Wineries in South Tyrol

Anyone who visits that Pfeifer family at the Pfannenstielhof in Bolzano will find themselves, after a somewhat unusual approach through the business zone, in the middle of vineyards. The Pfannenstielhof appeared in a document for the first time in 1561. The hereditary estate in now run in its seventh generation by Johannes Pfeifer along with his wife Margareth and their daughters Anna and Veronika. How is tradition reflected in the agricultural methods of today?

On one hand, in a management of the vineyards that is close to nature, but also in the concentration upon the indigenous grape varieties of Schiava and Lagrein. “We are a pure red wine operation,” says Pfeifer. “Our grapes originate only from the best, well-aerated areas and are grown exclusively on pergola trellises.” Pfeifer has always believed in the potential of these indigenous varieties. He is convinced that they are unique and precious grapes that clearly delineate themselves from the international singular taste.

The tradition then also becomes clear when Pfeifer explains the guiding principles according to which he makes his wine. In that regard, “down-to-earth” is the first term he mentions. He wants to make “sincere wines.” And with complete tradition: “The joy in drinking of course cannot come of short,” the winegrower says. And he’s right.

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.

The Befehlhof estate in Vezzano has tended to vineyards since 1370. Six centuries later, Magdalena Schuster is in charge of the Befehlhof’s winegrowing business and specializes in producing fruity, clear, and vibrant mountain wines of pronounced minerality.

For her, the farm and the wines it produces are inseparable entities. According to her philosophy, the farm represents a dynamic environment that allows the entire family to unleash their creativity. And creativity is exactly what is needed in winemaking: “The work out in the vineyards and down in the cellars is defined by a perfect mix of science, nature, and creativity,” explains the winegrower.

The Befehlhof’s history underscores the importance of creativity. Oswald Schuster was the first winegrower in Val Venosta to grow a Riesling, for example. One of Magdalena’s top priorities is to reintroduce Fraueler. The Befehlhof is one of very few wine estates to produce Fraueler, an ancient Val Venosta wine, as a pure variety.

At 720 meters above sea level, the slate soils in the Befehlhof vineyards also nurture Pinot Blanc, Souvignier Gris, Riesling, Zweigelt, and Pinot Noir. In 2013, the farm was switched to organic cultivation. “Organic winegrowing requires us to closely monitor grapevine and wine cycles to be able to intervene as early as possible, if necessary,” says the winemaker. However, the level of intervention should be kept as low as possible, which also means that the wines ferment spontaneously and are filled when the wine is ready. “This makes our wines more nuanced and complex, and, as a result, more interesting,” adds Schuster.

Considering their history, it should not come as a surprise that the Befehlhof took the lead once more, pioneering the creation of Val Venosta’s first sparkling wine: a Pinot Blanc–Riesling named “Sällent”, after a mountain in Martello. A true gem on the shelves, that is for sure.

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.

In Santa Maddalena, tradition is written with capital letters, and the Plonerhof Estate Winery in Bolzano is no exception to that. On the contrary, the farmhouse itself goes back to the thirteenth century, and the vines with which Simon Geier works are over seventy years old. So with so much history, a careful, gentle approach is practically a self-evident fact.

In the vineyard of the Plonerhof Estate Winery in Maddalena di Sotto, therefore, prudence and work that is close to nature are called for, which in turn means: a lot of work by hand. That is in fact associated with a certain degree of toil, but it also has its effect upon the quality of the grapes. “When we work in the vineyards by hand, we achieve a great degree of control because we experience the grapes with all five senses,” Geier explains.

Added to work by hand is the fact that herbicides are totally avoided, and they almost completely do without insecticides. “We only have to act against the spotted wing drosophila, because otherwise it would destroy the entire harvest,” the winegrower tells us.

Once the harvest is brought in, classic Santa Maddalena is made from Schiava and Lagrein grapes in the estate’s own winery, as well as a fruity Lagrein and a cuvée of Yellow Muscat and Pinot Blanc. With their wines, the Plonerhof Estate Winery has also brought home a whole series of prizes and awards. So anyone who understands how to deal with ancient grapevines is rewarded with the highest quality. The Methuselahs are, so it seems, in a generous mood.

Wines are not made, they are accompanied. That is the credo with which Joachim Wolf and his team work at the Oberstein Estate Winery in Cermes. “Our vision is to make wines without a lot of technology and to give them the necessary time to mature in the large wooden barrels,” says Wolf. “In the end, it is not we who determine the maturity. It is time.”

But one thing is clear: this concept only applies if the quality of the raw materials – that is, the grapes – is right. And that quality begins in the vineyard. In keeping with the concept, at the Oberstein Estate Winery in Cermes that is achieved through prudence and restraint, which leads to reduced yields and high quality.

Added to this is the fact that Mother Nature has been especially kind to the Oberstein Estate Winery in Cermes. The estate’s vineyard is located on steep slopes with a southeastern exposure at an elevation of 400 to 500 meters (1,300 to 1,600 feet) above sea level. Its foundation is formed by light, permeable, loamy sandy soils that are pervaded with porous, slaty, granite rock material. The latter lends the wines of the Oberstein Estate Winery a prominent mineral-rich quality.

The location, elevation, and soils shape the terroir as much as the great temperature fluctuations between day and night, which are especially noticeable in the autumn. “All of these factors and our extensive philosophy of work both in the vineyard and in the winery yield a unique combination and form the basis for excellent wines with great recognition value,” Wolf says.

Down-to-earth and cosmopolitan: the fact that someone can be both is proven by Markus Prackwieser. Although he runs the Gump Hof Estate Winery at Fiè allo Sciliar, which is nearly half a millennium old, with a great deal of respect for tradition, he also gets his inspiration from abroad: from Wachau, Austria, from Burgundy, or from the Loire Valley. “Those are the exemplary regions,” Prackwieser says.

Since 2000, he has been responsible for the Gump Hof Estate winery in Fiè, and since that time, he has sought exchanges which do not always have to cross borders. Thus along with Günther Kerschbaumer of the Köfererhof and Christian Plattner of the Ansitz Waldgries, Prackwieser forms a wine trio that exchanges information, consults with each other, and makes use of synergies.

So new paths are not a strange thing to the winegrower, nor are deep roots in history. After all, the Gump Hof dates back to the sixteenth century. “That characterizes the estate, it has an effect with respectful dealings with the environment, with typical grape varieties being grown, with classic cultivation methods, and with laborious work by hand,” Prackwieser says. Within that context, the winegrower can fall back on vineyards from 400 to 550 meters in elevation, up to 70 percent of which are steep, in which Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer, and Schiava grow.

In the wines of the Gump Hof Estate Winery in Fiè, being down-to-earth and cosmopolitan flow together. Or, as Prackwieser says, “The knowledge that has been acquired, our own experience, time, and patience; and the honing of an independent flavor profile all lead to the character of the landscape being reflected in our wines. And that of the winegrower.”

The Trogerhof in Bolzano is among the oldest estates in the classic Santa Maddalena zone. And winegrower Josef “Pepi” Staffler is among those who uphold the Santa Maddalena tradition. “Santa Maddalena is a light, fruity Alto Adige red wine that is typical to the region,” he says. And it should remain so – that, too, can be read from this sentence.

The overwhelmingly largest component of Santa Maddalena is the Schiava grape. “Because of the hot climate in the Bolzano basin and the small portion of powerful Lagrein, the Santa Maddalena is fuller and more intense than other Schiava variants,” says Staffler, explaining the secrets of the wine, to which he has dedicated his winegrowing life.

The Schiava and Lagrein grapes of the Trogerhof grow on the moraine detritus soils in Maddalena di Sotto, and thus on slopes that run up to the Renon plateau. Both of the varieties are harvested at the same time and they are also fermented together. Staffler matures his Santa Maddalena in classic large oak barrels in the historical vaulted cellar of the Trogerhof. That is due less to a nod to tradition than to the conditions which the ancient cellar offers. “Our cellar was built from natural stone, it has natural stone floors, and a pleasant indoor climate,” the winegrower says.

Staffler’s goal is to make the Santa Maddalena from the Trogerhof a “good everyday wine” with which price and quality match. Nothing more. But also nothing less.

Thomas Plack was precisely nineteen years old when he took over the estate in Colsano at the foot of Monte Mezzodì in the Val Venosta in 1989. Today, in addition to five hectares of fruit orchards, he also manages three hectares of vineyards upon which, as Plack himself says, “new Val Venosta wines” are created.
But what exactly does the winegrower understand “new Val Venosta wines” to be? Plack attempts to provide a definition. “Our wines are fine-structured mountain wines with character that reflect their terroir in an impressive way.” And which are obtained with a great deal of work and diligence, it could be added. Since 2006, Thomas Plack has operated the estate in Colsano exclusively organically. “We hold sustainability and working as close as possible to nature to be near and dear to our hearts,” says the winegrower.
Two of the estate’s own vineyards and one area that is leased currently provide the grapes for the wines. It is exclusively Riesling that grows on the terraces of the steep Tonnerberg mountain. “It is among our highest vineyard locations and thus predestined for Riesling vines which love cool nights but also deal well with the high daytime temperatures,” Plack says. The Krebsenrauth location, on the other hand, provides Schiava, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Blanc grapes.
And finally, one special feature is represented by the leased area around the Kasten manor, which today is planted with Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc as well as Riesling. It was the absolutely first vineyard area in the Val Venosta, dating back to 1974.
And as we have learned from this, new Val Venosta wines also completely go hand in hand with the traditions.

The Kreithof is an estate winery filled with tradition whose roots date back to the Middle Ages.
At that time, a farm was created on a cleared space (in Middle High German, Gereuth) on a hill above San Michele-Appiano, the name of which little by little came under the influences of dialect until it was transformed into “Kreit”. And the way it looks is also different than it was back then. In the eighteenth century, the farmhouse was expanded into a magnificent manor, with the house occupied and the land worked by the Raifer family since 1813.

Aside from how the farmhouse looks, the economic pillars of the farm have always included winegrowing from the very start. So today, Johann Raifer runs seven hectares of vineyard area. “By far the largest part of our grapevines grow at somewhat higher than 400 meters above sea level on sandy-loamy moraine soils around our farmhouse,” Raifer explains. Just one smaller vineyard that belongs to the Kreithof is located in the vicinity of Lake Caldaro.

A broad palette of grape varieties is planted that ranges from Pinot Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc to Yellow Muscat and Goldmuskateller to Schiava, Pinot Noir, and Lagrein.

We give our fellow men and women a better understanding of sincere wine through natural sensory perception. We say “less is more”, we deal with our resources gently, and we hope to stimulate reflection. We see the soil in our vineyard as the most important ASSET.

Our task is to protect the vineyards, to create an environment for them in which they feel good. Nevertheless, we have to admit that winegrowing is an intensive form of agriculture. For that reason, we have decided to work together with nature, to stand by the grapevines in support, and consequently to deliver genuine wines year after year.

We strengthen our vines so that they are prepared in advance for changes. We manage 2.5 hectares on gravelly quartz phyllite at elevations between 550 and 700 meters above sea level. In the winery, we intervene as little as possible. No frills, just AUTHENTIC, LIVING WINE. Our wines are juicy, they are quaffable and go down easily. Anyone who drinks our wine ought to eat, laugh, and speak a lot.

The Klosterhof in Caldaro is an estate winery, wine hotel, and small distillery all at the same time. So Oskar Andergassen and his son Hannes exhaust all of the possibilities of what can be done with grapes. And what is just as big is the care with which they look after their raw materials.

For the Andergassens, care means first and foremost respect for nature. And (above all else) in the vineyards that encompass 4.5 hectares, that means to deal with them gently. That also involves low yields which, as a pleasant aftereffect, also drives up the quality of the grapes.
The Klosterhof Estate Winery also continues respect and sustainability in the winery, in which only grapes from their own vineyards are used, where gently means, “We follow the philosophy of a soft pressing and allow the wine a lot of time to mature in large wooden barrels,” explains the son, Hannes Andergassen.

The results of the care and prudence in the Klosterhof Estate Winery are 35,000 bottles per year of DOC quality wines – primarily Schiava, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Noir. Since 2013, the Andergassens have also been making distilled spirits in their own distillery from the pressings of Pinot Noir and Yellow Muscat, but also from apricots and Williams pears.

The entire palette of what can be made from grapes can best be experienced by a visit to the winery. In so doing, not only do visitors get insight into the method of operation at the Klosterhof, they can also taste the terroir in and around Caldaro and also understand the great passion that the Andergassens have.

From Karl to Josef to Johannes: for a good forty years now, the baton of wine production has been passed on at the Bergmannhof. From father to son to grandson, from Pichler to Pichler. But the Pichler’s relay race with grapegrowing is substantially longer than that. It dates back to the year 1851 in which the family came into possession of the Bergmannhof.

As early as the seventeenth century, the Bergmannhof in Riva di Sotto-Appiano appeared for the first time in documents, and for nearly 170 years, the Pichler family has been operating it. But only in 1978 did Karl Pichler and his son Josef decide to go their own way and make wine themselves out of the grapes from their 2.5 hectares of vineyards. From the very beginning onward, great value was placed upon careful, prudent dealings with the vineyard and the vines, which also meant upon a lot of work by hand. “We try to work as close to nature as possible through the smallest targeted interventions,” Josef Pichler explains, “and thus to get the best from our grapes vintage after vintage.” Within that context, it comes in useful for Pichler that within that work, tradition and innovation flow together – in the form of knowledge from three generations.

Both of those ensure that the care and prudence continue, in the winery as well. “The maturation of our wines takes place for the most part in large wooden barrels with long periods of contact with the yeast and minimal use of sulfur, and we do without unnecessary fining and filtration,” Pichler says, describing the signature at the Bergmannhof. It is the signature of three generations.

Welcome to Bethlehem! No, not the one you’re thinking of, but rather in Termeno. In the local vernacular, its oldest quarter is called – yes, really! – Bethlehem, and that is where one of the oldest farmhouses is found in the winegrowing village in the south of Alto Adige: the Rynnhof. And even if there is an obligation to history, the operation is more than modern.

The historical estate “an der Rynnen” appears in a document for the first time in 1438. Not only is it located right in the middle of the vineyards of Termeno, at the time it was in fact at a watercourse from which its name is derived. The watercourse is no longer there today, but the vineyards are. And since 2011, they have been managed by Johann and Nathalie Bellutti strictly according to organic guidelines. “This method of cultivation and our connection to nature make our wines something special,” Johann Bellutti says with conviction.

He was born at his parents’ Rynnhof with its medieval heart of a building, the stone-framed window flanning, and rounded arch gates, and this is where he also discovered his calling for winegrowing. And he cultivates his career and his calling, as he himself says, “In the Termeno tradition and the carefree quality of young ideas.”
And thus wines with great character come into being: Pinot Blanc, Lagrein, Schiava, and, it goes without saying for Termeno, Gewürztraminer. For them, for his products, Bellutti has coined a slogan that is as simple as it is catchy. He calls it plain and simply “Free Wines”.

The grapevines that are tended at the Strasserhof Estate Winery in Varna are up to 45 years old. From the grapes of these vines, Hannes Baumgartner, winegrower at the Strasserhof and, at the same time, president of the Independent Winegrowers association, makes youthful-fresh wines. White wines, of course, since we are in the Valle Isarco after all.

The strictly white assortment of the Strasserhof Estate Winery is a thankfully broad one. It ranges from Müller Thurgau and Grüner Veltliner to Sylvaner, Riesling, and Gewürztraminer all the way to Zweigelt. And of course includes Kerner, upon which Baumgartner has placed particular focus. “Our characteristic Valle Isarco wines can without a doubt be described with three attributes: a strong mineral quality, great juiciness, and pleasant, youthful freshness,” Baumgartner says.

Since 2003, he has been producing wine at the Strasserhof, an operation whose history in any case dates back much further. “The farmhouse was already built in the eleventh century,” the winegrower explains. Today, the estate winery encompasses five hectares of vineyards that are distributed over sunny locations with a southwestern exposure at elevations from 650 to 700 meters. “The lightly sandy gravel soils contribute to the elegant, fruity freshness of our wines,” says Baumgartner with conviction.
Thus around 45,000 bottles of white wine are produced each year, for which the chairman of the Independent Winegrowers in Alto Adige has developed a broad market. So today, wines from the Strasserhof are drunk not only in Italy, Austria, and Germany, but also in the Netherlands, Japan, and the USA.

The Pratenberg Estate Winery in Merano is held firmly in female hands. It is with great passion that winegrower Karoline Sinn has created a small, independent estate that takes advantage of the mild climate and cool katabatic winds, the steep terraces with a southern exposure, and special soils.
“Glacial sediments of porphyry sandstone and secondary metamorphite and granite.” One would almost think that Sinn was a geologist when she describes the foundation of her vineyards. And even if you have not yet completely understood which soils are concerned, the short version is: they are ideal for authentic, individual, unmistakable wines.

“I like to describe my wines as the grape in the glass,” Sinn says. “They are not lush, but on the contrary, they are animating, lively, and at the same time agreeable, with fine acidity and an elegant interplay of aromas.” Originality is something upon which the winegrower from Merano places as much value as reflecting upon one’s own strengths. And upon quality, in any case.

In the end, the signature of Karoline Sinn can be tasted in her wines just as much as the natural conditions with which the Pratenberg Estate Winery in Merano is blessed. And perhaps also the motto according to which she runs the winery: “Have the time to take the time and to give things time.”

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.

Less is more – at least sometimes. For that reason, the Gojer family restrict themselves with their estate winery Glögglhof in Santa Maddalena above Bolzano to doing only what is necessary and otherwise giving their wines peace. Peace and enough time to be able to develop.

The Glögglhof Estate Winery is a small, family-run operation that is located right in the heart of the Santa Maddalena winegrowing zone which is blessed with a long tradition. Here, just a bit above the provincial capital of Bolzano, every detail counts, Franz Gojer is convinced: “Every single step of the work, be it in the vineyard or in the cellar, makes it possible for us to have an influence upon the results. In the end, the bottled wine is nothing other than the sum of all of these steps.”

And with all of the steps that the Gojers take, the consideration of nature and care are in the topmost position. “We act according to the principle that quality originates in the vineyard,” says the winegrower of the Glögglhof Estate Winery in Bolzano.

His minimalistic approach then comes to fruition in the winery. “We restrict ourselves to the most necessary of interventions and give the wine time to develop,” Gojer explains. In that way, authentic wines that are typical to the location are created at the Glögglhof, at the same time elegant and harmonious. “We are constantly trying to safeguard the character of the origin and the differences between the vintages,” Gojer says, “and thus with their unadulterated character, our wines distinguish themselves from industrial wines or wines that are only good at the tasting bar.”

The latest chapter (for the time being) in the history of the Ansitz Mairhof in Parcines, which is over 800 years old and carried historical preservation, began in 1930. It began with one woman and a requisite dose of courage. And it ends in a success story in the form of a family-run estate winery. Or to put it better, it has not ended by far, and the success story is still going.

In spite of having nine smaller children, Antonia Kofler – the mother of today’s senior boss, Matthias Bernhart – bought the Ansitz Mairhof in Parcines at auction during the period between the wars. It was necessary to scrimp and save for the investment in the truest sense of the word – and only slowly did the estate get going on its own two feet: with cattle, pigs, chickens, grain, hay, and potatoes.

In addition to the classic self-reliance goods, grapes were soon also planted at the Ansitz Mairhof, thus kindling a passion that has still not left the family to this very day. “There is a lot to do in the vineyard, spread out over the entire year,” Bernhart recounts. “But the best time comes in autumn, with the harvest.”

But after that, the work is not done, since at the Ansitz Mairhof in Parcines, they make wine with their own grapes. “The work in the winery requires a lot of diligence, precision, and of course the love of a good glass of wine,” says Bernhart with a smile. He and his family continue to develop this recipe with these three ingredients, and a good homemade wine has turned into aromatic gourmet wines: Riesling, Schiava, and Pinot Noir.

Elena Walch is actually an architect, but in the 1980s, when she married into the Walch winegrowing family in Termeno, wine became the main focus of her life. Since that time, it has been with commitment, self-confidence, and no compromise that she has implemented her ideas of sustainability in the vineyard and the winery and developed her terroir wines.

Even though Walch crossed over from a sector that was distant from wine, she soon became a forerunner and a pioneer of a wine philosophy which, forty years ago, was still broadly new. Quality became her guiding idea, and it was to be pursued without compromise: “With the finest terroir wines, we raised the quality standards of the region to a new level,” she says today, with self-confidence. And that is also attested to by independent experts. Thus the terroir wines of the two single vineyards of her estate winery – Castel Ringberg in Caldaro and Kastelaz in Termeno – are highly respected products that have received numerous awards and have found their place on the best wine lists around the globe. And both locations were included in the exclusive VIGNA list of vineyards, through which the origin of single vineyard wines is guaranteed.

The attention with which Elena Walch harvests proves that her linearity is in the right direction. In addition, the general development has proven her correct when what is concerned, for instance, is sustainable work in the vineyard and in the wine cellar. “Our particular attention along those lines was always paid to the support of the vine’s own self-defenses,” says the pioneer from Termeno.

In the meantime, Walch has also transferred her philosophy to the next generation. Today, she runs the family estate winery along with her daughters, Julia and Karoline.

Mutual assistance: the idea of the cooperative had broad repercussions at the end of the nineteenth century and also caught up the winegrowers on Andriano. In 1893, they took a step that was as daring as it was far-sighted and founded the first cooperative winery in South Tyrol. Today, the winery works under the umbrella of the Cantina Terlano, and thus the cooperative idea is as lively as ever.

Even if the cooperative’s history is a long one, that of winegrowing in Andriano is even substantially longer. The Mediterranean climate, the refreshing katabatic winds, the well-aerated chalky soils: all of these are optimal conditions, and specifically equally for both red and white varieties. “On the gentle southern to southeastern slopes of Andriano, the late-maturing varieties enjoy a particularly high number of hours of sunshine, while on hot days, our white grapes on the slopes with a predominantly eastern exposure benefit from the coolness that is present early in the day,” explains winemaker Rudi Kofler.

From this starting position and building upon careful, prudent work in the vineyard, grapes that have been harvested exclusively by hand come to the cooperative’s winery. That is where the red wines – Lagrein, Merlot, and Pinot Noit – are aged in large oak barrels or small oak casks, while the whites (Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and Pinot Blanc) are aged in stainless steel tanks.

“Our goal is to create classic wines that are shaped by terroir, that are powerful yet elegant, well structured, and multilayered,” the winemaker says. Directed toward that goal are the efforts and work of all involved – completely in keeping with the idea of the cooperative.

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 Seppi family has run the Oberpreyhof in Caldaro since 1885. So it’s no wonder that particular attention has been paid to tradition here. Or, as Markus Seppi puts it, to “maintaining the heritage of the forefathers to pass on to the next generation.”

For the Seppi family, those are more than just pretty words. Thus the vineyards in the Caldaro locations of Prey, Barleith, and Lavason are managed gently, there is a focus on undergrowth that is rich in species, and herbicides are avoided. “In the end, only a healthy, living soil brings forth healthy, resistant vines which, in turn, bear good grapes,” Seppi says.

The vines are supported in the classic pergola system, although not only as a nod to the predecessors at the estate, but also for practical considerations. Thus the Seppis consider the pergola trellis to be the optimal training method in the estate’s vineyards with a southern exposure. They distinguish themselves by hot days and cool nights which guarantee a regular maturation of the grapes and foster the development of extracts and aroma substances.

And in the end, an eye is also kept on tradition with the selection of the varieties, with the Seppi family greatly concentrating (and in fact even more and more) on indigenous varieties. Thus Lagrein and Schiava form the foundation of the Oberpreyhof in Caldaro. The latter is used for the classic Lago di Caldaro, and in addition to that, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Yellow Muscat are also found in the assortment. In addition, grappas that are produced at the estate can be tasted in the vaulted cellar from the fifteenth century.

An estate winery in the midst of the city? The Nusserhof is precisely that. Its areas of cultivation lie in Piani di Bolzano and in Costa di Sotto. Heinrich Mayr and his daughter Gloria work here under strict procedures, which in plain language means: only with indigenous grape varieties and organically certified since 1994.

Just the father-daughter team already shows that the Nusserhof is a pure family-run operation. Heinrich and Gloria function as agronomists, oenologists, sales force, and office managers at the same time. That is also possible because with four hectares, the grape growing areas of the Nusserhof are manageable.

The head boss Heinrich Mayr speaks of “harmonious vineyards” and of “warm, airy soils” on the Isarco River on which he grows exclusively indigenous grape varieties: Blatterle, Lagrein, Schiava, and Teroldego. when asked about his goals for the estate winery, Mayr responds, “Our goal is to completely exhaust their potential and to increase even further the quality of our wines through adapted cultivation and winemaking methods.” So already today, the bar has been set high. Thus the Mayrs place great value upon the highest quality of the grapes, low yields, and a long aging of the wines in barrel and bottle. The result is structured, mineral-rich, elegant, lasting wines that are not heavy with a moderate alcohol content – “very personal wines,” as Mayr says.

And by the way: the Nusserhof is the home farm of the beatified resistance figure, Josef Mayr-Nusser.

Agriculture, and winegrowing in particular, has always played an important role since time immemorial for the Bertol family. And the work continues with great enthusiasm and diligence.

The Spiegelhof Estate Winery is located directly on Lake Caldaro and is among the best locations in Caldaro. In recent years, the operation has grown continuously and has now come to comprise somewhat more than five hectares.

Earlier on, the Schiava (Vernatsch) variety was grown almost exclusively, from which the Lago di Caldaro denomination is obtained. Today, it is the varieties Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay, Yellow Muscat, Lagrein, Merlot, and Cabernet that dominate. And the training method has also changed: before, the vines were grown on pergola trellises, but now it is almost exclusively the Guyot trellis that is used. “This has had a positive influence on grape quality, and work can be made easier through the increasing use of machines,” says the winegrower Reinhild Bertol.

The wine itself is made with great care in the Spiegelhof, which is located right in the midst of the vineyards on the path around the lake. Anyone who strolls by the Spiegelhof will not have a hard time recognizing the families passion: the collecting of vintage tractors. Gerold Bertol, the master of the house, began this hobby more than thirty years ago. At the current time, the collection numbers over a hundred models – and there is no end in sight.

The heart of the Spiegelhof Estate Winery is “Reinhild’s Farm Shop”. The idyllic wine shop is located right on the lake and is surrounded by the winery’s own vineyards. It is the perfect location for tasting the excellent estate wines.

Andreas Dichristin has a dream. He wants to consistently make wine from completely untreated grapes, and thus he even does without organic pesticides. He has reserved a section of his organic estate winery Tröpfltalhof in Caldaro for the trials. And planned for lots and lots of patience.

For someone who has dedicated his life to winegrowing and winemaking, Dichristin incidentally admits to having a really marginal role in all of it. “For thirty years, I have been accompanying the grapes on their path from the vineyard into the bottle,” he says, “and today I know that our work for the most part consists of observing.”

The secret of his work is to remain very close to nature with everything that he does and to recognize the right timing for everything. For that reason, since 2005, Andreas, his wife Rosmarie, and their children Verena and Jakob have been running the Tröpfltalhof in Caldaro biodynamically – and, it goes without saying, the vineyards, as well. In their own nearby vineyard at an elevation of 500 meters, Sauvignon Blanc vines grow, while in the Barleith vineyard above Lake Caldaro, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc are planted.

The fact that the wines of the Tröpfltalhof are aged in amphorae emphasizes once again the very independent path that the Dichristins follow. Andreas describes it as “Remaining true to minimalism from the vines to the bottle”, and adds, “I believe that it is precisely that which gives my wines greatness and originality.”

The history of the Pitznerhof in Cardano is almost like the story of beating swords into plowshares. The name “Pitzner” is a corruption of “Büchsner”, referring to someone who makes shotguns who was active earlier at the farm. So for both pacifists and gourmands, that is good news, since at the Pitznerhof, they turned their back on tradition and made wine instead of weapons.

The brothers Markus and Thomas Puff are responsible for the wine production at the impressively 700 year-old Pitznerhof in Cardano at the entrance to the Valle Isarco. Their farmhouse lies at an elevation of precisely 350 meters, but the three hectares of grape growing areas are on steep slopes with deep, sandy weathered porphyry soils. “We attempt to integrate the local conditions and the microclimate into the production process in the best possible way,” says Markus Puff.

And in the winery, there is also the underlying principle of working with the grapes gently. Thus the overall picture comes together of production that is close to nature along the entire chain. “We try to fulfill our responsibility by stressing nature as little as possible,” Puff says.

This approach also forms the cornerstone for the quality of the wines from the Pitznerhof in Cardano. The product line includes Pinot Grigio, Pinot Blanc, Schiava, and Lagrein: potent, fine-structured white wines with pleasant freshness and a fine mineral-rich quality, but also spicy, pleasantly fruity, and lively reds.

“My interest is aimed at wines that are not subject to conventions, but rather are proud, or even bold, to display their own character.” Hartmann Donà, head of the estate winery in Cornaiano that bears his name, doesn’t do things halfway. And that can first and foremost be tasted in his wines.

The foundation for a good wine is formed by a thorough understanding, and an interpretation built upon that, of soil, grape varieties, climate, and their interaction. Donà makes reference to that when he says, “Only in that way can unique originals come into existence – with the fine differences from year to year that characterize only unadulterated natural products.”

For Donà, what was therefore necessary first of all was to understand his sunny, airy vineyard at 450 meters above sea level in Cornaiano, the glacial moraine soil that is its base, and the gnarled, 40 to 50 year-old vines. To understand how through careful nurturing that is close to nature, a low number of small-berried, flavorful grapes are produced. And how from them, 35,000 to 40,000 bottles of wine can be created “with elegance and harmony, with Alpine freshness and a mineral-rich quality,” as Donà himself describes his wine.

The winegrower has very obviously understood all of that, and even understood it very well. His wines – Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, and an elegant Lagrein –are regarded as exciting, as wines with depth and breadth, as those for the serious connoisseur. Or, as Donà himself puts it, “Wines that do you good.”

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.