Cultivating and growing wines requires a broad range of expertise. This knowledge is deeply rooted at the Pardellerhof in Marlengo. Winemaker Anita Mitterer is a biologist and previously worked at the Laimburg Agricultural Research Centre. Her husband, Erwin Eccli, himself an oenologist, was for many years in charge of cellar management advice and further training at the Research Centre. In 2014, the couple took over the farm from Anita's parents and has since focussed on wine production. Their vineyards now cover almost 2 hectares, which are divided into three sites.
Moscato Giallo, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio and several PIWI varieties are grown on the farm itself. "This location is somewhat cooler and offers the best conditions for aromatic, fresh wines with a hearty flavour and fine elegance," Anita Mitterer explains.
The second site, also on the moraine hills of Marlengo, is south-facing and so steep that only manual labour is possible. Here, the Schiava grapes grow on traditional pergolas. This site is particularly close to the heart of the wine-growing couple.
The third site is located near the bottom of Marlengo hill and is therefore somewhat lower. “Here, we grow dark red varieties, such as Lagrein, Merlot and Tannat, which are suitable for deep and characterful wines," Erwin Eccli states.
A total of around 12,000 bottles are filled each year at the Pardellerhof in Marlengo. And even though winemaking here was only revitalised ten years ago, it can look back on a long winemaking tradition. The Pardellerhof is first mentioned in the records in 1285 and for around 120 years it was owned by the Bavarian monastery of Steingaden and was also its supplier of wines. In 1714, it was taken over by the ancestors of today's winegrowing family.
