided between estate-owned properties, rentals and contract farmers. The vineyards start at an altitude of 220 meters, ascending to 1,150 meters with a great variety of microclimates and soils, from porphyry to clay and limestone.

In the year 2000, due to climate change, several hectares were rented at altitudes that reach up to 1,150 meters above sea level; these are among the highest vineyards in Alto Adige today. Now, more than twenty years later, the choice of planting vines at these altitudes has proven to be optimal to produce long-lasting, aromatic wines with a strong acidity. This is supported by the wide thermal excursions between day and night and the four additional hours of sunshine per day. The vineyards are all located in the municipalities of Montagna, Egna, Trodena and Aldino.

We have always given immense attention to our vineyards; we grow them exclusively with organic substances to enhance the natural process of cultivation and fertilization. Our vineyards do not always look like impeccably manicured gardens and often the grass among the rows grows high, but by doing so we bring forth the biological magic of nature, the pollination, the reproduction of flowers and insects that were otherwise absent, and, above all, we continue to make possible the opportunity for our children to see the beauty of blossomed fields.

Franz Haas has always been recognized as a leading enthusiast and an expert of the most arduous, sensitive, and most satisfying grape variety of all: Pinot Nero. Despite all the attention, commitment and hard work, the product is not always up to its original standards and therefore our selection, the "Schweizer", does not always get to the market. Various varieties belonging to the whole range of Alto Adige’s wines are vinified with the same attention.

Another detail that distinguishes Franz Haas is the connection with the brilliant artist Riccardo Schweizer who designed the winery’s labels. During his career, he collaborated with well-known artists such as Picasso, Chagall, Cocteau, Paul Éluard and Le Corbusier.

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.

No Facebook, no Twitter, just wine. Peter Dipoli needs only a few words to describe the philosophy of the estate winery in Egna that carries his name. What holds true for him is that wine is not something that can be planned over the years, but rather a natural product that varies. Chasing after the latest trend therefore makes no sense. And also does not do justice to the wine.

Vegetation periods can be hotter or cooler, drier or wetter. It would be miraculous if the grapes tasted the same year after year. Dipoli is convinced that both winegrowers and wine drinkers have to accept this aspect. Winegrowers have to safeguard the natural variation potential of the wine as much as the uniqueness of the terroir. “The producer has the task of working the grapes – as the vineyard and the vines have delivered them – into a product that corresponds with the terroir, habitat, and vintage,” says the winegrower from Egna.

In that regard, Dipoli has come to grips with the fact that he has to work with grapes from completely different locations. The vineyards of the Peter Dipoli Estate Winery are located in Egna, Magré, Termeno, and Cortaccia, they are located at elevations from 300 to 600 meters, they have southern or eastern exposures, and are planted on sandy dolomite or loamy chalky soils.

What thrives here are Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon, with the grape varieties being carefully matched to the locations, the vineyards managed prudently, and the grapes processed respectfully. So no nonsense, just 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.

With 50 hectares of grape growing areas, the Manincor Estate Winery in Caldaro is one of the largest in all of Alto Adige. And also one with some of the richest traditions: grapes have been grown here for more than four hundred years, a tradition which Count Michael Goëss-Enzenberg continues – along new paths that are actuality old.

Count Goëss-Enzenberg, who is himself a trained oenologist, has focused on biodynamic cultivation in his estate winery since 2005, and that means: the revitalization of the soil with compost, special sowing of greenery, allowing chickens, sheep, and bees in the vineyard, and last but not least creating herbal teas with which the grapevines are treated. Chamomile helps the plants to overcome situations of stress, stinging nettle tea gives them energy, and horsetail herb supports the healing of injuries.

But as old as the knowledge about cultivation is at the Manincor Estate Winery in Kaltern, that’s how modern the winery is, which was built underground three stories below the vineyards. In the end, the grapes from a half million vines are brought together here, and a total of fifteen different grape varieties are made into wine here. But in spite of the size, the work in the winery is still always work by hand – with a particular attention to small scale: “Also trying and doing our best possible work even down to the smallest detail is our path to the highest natural quality,” says Count Goëss-Enzenberg. Because, “For me, wine is the greatest sensory expression of agricultural culture.”

And at the Manincor Estate Winery in Caldaro, they know their way around with focus on the senses, with passion, with authenticity, and with heart. For more than four hundred years. After all, a free translation of Manincor is “hand on heart. ”

Founded in 1960, the Colterenzio winery is one of the youngest winegrowers’ cooperative in Alto Adige. In 1960, 26 winegrowers founded their own winery to be more independent – and named it after the hamlet they came from: Schreckbichl in German, Colterenzio in Italian. These winegrowers can be considered rebels but at the same time pioneers for right after the foundation of their own winery they were setting the course towards quality.

Today, 300 winegrowers together with the people working at Colterenzio continued this path.

The winegrowers grow their grapes on a total of 300 hectares; the vineyards are located in one of the best wine growing areas of Alto Adige, on altitudes from 230 to 650 meters. 14 different varieties are cultivated. 35% of the wines at Colterenzio are red, 65% are white. The Colterenzio winery cares about the environment, not only in the vineyards, but also in the cellar. In the vineyard this means sustainable viticulture and handpicked grapes. In the winery itself most of the electric energy used in the winery is supplied by a photovoltaic installation, 100% of the electric power is certified green and 70% of hot water requirements is provided by solar panels and a heat recovery system.

There is one thing – and only one thing – in which Manni Nössing of the Hoandlhof in Bressanone is a traditionalist: he grows classic white wine varieties such as those that belong to the Valle Isarco.  Otherwise, he is accustomed to pursuing new paths with a small group of like-minded winegrowers, of experimenting with new processes, and of following new ideas.  “We are the wine rebels in the Valle Isarco,” Nössing says with a smile.

In everything that he does, there is one goal on which he sets his sites: making a wine with its very own character.  And what does that mean in concrete terms? “A wine has to taste good,” the winegrower says, “and it has to taste good to me!” On the pathway to this wine, what helps Nössing is his experience but also the insights that he has gained on trips through the most important winegrowing regions of the world.

All of this has flowed since 2003 into the 5.5 hectares of vineyards and the winery of the Hoandlhof, and all of that leads to individual wines which from the very beginning onward have been cause for great attention.  One of Nössing’s first wines, his Kerner, already achieved a distinction from the Italian wine guide Gambero Rosso.  And the Hoandlhof wines that followed the premiere also made quite an impression on the experts: with fresh acidity, a strong mineral-rich quality, and differentiated fruit.

In addition to the Kerner, Nössing’s assortment also includes Sylvaner, Gewürztraminer, Veltliner, and Müller Thurgau.  Nothing else.  As has been stated, with the selection of grape varieties, the rebel is a traditionalist.

Up to a hundred years ago, the Longo barons produced wines at their estate around the picturesque Villa Castle in Egna. In 2015, Anton Baron Longo once again picked up the old family tradition. The estates extend from around Villa Castle at about 240 m above sea level up to Montagna at 1,040 m.

And it is not just because the latter lies within the Monte Corno Nature Park that the Longo family focuses on strictly organic operation of the estates – on a total of 20 hectares. In Montagna, they work with, among others, the fungus-resistant vines of the Solaris variety. Winegrowing that is sustainable and uncompromising does not happen by chance, but it does indeed reflect the family’s values: durability, courage, and vision. And all of these characteristics are also required in the winery, which is housed in the ancestral family seat that is significant in terms of art history, the Longo Palace.

“The complexity of the soils along with the gentle cultivation methods provide outstanding wine quality and incomparable flavor,” says Anton Baron Longo with conviction, describing his wines with the descriptors mild, noblesse, and elegance. Wines with pedigree, so to speak.

Baron Sigmund von Kripp founded the Stachlburg wine estate in 1990. This year the first vineyard was planted with Pinot Noir (Blauburgunder) and Chardonnay. Since 1992, red and white wines are pressed in our basement of Stachlburg. The castle itself is family owned since 1547.

The altitude of 650m demands special grape varieties, which, particularly on the Partschinser soil on the sunny south-facing hillside, produce exceptionally intense wines. With great care, all wines are aged and rested in our cellar in steel tanks or in barrels.
The wines are generally characterized by a particular fruitiness, an elegant acidity and a delicate structure. At times, also the fortunate exposition to the sun position and the careful thinning can produce fairly full-bodied wines. Other locations are found in the low-lying village of Andrian where with an altitude of only 300m, there is a privileged climate for rich and mineral wines.

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.

That which is more and more gaining a foothold today was still being laughed at forty years ago. Rainer Loacker, the patriarch of the estate winery of the same name in Bolzano, didn’t care. He had already gotten started with biodynamic winegrowing back in the 1980s. Or, to put it better, he revved it up.

That term is a much better description of the development that the Loacker Estate Winery has gone through up to today. For instance, in addition to the historical pillar in Alto Adige, two more were added. In the form of two estate wineries in Tuscany: one in Montalcino and one in Maremma.

But it doesn’t matter where Loacker grapes grow: they are tended strictly biodynamically. “Because we have been doing that for so long, we have soils filled with life and we are also among the very few who use homeopathy in the vineyard,” Loacker explains. Added to that is a very particular form of green manure. In plain language, that means that in the winter, greenery is sown in the vineyards which makes artificial fertilizers superfluous. “We are open-minded thinkers and rebels, we challenge the status quo and the mainstream society,” the Loacker family announces.

And it goes without saying that the open-minded thinking also continues in the winery. Thus all wines, including the bold Tasnim Sauvignon Blanc and the outstanding Gran Lareyn Lagrein are fermented only with their own natural yeast from that vintage. “Our natural wines are simply different,” the Loackers explain. “They have their own character, and they have a soul.”

The Hof am Keller: the first owner of the estate mentioned in a document was one Nikolaus am Keller, who ran the winegrowing estate as early as in 1431. The estate bears his name to this day. Approximately one hundred years later, the owner at the time was widely known as a wine merchant—that, too, can be looked up in historical documents. His network of customers extended all the way to Vipiteno and from there across the Brenner Pass to Schwaz and Kufstein in what is now Austria. For more than 200 years now, the March family has owned this inherited estate.
They take advantage of the favorable location of the estate to cultivate the right grape varieties: mainly Pinot Noir, followed by Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc, and Sauvignon. Until the late 1990s, wine was not only made from the estate’s own grapes but also from grapes supplied by others. These days, Maike and Christian run the over 700-year-old estate and produce part of the wines themselves. The grapes are meticulously cared for from pruning to harvesting and are then transferred to the centuries-old wine cellar to age and mature into a fine wine. It goes without saying that tradition is not neglected in all that: more than half a millennium of history obliges, after all.

Warm temperatures during the day, cool nights, ideal soils, and grapevines some of which are over a hundred years old: it’s no wonder that Roberta, Cristina, and Giuseppe Fugatti decided to set up the Von Blumen Wine project in Pochi above Salorno. With the Millesimo 2013, they began with the bottling of their first wines.

The Fugattis have over twelve hectares of grape growing areas in Pochi. Their foundation is formed by limestone and porphyry soils, and the climate here in the extreme south of Alto Adige is ideal for winegrowing: during the vegetation period, average temperatures of 18 degrees C. are registered, and the cool nights give the grapes a lot of aroma. “In our wines, you can taste the terroir”, declares Giuseppe Fugatti. “The mineral-rich quality combines with a natural spiciness and thus imparts to the wine a lively and refreshing balance in flavor.”

In addition, the special features of the various grape varieties are noticed with Von Blumen Wine, above all else the Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, and Lagrein, but the management that is close to nature is also apparent. “The protection of the soil and the habitat is of fundamental importance for the quality of the raw materials and for the sustainable protection of the vineyards,” says the winegrower.

In the end, it’s not just about thinking of today. Fugatti adds, “We have the task of preserving the foundations so that future generations are also provided with the gift of a whole gamut of wines which reflect the love for the region of origin as well as for the culture of the people who take care of them.”

A statue of Blasius Trogmann stands in the Merano neighborhood of Maia Bassa, where a street is named after him, too. That is not a coincidence: Blasius Trogmann is regarded as Andreas Hofer’s most important ally in the Tyrolean Rebellion of 1809. A native of Merano, Trogmann had another passion apart from the one for his home, however: wine growing and winemaking.

Blasius Trogmann was able to pursue that particular passion at his home, the Finkhof estate in Hagen, a Merano neighborhood with generous sunlight situated between the spa town proper and the Trauttmansdorff Castle Gardens. A contemporary chronicler notes: “(...) in the quiet and tranquil grounds of Hagenach, the vines, turned toward the midday sun, cook a delicious juice.”

People realized very early that Hagen was a suitable area for wine growing: the Finkhof estate was first mentioned in a document in 1213. In the 18th and early 19th century, the aforementioned Blasius Trogmann would be the one to work that land and deliver his wines all the way to the capital of the Austrian empire. Even today, more than 200 years later, the estate is still run by the Trogmann Innerhofer family. And they are still passionate about wine, which they also sell in their very own farm store, the Bottega contadina Merano. All four members of the family work in the business, making a living from wine growing.

Wines produced by the Finkhof winery include a light and fruity Schiava (Vernatsch), an intense Merlot, and a complex Lagrein. In addition, traditional methods are used to process Schiava grapes into sparkling wine, which is sold under the brand name “Hagenach,” named for the area where it grows and matures. Last but not least, the range is rounded off with an elegant white cuvée bearing a name which proves that the people of the Merano Finkhof winery feel an obligation toward their family and estate heritage: it is called “Blasius.” 

 

At the end of the fifteenth century, an artist from Nuremberg hiked from Salorno to the Val di Cembra. His name was Albrecht Dürer. As an homage to the artist and his cross-border journey, it is not only the path which Dürer covered at the time which today bears his name, but also the Dürer Weg Estate Winery in Salorno. A project that truly crosses boundaries.

The Dürer Weg Estate Winery may in fact be located in Salorno, at the extreme south of Alto Adige, but it is a part of the LaVis Winery which, in turn, has its headquarters in the town of the same name, Lavis, in Trentino. So this is where two historical parts of old Tyrol grow together. The winery itself is a cooperative that is broadly structured: with vineyards that cover elevations from 200 to 800 meters and an assortment that ranges from Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, and Müller Thurgau through Merlot and Pinot Noir to Schiava and Lagrein.

The Dürer Weg Estate Winery in Salorno plays a special role in this portfolio – not least because of its particular climate. “This is the place where the mild Mediterranean climate meets its harsh counterpart from the Alps,” explains Pietro Patton, president of the LaVis Winery. “Along with the special composition of the soils, this forms the basis for a mineral-rich flavor tone through which the wines from this region stand out.”

The mountainous area thus puts its stamp on the wines from the Dürer Weg Estate Winery, just as it also influences the way of doing business. For instance, it is necessary to be thrifty with resources. “Our wines reflect a tradition of winemaking in which nature and technology are united,” says Patton. So here, as well, boundaries are crossed.

The luck of the Ramoser family is to have vineyards available in the best locations of Santa Maddalena. The luck of their customers is that these locations can also be tasted in the wines from the Untermoserhof Estate Winery in Bolzano.

It is not without reason that Georg Ramoser, who runs the family estate winery with his son Florian, names “sincere”, “unadulterated”, and “shaped by terroir” as attributes for his wine. It ought to be possible to taste the origin in the wines: the location of the vineyards, the work that lies behind the grapes and wine. “Our wines are captivating through their fullness, suppleness, and power, but without losing any juiciness or freshness,” Ramoser says.

All of this does not just appear by chance. After all, the vineyards of the Untermoserhof in Santa Maddalena offer the ideal conditions. But they also demand a lot from the Ramosers: “The steep slopes are associated with a lot of work by hand, but in the autumn, this is rewarded by optimal grape health and maturity,” the senior winegrower says.

In that way, a constantly high level of quality can be maintained – year after year, and for all of the wines in the assortment. “Our customers know to appreciate that,” Ramoser explains, seeing no reason to abandon the path that he has followed, since it involves getting wines into the bottle that are close to nature, genuine, and shaped by terroir in an unadulterated way.

But one thing is clear: that path is bound up with hard work. Including the hard work to always get better.

The Föranerhof estate is located at 800 meters above sea level in the village of Unterinn/Auna di Sotto on the Ritten/Renon plateau. At this altitude, you would not typically expect to find any vineyards, but the Föranerhof has been a wine-growing business (among other things) for several generations. “Our estate is located close to the altitudinal limit up to which wine growing is still possible, which means that not all varieties can be grown here successfully,” explain Verena Plattner and Toni Mittelberger, who run the farm together with their daughter Cecilia and her family.

The area under vine of their business amounts to 8,000 square meters, and they grow four carefully selected grape varieties – two red and two white – which are adapted to the special conditions present at the Föranerhof estate. In terms of white wine, the Sylvaner is particularly resilient, just like the Müller Thurgau, which by no means only barely survives here: “At these altitudes, the wine develops especially pronounced flavors,” says Cecilia, who, together with her partner, is responsible for turning the family’s grapes into wine. Wine growing has been her passion ever since she was little.

The red varieties grown here are Schiava (Vernatsch), a grape absolutely typical for Alto Adige, and Zweigelt. “This grape variety from Austria is one of only very few strong red wines that can be grown at 800 meters above sea level,” says Toni Mittelberger.

But wine is not the only line of business at the Föranerhof. For more than 30 years now, the farm has had its own little nursery growing garden and balcony plants. The family also grows fruit, which is then either dried or used to prepare syrups, fruit spreads and jams.

 

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.

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?

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.

A winery has existed in Novacella since 1142, and thus the monastery winery is one of the oldest active wineries in the world. In addition, it is one of the most important in the Valle Isarco and the representative of an outstanding white wine area.

Within that context, the assortment on offer by the monastery winery is in fact primarily white but not exclusively so.

“Some 70 percent of our production is white wines: Sylvaner, Müller Thurgau, Kerner, and Riesling that grow from the Bressanone valley basin up to 900 meters,” says winemaker Celestino Lucin. The care and prudence that he practices hold true not just in the winery, but through a large number of additional circles. Thus the winegrowers work their vineyards in a sustainable manner, and the entire winery works in a CO2-neutral way.

Even if the Novacella Monastery Winery is renowned above all else for its white wines, the red varieties do indeed also play a role. They make up 30 percent of the production, whereby the grapes do indeed grow in vineyards belonging to the monastery, but not in and around Bressanone. “The climate would be too harsh for them,” Lucin is convinced. His Schiava, Pinot Noir, and Red Muscat thus have their origins in Bolzano and Cornaiano.

But it doesn’t matter whether it is red or white: the calling card of the monastery winery has been and remains the Praepositus line. And because that is the case, it is at the same time also an homage to the leader. Praepositus is the Latin word for the provost, and thus the abbot of the monastery.