Wineries in South Tyrol

On the sun-kissed slopes that range from the Renon all the way down to Bolzano, people have been growing grapes for centuries. So it comes as no surprise that the Messner family from Renon, too, hurled themselves into the adventure of wine growing. That is how the Spornberg Mountain Winery in Soprabolzano was established in 2016, a young estate winery in an old wine-growing region.

The first thing that catches the eye is that the vines of the Spornberg Mountain Winery are grown in an exposed and airy location. Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Grigio are grown here, and there are a few strict policies in place that apply to both the vineyard and the cellar: work is done with consideration and a lot of it by hand.

Moreover, the Messner family and their employees always bear the natural cycle of things in mind. In plain terms, this means that nature is given all the time and space it requires. Intervention only happens when there is no other way.

Such a considerate way of working is also made possible by the location: the vineyards of the Spornberg Mountain Winery are located at an altitude of 860 meters on a sunny southern slope where the air and the sandy, loamy soil warm up quickly and offer the perfect conditions for the vines and grapes to thrive. At the same time, the location is airy; thanks to the wind, the grapes do not remain moist and fungi do not stand a chance.

Nature has been good to the young Spornberg Mountain Winery in Soprabolzano, and so it is hardly surprising that everyone here is showing it the utmost respect.

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

Wines that are matured in a bunker and an air raid shelter, wines that are served at state banquets, wines that bear the seal of the Republic of San Marino: all of these are wines from the Korb Castle Winery in Appiano. It is first and foremost winegrower Fritz Dellago who puts his stamp on them with his creativity.

Along those lines, all of that begins in the vineyards of the castle winery, which encompass only four and a half hectares but also a broad selection of grape varieties: Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Schiava, Zweigelt, Pinot Noir, Lagrein, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Manseng. “I like the diversity, and I also don’t have a favorite grape variety,” Dellago says. “Each one has its own character, and I am fascinated by any successful wine.

So it’s no wonder, then, that the focus in the winery is on emphasizing the character of each wine that is typical for the variety. “Nothing should be faked, the wines should be genuine,” the winegrower says. As down-to-earth as the philosophy is, that’s how creative the methods are. Dellago matures his wines in a former bunker and makes use of an old air raid shelter as the cellar for small oak casks and the riddling racks where his sparkling wine is riddled by hand.

The results have drawn great attention – worldwide, it could be said. The Korb Castle Winery is the official wine producer of the Republic of San Marino. And at the Olympic Games in both Beijing and London, wines from this Appiano winery were served at state banquets.

X marks the spot, as Anton Ochsenreiter swapped out the “chs” in the name of his Oxenreiter company in Bretonico in Trentino. The red X and the coat of arms with the knight riding on an ox [since the name Ochsenreiter means “ox rider”] decorate his wines from two completely different areas. And from two different provinces.

The Trentino pillar of Oxenreiter is located at an elevation of around 600 meters on the sunny slopes of Monte Baldo, while its Alto Adige counterpart has the vineyards around the Steinhauserhof in Pochi above Salorno. From Pochi, there is a view of broad sections of the Bassa Atesina and the Adige Valley south of the Chiusa di Salorno cleft – and thus the two provinces which Oxenreiter unites on its label.

Anton Ochsenreiter’s Alto Adige vineyards have an area of seven hectares and lie at an elevation between 550 and 600 meters. “The ideal location, warm days, and cool nights at the Steinhauserhof guarantee wines with structure, elegance, and fine aromas,” the winegrower explained. At Oxenreiter in Brentonico, great value is placed upon the right selection of grapevines and an optimal coordination of varieties and locations. Thus the establishment has Schiava, Pinot Noir, Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc in their assortment.

In addition to the location and the selection of varieties, there is a third ingredient in Oxenreiter’s recipe for success: the family’s passion in the vineyard and the winery. Which knows no boundaries. And apparently, not even provincial boundaries.

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

The fact that the vacation apartments at the Santlhof in Cortaccia carry the names for “Sauvignon Blanc”, “Chardonnay”, and “Pinot Blanc” is in no way a coincidence. Not only does the Santlhof lie in the middle of vineyards on a sunny terrace high above the valley, wine is also produced here which can be tasted, among other locations, in the estate’s own Buschenschank farmhouse inn.

The history of the Santlhof in Cortaccia goes way back. It already appeared in documents as early as 1547, and specifically in a purchase document. At that time, a certain Matheus Trientner purchased the farmhouse, which was then to have numerous owners in the course of the centuries. Since 1994, it has been in the possession of Georg Mayr, who renovated it from the ground up in 1996 and also runs it today as a winegrowing estate, farmhouse inn, and farm holiday operation.

With his total of 1.5 hectares of vineyards, Mayr focuses on management that is as close to nature as possible, and specifically not just at the estate that is located at an elevation of 585 meters, but also at three other locations which Mayr works. With Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, the vineyards around the farmhouse are the white wine cultivation area of the Santlhof. The red palette, on the other hand, grows with Cabernet and Schiava in the vineyards around Cortaccia and Lake Caldaro.

Thus at the Santlhof in Cortaccia, virtually the entire palette of locations is exploited which the Bassa Atesina has to offer. It’s best to just taste your way through them.

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.

For three generations, the Andergassen family has been making wine in the wine cellar of the Steflhof estate in Caldaro, and two of them are still at the helm even today: the senior with a watchful eye on tradition, and the junior with one on innovation. But it doesn’t matter whether it is father or son: the credo at the Steflhof is that a vintage already has its beginning in the vineyard. “That is where the bouquet and the individuality of the wine are decided,” explains Georg Andergassen.

So it is certainly no wonder how much value the Andergassens place upon the leaf trimming, but above all else on a strict reduction of harvest quantities and the correct harvest time. “Hitting these is a challenge every year,” says Georg. And this challenge is only to be met with a great deal of knowledge and experience, just as a great deal of experience and knowledge about the taste of the customers is needed in order to find the right time for pumping, blending, and bottling.

The fact that the Andergassens have the right knack for this is proven by their wines, first and foremost a fruity Chardonnay, a Lake Caldaro superiore with fine tones of almond, and a full-bodied Merlot that is aged in oak barrels. Anyone wishing to be convinced of the constantly high quality of the wines at the Steflhof would do best with a winery tour. And that concludes traditionally – how could it be any different? – with a tasting.

Are you a wine connoisseur? Then we have a game for you! We’ll give you the address of an estate winery and you tell us the grape varieties that are planted there. Impossible, you think? Well, then let’s start with the Steidlerhof in Bolzano. It can be found at via Santa Maddalena di Sopra, 1. Now you’ve got it, right?

We thought so! In Santa Maddalena above Bolzano, it’s easy to pick up two points with the types of grape varieties. After all, the wine which has made the name of the village renowned far beyond the borders of the province consists of around nine tenths Schiava and a small component of Lagrein.

And in its assortment on offer, it goes without saying that the Steidlerhof – located at via Santa Maddalena di Sopra, 1, you will recall – has a classic Santa Maddalena. But the Gasser family also brings other wines to the market. “We make a typical Sauvignon Blanc, for example, a dry Yellow Muscat, a full-bodied Muscaris, and a velvety Lagrein,” explains Rudi Gasser, who runs the Steidlerhof today.

The Gasser family has provided the historical farmhouse with a broad foundation. Growing grapes and making wine are not the only activity. Rather, the Gassers also operate a Buschenschank farmhouse inn and rent out vacation apartments. Both are able to take advantage of the location of the Steidlerhof high above Bolzano and from the view that can be enjoyed here: of the Dolomites, of the sea of houses of the provincial capital, and last but not least of the vineyards of Santa Maddalena.

And you know what’s growing there, right?

The Santerhof is located in Rio Molino, at the entrance to the Val Pusteria, which is better known for its potatoes than for its wine grapes. And yet, The vineyards of the Santerhof are the northernmost in Alto Adige, and the Santerhof itself is the northernmost winery in all of Italy. Resistance is therefore in demand here, including against fungal diseases.

For that reason, the Santerhof focuses on fungus-resistant varieties, and thus on vines that defend themselves with their own power against diseases such as mildew and therefore in normal years don’t need to be treated at all. Even in exceptional years, only organic aids are put to use at the Santerhof, since it has been managed according to organic guidelines since as early as 1991.

So at the Santerhof, they are not so inclined to follow well-trodden paths, but rather to blaze their own trails. That is shown by the organic cultivation, as well as by the concentration on fungus-resistant varieties. “We only grow the grape varieties Bronner and Regent, from which we make the best wines, and since 2008 exclusively in the estate’s own winery,” explains Wilhelm Gasser. The wines are sold almost completely right from the farmhouse.

The special climate, the soil with a high portion of silicate, and the elevation of just under 800 meters above sea level at which the vineyards are located lend the wines from the Santerhof very special flavor tones. Gasser describes his wines as having “sleek acidity, multilayered aromas, and mild tannins.”
Is that how the real Northern Lights taste?

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

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

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

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

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

Lorenz San Nicolò was actually successful as an entrepreneur in Milan. But because his passion from wine never left him, since 2012, along with his wife Sissi, he has been running the Corahof in San Paolo – “as a politically motivated criminal” as he himself says.

And yet, the San Nicolò family did not leave the urbane completely behind them. Thus the main room of their small winery is dominated by a sparkling Art Nouveau chandelier that originated from what was left behind from the venerable Hotel Bristol in Merano and is completely out of place with the rest of the furnishings, machinery, and tractors. “The chandelier is a symbol for our love of elegance, to what is festive and exhilarating in life,” San Nicolò explains. And it is also for that reason that the chandelier was chosen as the logo for the Corahof in San Paolo.

So it decorates the labels of the wines, that basis of which is half a hectare of grape growing areas. And their basis, in turn, is formed by very particular Ice Age sediments. “‘Battle soil’ is what we call it in our dialect,” says the winegrower. “Hard and difficult to work, but fertile. And with the southeastern exposure of our vineyard and the intense sunshine in the early morning hours, they form the ideal conditions for our wine.”

The wine from Corahof is made in their own winery, where the harvest of Merlot and Yellow Muscat is processed cleanly and gently thanks to the most modern technology. Moreover, the minimalist approach of the San Nicolòs is also applied to the vinification, since, “Only in that way can we bring the precious aromas of the grapes into the bottle in as unadulterated manner as possible.”

#Herzblutmenschen [people of passion]. #Werteverfechter [champions of values]. #Emotionenschaffer [creators of emotion]. Anyone who follows the Castelfeder Estate Winery in Egna on Instagram knows that the wine production here may be linked with a lot of know-how, with the necessary knowledge, and with many years of experience, but also with a great deal of heart. “We are emotion, and we create emotion,” the Giovanett family says of itself, as its third generation is now running the estate winery.

The Castelfeder Estate Winery was founded in Egna more than 50 years ago by Alfons Giovanett, but since that time, hardly anything has remained the same. “The product line has been expanded, production has increased, the processes in the winery have been modernized, and the market has become more international,” says Günther Giovanett, who took over the estate from his father Alfons and runs it with his children Ivan and Ines. Today, the Castelfeder Estate Winery encompasses 65 hectares, on which 70 percent is planted with white wine varieties.

“The focus is on Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Grigio, and Sauvignon Blanc,” Giovanett explains. With the red wines, the concentration is on Pinot Noir.

But whether it is red wines or white wines, little has changed with the philosophy of the Castelfeder Estate Winery over the past 50 years. “The special feature of our wines is how they are grown,” Giovanett explains. “We divide every smallest plot in order to be able to attend to the needs of the grapes as well as possible.” That is how terroir wines with a particular character come into existence. Or, in keeping with Insta-jargon: #terroirwineswithheart

Three and a half hectares provide what can be called the liquid foundation of the Planitzer Buschenschank farmhouse inn in Gleno above Montagna. The use as a farmhouse inn is relatively young, but the winegrowing on the other hand is older. Much older. Its history dates back over three hundred years and is also tied to a convent in the Val Pusteria.

At the Sonnenburg (Castel Badia) convent near Brunico, wine from Planitzer in Gleno arrived for a long time on the table and in the chalice. In the end, the farm was obligated to pay taxes and therefore had to provide a portion of its harvest to the Val Pusteria which was not especially blessed with winegrowing.

Today, the situation here high above the Bassa Atesina is completely different. “Our farm complex comprises the upper house, the lower house with the added chapel of St. Cosmas and Damian, around three and a half hectares of vineyards, and more than four hectares of woods and meadows,” explains Judith Ainhauser Weissensteiner. Along with her family, she is responsible not just for the winegrowing at the farm, but also for the Planitzer Buschenschank farmhouse inn which was opened in the spring of 2014 – as the second pillar of the historical winegrowing farmhouse.

The Planitzer winegrowing and farmhouse inn operation in Gleno above Montagna is thus a genuine family-run operation in which three generations are assigned their respective tasks. Two of them, for instance, are in the kitchen: mother Doris is a trained chef, and daughter Judith lends her a hand. While the grapevines therefore provide the liquid foundation for the farmhouse inn, they take care of the solid one.

Three generations that all produce wine together? What may sound like the potential for conflict works quite well with the Pfitschers in Montagna. “Perhaps because we’re a little bit like our wines: different in character, but always direct and honest,” says the manager, Klaus Pfitscher, with a smile, the head of the Montagna “wine fools”, as he himself calls his family.

Thus every generation at the Pfitscher Estate Winery brings along something of their own: new ideas from one, a lot of experience from another, new knowledge from the former, the advantage of having already been through it all from the latter. But the most important thing for good cooperation is a common goal, says the senior member: “For us, it is filling the glass with elegance, character, and the best that nature can offer.”

For 150 years, the Pfitscher family has pursued this goal, of producing clear, linear wines with their very own identity, above all Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc. The fact that this has been successful may be due to the steep vineyards or the cool climate at elevations between 500 and 900 meters. Or perhaps a mixture of both, combined with a particular focus on nature. Thus the Pfitscher Estate Winery was the first in all of Italy to be awarded as a “ClimateHouse wine. ” This distinction is conferred not just for adhering to particular requirements for the energy efficiency and sustainability of the building, but also for producing in an especially environmental friendly and resource-conserving manner.

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

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

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

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

For nearly four hundred years, grapes have been grown at the Prackfolerhof in Aica di Fiè. That is all the more remarkable when you think that no one would connect either Fiè allo Sciliar or Aica di Fiè with grapevines or wine. At least, not right away...

...And that is completely reasonable, since even at the Prackfolerhof in Aica di Fiè, what is needed is time, lots of time, to get to wine here. The farm was first mentioned in a document in 1429, and “only” around two hundred years later, and thus starting from the seventeenth century, were grapes planted here and wine made.

And that is no accident. In contrast to the heart of the village of Fiè, the area of Aica di Fiè is located at around 600 meters above sea level on a sun-drenched slope on which high temperatures are reached during the day through the vegetation period, while thanks to the elevation, it cools down comparatively sharply at night. “These temperature differentials along with the moraine soils over the volcanic Bolzano quartz-porphyry base offer the best conditions for winegrowing and high-quality wines,” Patrick Planer explains.

He holds responsibility for the wine, and that means: from the vines to the glass, every step is taken at the Prackfolerhof in Aica di Fiè solely and independently along the path to fresh, elegant, mineral-rich wines. Bound by tradition. And committed to it.

The name of the farm originates from the Middle Ages, but Hännsl am Ort in Lana has only been an estate winery since 2003. At that time, the Kerschbaumer family decided to give winegrowing a chance – and to bring their own wines to the market by themselves.

With winegrowing, the family decided to provide their farm with an even broader economic foundation. Earlier on, this already consisted of apple and asparagus growing, and grapes were added shortly after the start of the new millennium, with the desire, however, not deliver them to one of the large cooperative wineries, but rather to work with them themselves. “Since that time, we have been growing grapes and making our own wines: whites, reds, rosés, and cuvées,” says Norbert Kerschbaumer, winegrower at the Hännsl am Ort Estate Winery in Lana.

With regard to grape varieties, Kerschbaumer follows the path that is rich in tradition. He thus focuses on the classic varieties with Schiava and Pinot Noir, Lagrein and Merlot, Pinot Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc. They are made into varietal wines, for instance a fresh Chardonnay, an aromatic Sauvignon Blanc, or a fruity Schiava, which is absolutely the Alto Adige classic.

In contrast, “Ogethn” is Kerschbaumer’s name for his cuvée of Merlot and Cabernet grapes with which he has expanded his product line by a deep red wine. The name of the farm may therefore be medieval, but the wines that are produced at the Hännsl am Ort Estate Winery in Lana most definitely are not.

It is not without reason that the Monte Mezzo dì-Sonnenberg carries its name [“Midday Mountain” in Italian, “Sun Mountain” in German]. More than 250 days of sun per year can be counted here, the temperature differentials between day and night are extreme, and the amount of precipitation is lower than anywhere else in Alto Adige. These extraordinary conditions are used by Markus Fliri at the Himmelreich-Hof in Castelbello in order to produce wines with strong character.

Even if Castelbello does not lie within a typical winegrowing zone, wine has been produced at the Himmelreich-Hof since time immemorial. At least for their own use. But in 2004, that was no longer enough for the winegrower Fliri. He wanted to increase the production of quality wines at his estate and also offer them for sale – “interesting, top-quality wines” as the winegrower himself says.

The vineyards of the Himmelreich-Hof, just precisely two hectares, lie at an elevation of 650 meters, and the moraine soils, a remnant of the last ice age, have a high mineral content which can be tasted in the grapes. And thus also in the wine. “It is a matters of importance to us to produce natural, sincere wines with strong character,” says Fliri.

His assortment comprises Zweigelt, a red cuvée to which he has given the name “Himmelreich” [“Kingdom of Heaven”], and Pinot Noir. The young wines are transferred into small oak casks to age there and be able to mature in complete tranquility. In addition to those, there is also Pinot Blanc and, new to the Himmelreich-Hof’s assortment, Riesling.

So its name was not chosen by chance. At least for wine connoisseurs.

So when in Alto Adige, do like the locals! In the vineyards of the Happacherhof in Ora, the students of the Agricultural High School learn how a vineyard is managed and how the grapes that are obtained are turned into wine. Really good wine.

The Happacherhof Estate Winery thus stands out and represents something special in the landscape of Alto Adige winegrowing. It is managed not by a committed winegrowing family, but rather by just as committed teachers and their students who can learn the techniques of winemaking right from the very bottom up.

In order to make it possible for the students to have the broadest possible and also most detailed view of winegrowing, different varieties were planted on the approximately four hectares that belong to the Happacherhof (as well as those in the immediate vicinity), specifically with different trellis systems and according to different criteria. The palette of varieties comprises Cabernet, Merlot, Chardonnay, and Lagrein, whereby the latter occupies a special position. It is produced along organic guidelines so that the students can also gain experience with this method of management that is becoming more and more important.

Regardless of the variety, trellis system, or method of cultivation, the grapes that are produced at the Happacherhof are then made into wine at the school’s own winery. “The preparation of wine is an important part of the practical lessons of our students, who have decided upon winegrowing and oenology as the direction of their main focus,” explains school director Christian Gallmetzer.

Four-star ratings are rare for vineyards. But the Calvenschlössl Winegrowing Estate in Laudes in the community of Malles began with a vineyard at 1,000 meters and even went a step further in 2013. Or, to put it better, higher. In the monastery meadow of the Benedictine Abbey of Marienberg, Europe’s highest vineyard was planted. The German word for vineyard is Weinberg, meaning wine mountain, and that can completely be taken literally here.

In 2004, Hilde Van den dries acquired the Calvenschlössl castle. “Immediately afterward, the desire came upon us to make top-quality organic wine,” Van den dries says. But that is easier said than done, since the slopes around the house are not only steep, they also are situated at elevations between 970 and 1,005 meters above sea level.

In any case, the extreme locations have also turned out to be a stroke of luck. The southern exposure bestows upon the grapes ample sunshine, the elevation provides coolness, from which grapes with high sugar levels and prominent acidities result. In addition, in both vineyards the focus is not only on resistant grape varieties such as Solaris, Souvignier Gris, Zweigelt, and Cabernet Cortis, but also on careful dealings with nature and thus on a holistic method of agriculture.

And that also holds true in the winery. “The energy from the spontaneous fermentation from the natural yeast strains of the grapes lend our wines their unmistakable finesse and their unique character,” Van den dries is convinced. The elevation is therefore not the only special ingredient in the wine from the Calvenschlössl Wine Estate in Laudes.

At unusual locations, the focus has to be on unusual varieties. Or, to express it better, on extraordinary varieties. Konrad Delazer and his family do precisely that. At the Häuslerhof in Naz-Sciaves, and thus at the northernmost end of Alto Adige’s winegrowing zone, the Delazers work with Portugieser.

This grape is an old variety, the origins of which have to be sought in what is now Slovenia. It came into existence there as a cross between Blaue Zimmettraube and Green Sylvaner, and today it is a popular grape variety above all else in Southeastern Europe. In Central Europe, on the other hand, its area of cultivation is dwindling more and more. The decision by the Delazer family to work with precisely this variety at their Häuslerhof therefore means: swimming upstream.

Konrad Delazer does this with his wife, Karin – as the former Queen of the Apple Festival, “Her Majesty” – and their children Sabrina and Philipp on at least a part of their area of cultivation, which is situated at an impressive 820 meters above sea level. “We place great emphasis on Portugieser, but we also work with classic white wine varieties such as Müller Thurgau,” Konrad Delazer explains. “In the end, the Valle Isarco is an ideal white wine zone.”

Keeping his manageable vineyard area running matches perfectly with the lifestyle of Konrad Delazer. He may be a passionate winegrower, but for many years, he earned his daily bread as a cook. And in addition to that, Delazer is also something else that is not so frequently thought of with the traditional image of cook and winegrower: a certified mountain bike guide.

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.