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    Wineries in South Tyrol

    There are more than 200 wineries in South Tyrol where tasting, purchasing and discovering everything about outstanding South Tyrolean wine is on the agenda. Some are smaller operations that grow only one type of grape as well as cooperatively managed, larger wineries. In South Tyrol, wine and architecture are issues which are becoming increasingly interrelated. For example, many wineries are architecturally magnificent constructions that have been carefully integrated into the rural landscape. Details about South Tyrol’s many wineries, including opening times, bars and wine tastings, are available here.

    Results
    Wineries
    Cora
    Eppan an der Weinstaße/Appiano sulla Strada del Vino, Alto Adige Wine Road
    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.”
    Wineries
    Cantina Merano Winery
    Marling/Marlengo, Meran/Merano and environs
    One special feature of the Merano Winery with its 360 members catches the eye immediately: two completely different cultivation zones. They are on one hand the mild, Mediterranean Merano valley basin and, on the other hand, the dry, windy, climatically extreme Val Venosta. No fewer than twenty grape varieties grow here upon which the offering from the Merano Winery is based.

    The winery itself came into existence in July 2010, and specifically from the merger of the Burggräfler Winery that was founded in 1901 with the Meran Winery that was initiated in 1952. Its headquarters is in a striking building that combines the new with the old in Marlengo in which the threads of 360 members, 250 hectares of cultivated area, over twenty grape varieties, and two completely different cultivation zones are all woven together. “The offering of many different wines is a special feature and strength of the Merano Winery,” explains winemaker Stefan Kapfinger, “but it is also associated with a higher expenditure of labor.” That begins in the vineyards, on slopes a large portion of which are steep, in which nearly all of the work is done by hand, but in any case in a sustainable manner that protects resources.

    “In the winery, it is necessary to preserve the quality of the grapes that come from our vineyards,” says Kapfinger. With his wines, the origin of each of them ought to be recognizable as clearly as possible in the aroma. For that reason, the winemaker understands himself as a “midwife”: “The wine ought to go its own way,” he says, “I just accompany it on its journey. With a great deal of patience and sometimes also strong nerves.”

    The Winery Cantina Merano in Marlengo and Merano: From now on, the winery has two locations that are both the perfect place for getting together and having a great time: the Panoramic Enoteca in Marling and the new City.Vinothek in the center of Meran. Enjoy the exciting wine collection, a special selection of distillates and a brisk masterpiece among the Alto Adige DOC sparkling wines, treat yourself to some unforgettable new impressions and join a tour of the winery for a behind-the-scenes look into all the finer things in life that Meran has to offer.
    Wineries
    Spornberg Mountain Winery
    Karneid/Cornedo all'Isarco, Dolomites Region Eggental

     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.

     
    Wineries
    Messnerhof Winery
    Bolzano/Bozen, Bolzano/Bozen and environs
    Bernhard Pichler wanted to not only produce grapes, he wanted to keep the production of wine in his own hands from the vine to the labeling of the bottle. He has been doing so since 2003 at the Messnerhof in Bolzano and knows, “If the quality is good, then that is to our credit, and if sometimes something goes wrong, then we are just as responsible for it.”

    Pichler is not the first one to make wine at the Messnerhof in Bolzano/San Pietro. Rather, they were producing wine themselves there up to the postwar period, after which the Pichlers concentrated upon the production of grapes. That is, until Bernhard came along. With the step to being independent, he realized a childhood dream.

    The foundation of the wine production at the Messnerhof is formed by two vineyards. The first is located in Missiano in the community of Appiano, and at 0.8 hectares, it is only about half as big as the other one, which is found on a sunny slope with a southwestern exposure around the farmhouse in San Pietro. The climate is ideal at both locations. “Warm and then cooler winds provide prominent temperature fluctuations between day and night, which is optimal for the formation of aromas in the grapes,” Pichler says.

    Within that context, the assortment of grapes is a broad one: Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Merlot, Syrah, Tempranillo, Schiava, Lagrein, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Verdot are grown and then made into wine according to a clear guiding principle: “Our goal is to produce expressive wines,” Pichler says, “which preserve their independent characters of variety, location, and vintage.”
    Wineries
    Weingut in der Eben
    Bolzano/Bozen, Bolzano/Bozen and environs
    The Weingut in der Eben in Cardano was one of the first estate wineries to have been operated organically. As a pioneer at that time, Johannes Plattner moved forward, and his son Urban not only follows his father’s path today, but pushes ahead himself: with biodynamic management and “living wines”.

    The Weingut in der Eben estate winery on the plain in Cardano has been in the possession of the Plattner family since 1982, and the grapes from three hectares of vineyards have been cultivated since 1996. It is Johannes Plattner who is to be thanked for these steps, although his son Urban has been at the controls since 2011. He converted the growing operation to biodynamic cultivation. Through the sowing of grasses and herbs, he promotes the diversity of species in the vineyard and thus also the beneficial insects which, in conjunction with prudent leaf care and selective harvesting, provides for healthy grapes.

    Not only has Urban Plattner continued developing the method of management, he has also fundamentally changed the style of the wines of the Weingut in der Eben. Thus from Schiava, Pinot Noir, Malvasia, Merlot, Lagrein, and Sauvignon Blanc, wines of a completely particular type come into existence, “living wines” as Plattner calls them. He goes on to explain, “I allow my wines to ferment spontaneously and age them for a very long time in large wooden barrels because only with time, patience, hardly any sulfur, and the correct sensitivity do they take on the depth that I wish them to have.”

    In the end, another part of the particular drinking experience is that all of the wines from the estate winery on the plain in Cardano come to the market unfiltered. In fact, as living wines.
    Wineries
    Thurnhof
    Bolzano/Bozen, Bolzano/Bozen and environs
    When the Berger family took over the Thurnhof in Bolzano in the middle of the nineteenth century, some 160 years ago, the surroundings were still characterized by classic agricultural activity. Today, the Thurnhof is in the lively district of Aslago, its vineyards lie on the southern slopes of Virgolo, which can confidently be called “the home hill of Bolzano”.

    The Thurnhof is run by Hans and Andreas Berger, and in spite of the location right in the city, it can still be backbreaking work. It is necessary to work 3.5 hectares of steep vineyards – with great care and a lot of effort: “We put a lot of time into the leaf work, because in that way we ensure that every bunch of grapes grows on a strong, woody shoot,” Andreas Berger tells us.

    This work and the location on a sun-drenched southern slope with high temperatures through autumn guarantee that even late-ripening red wine varieties can completely mature year after year. And then be made into wine at the Thurnhof with all of the Bergers’ know-how. “Our goal is to transfer the precious contents of the grapes as completely as possible into the wine,” says Berger, conveying his philosophy, “and in that way our wines receive fruit, structure, and the characteristics that are typical of the variety.”

    In so doing, the “genuine city winegrowers” as the Bergers call themselves very much focus on diversity: Yellow Muscat and Sauvignon Blanc, Lagrein and Santa Maddalena, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. An extremely broad product line for a small-scale and manageable estate winery.
    Wineries
    Josef Weger
    Eppan an der Weinstaße/Appiano sulla Strada del Vino, Alto Adige Wine Road
    In 1820, the Josef Weger Eppan Winery was founded in Cornaiano-Appiano. The founder’s name was, as may be expected, Josef Weger. Let’s call him Josef Weger I, because after him, three more gentlemen with the same name have stood at the head of the estate winery. Today, the Josef Weger Estate Winery in Cornaiano is run by the great-grandson of the founder. Can you guess what his name is? Wrong! His name is Johannes.

    Josef Weger I was one of the pioneers of a professional winemaking and wine dealing operation in Alto Adige, and his descendants have successfully followed in the footsteps of the old gentleman. Even before the turn of the twentieth century, wine was delivered to Switzerland and all of the crownlands of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and before the First World War, a branch was even founded in East Tyrol. After the two wars, the growth of the estate winery continued, and vacation apartments were set up in the twelfth century manor house.

    Johannes Weger has been active in the estate winery since the 1990s and has run it since 2015. Under his leadership, the winery was renovated and new grape varieties were planted, above all else Burgundy varieties. They are ideal for the vineyards of the Josef Weger Estate Winery. They are located at elevations from 435 to 600 meters in and around Cornaiano and provide grapes for white and red wines which Weger makes as single varietals that emphasize terroir: with gentle pressing operations, temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks, and cold maceration.

    “In our wines, the interplay between landscape and climate should be reflected, as should the soul of the winegrower.” Weger says. And it is not surprising when he adds, “Our wines are the expression of years of experience that are transferred from generation to generation.” And from Josef Weger to Josef Weger. And to Johannes.
    Wineries
    Eberlehof Winery
    Bolzano/Bozen, Bolzano/Bozen and environs
    The Eberlehof above Bolzano was mentioned in a document for the first time in 1312, and thus more than 700 years ago. It has been in family possession since 1668 and for just as long, the family’s coat of arms has been decorated by a pruning hook. And that is not surprising, as the Eberlehof lies right in the middle of the classic Santa Maddalena winegrowing zone.

    And it is also not surprising that the 700 years of estate and family history have left their legacy behind and they are accompanied by an obligation to uphold tradition and family. The latter becomes clear when it is realized that at the Eberlehof, three generations of the Zisser family are involved at the same time in winegrowing. The elder Horst and his wife Lisi bring along their experience. His son Tomas and his wife Margit manage the vineyards and the winery along with their sons Christian and Lukas and also take care of three vacation apartments at the estate winery.

    As far as upholding tradition is concerned, at the Eberlehof it is first and foremost indigenous grape varieties that are typical to the zone (Schiava, Lagrein, and Blatterle) which are grown on pergola trellises, added to which Merlot also finds a spot in the product line. “Just because of the steep location on the slopes, the use of larger machines is already impossible, which is why we tend our vines, some of which are very old, almost exclusively by hand,” explains Tomas Zisser. In addition, because maturation takes place in large oak barrels, the red wines from the Eberlehof are full-bodied and strong, and they express their origins. Precisely as tradition would desire.
    Wineries
    GRAWU
    Tscherms/Cermes, Meran/Merano and environs
    The best grapes, creativity, a love of labor, and a lot of patience: those are the ingredients from which Leila Grasselli and Dominic Würth in Cermes produce wines – as newcomers from another field, with the greatest respect for nature, under the label GRAWÜ.

    GRAWÜ is a made-up word composed of the first letters of the surnames of these new arrivals to Alto Adige. “We have Italian and German roots and have only been living in Alto Adige for a few years,” Würth explains. “That makes a lot of things more difficult in terms of founding a company, but there are great opportunities in making wines free of conventions.”

    Individual wines require individual methods. Thus leased vineyards in the Val Venosta are tended strictly organically, with attention being paid to natural cultivation and selected fungus-resistant varieties. And in the GRAWÜ winery, they consistently follow their own path, doing without pure strains of yeast and other oenological products. “Our goal is to get the genuine, unadulterated taste of the grapes and the terroir into the glass: the liquid memory of a vintage in all of its facets,” Würth explains.

    Thus what comes into existence are dynamic wines that are fermented with the skins: Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, and Gewürztraminer which constantly change and bring forth their very own flavor. “Perhaps not everyone will like them, but they very nicely reflect us as a family and the mountains in which they grow,” the winegrower says.
    Wineries
    Thurner Winery
    Nals/Nalles, Meran/Merano and environs
    The vineyards of the Klasen Hof in Nalles are steep, which makes work with machines nearly impossible. For that reason, the majority of the work is done by hand. Which may sound like great toil, but for the Thurner family, not only is that something which is self-evident, it is also an advantage. “In that way, we can have a targeted influence upon the improvement of the quality of the grapes in the vineyard,” so the family philosophy goes. At the Klasen Hof in Nalles, having so much passion is a tradition.

    In the early twentieth century, Alois Mair, the great-grandfather of the growers there today, had the courage to build a farm out of nothing and, from the very beginning on, to also focus on winegrowing. “Klasen Luis”, as he was known, was thus able to lay the foundation for an operation that continues to be run successfully today. The Thurner family is aware that, “We profit form comprehensive knowledge that has been passed down from generation to generation about the cultivation of grapes and from many years of experience in the winery.”

    Their motto is that high quality comes from both the grapevine and the barrel. Therefore, the focus is on the right balance between the work in the vineyard and in the winery. What emerges are thus wines with strong character in which the aromas reflect the cultivation zone – and the passion with which the Klasen Hof in Nalles makes their Lagrein, Schiava, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Blanc. For around a century.
    Wineries
    Kränzelhof Winery
    Tscherms/Cermes, Meran/Merano and environs
    Grapes have been grown in Cermes since the twelfth century, the Kränzelhof has existed since the fourteenth century, and winegrowing has been an important pillar since the 1500s. And today? Today, Franz von Pfeil upholds the tradition, grows grapes and makes wine at the Ansitz Kränzelhof in Cermes, and combines that with art.

    “For me, art and the enjoyment of exquisite wine have a lot in common,” von Pfeil says. “Wine works of art live, they are created through the inspiration of a master and the hands of all those who accompany the transformation of the wine.” If we stay with the image, then the vineyards of the Kränzelhof are something like the canvas upon which the wine works of art develop. A six hectare-sized canvas.

    The grapevines of the Kränzelhof grow on loose moraine soils and are tended especially gently. Thus artificial fertilizers and herbicides are avoided, while field and meadow flowers between the rows of grapevines provide sustainable life in the vineyard. “In addition, we reduce the yields per hectare that are allowed by removing leaves in arduous work by hand, trimming shoots, and cutting away grapes,” von Pfeil says.

    In that way, and thanks to thrifty cellar techniques that are used, wines are created with crisp acidity that are described as “savory, full of body, aromatic, and conducive to aging.” “We want to create individual wines that are filled with character,” says the winegrower from the Kränzelhof in Cermes, “wines in which the vintage and origin can be recognized, which are well received by connoisseurs, and which give them joy.” That is the art of winemaking.
    Wineries
    Köfelgut
    Kastelbell-Tschars/Castelbello-Ciardes, Vinschgau/Val Venosta
    The combination of tradition and innovation: that is the credo according to which the Pohl family runs the Köfelgut in Castelbello. It has been in the possession of the family since 1786, and since 1970 grapes have been grown and wine has been made – thanks to the special climate on the Monte Mezzodì of the Val Venosta.

    “The inner-Alpine dry climate in the Val Venosta and the permeable soils are suitable above all else for the Burgundy varieties, and thus Pinot Blanc, Pinot Grigio, and Pinot Noir, but also for Gewürztraminer,” explains Martin Paul Pohl, who manages the family-run Köfelgut along with his wife Elisabeth and sons Maximilian, Leonhard, and Ferdinand.

    And he adds, “In the warmest location of the vineyard, Cabernet Franc can also be made as a single varietal in good years.” His vineyards are located on the steep slopes of Monte Mezzodì at an elevation of 600 meters. The grapes that are grown there end up in the estate’s own winery, where they are made into natural wines. The calling cards are the Fleck Riserva Pinot Noir, which is aged for 24 months in small oak casks, and the late-harvest Gewürztraminer Spätlese.

    In total, the production at the Köfelgut in Castelbello amounts to around 16,000 bottles of wine per year. Over the past fifty years, wine production has therefore turned into an important branch of the operation at the Köfelgut in Castelbello. “We are proud of our various pillars and our ecological diversity which goes to reinforce what we do in this age of climate change and monoculture,” Pohl opines, also indicating the apple orchard and asparagus field on his land. In addition, another pillar was created in 1992 with the estate’s own distillery in which grappa and brandy are produced – of course exclusively from the estate’s own fruit.
    Wineries
    Josef Brigl
    Eppan an der Weinstaße/Appiano sulla Strada del Vino, Alto Adige Wine Road
    Only few wineries can look back on seven hundred years of tradition. But the Josef Brigl Winery in Appiano can. Founded in the early fourteenth century and with four farmhouses and 50 hectares of cultivation area, it is among the largest private wineries in Alto Adige. And among the leaders.

    Year founded: 1309. Just that figure alone gives rise to a tremendous amount of respect for the operation. “The name Brigl is doubtlessly characterized by seven hundred years of winemaking culture,” says winemaker Alberto Fortarel. “But our credo continues to remain: investing in the future.” Translated into practice, that means that the grapes are grown traditionally, strictly inspected during the harvest, and then gently made into wine with the most modern of vinification techniques.

    “Our goal is that the uniqueness of the grape is shown to its full advantage in the glass,” Fortarel describes. The gentle processing is one step in that direction, and the purposeful vinification – in either stainless steel tanks or old or new wooden barrels, depending on the wine – is a second. Because the extensive grape growing areas offer the ideal locations for a broad palette of grape varieties, the product line of the Josef Brigl Winery is also an extensive one. It comprises all of the usual Alto Adige varieties, but the main attention is on the three classics: Lago Caldaro, Schiava, and Santa Maddalena.

    Seven hundred years of history do in fact provide for a deep rooting in tradition – both their own and that of Alto Adige winegrowing in general.
    Wineries
    Winery Abraham
    Eppan an der Weinstaße/Appiano sulla Strada del Vino, Alto Adige Wine Road
    “Working with nature means making compromises, compromises between acting and letting go. This balancing act is our daily challenge.” Since 2011, Marlies and Martin Abraham have been walking along this narrow tightrope. Since that time, they have been growing grapes themselves in the vineyards of the Abraham Estate Winery in San Michele-Appiano, saying, “If we are successful with the balancing act, then great wines emerge.”

    For these “great wines”, we can also thank the variety of locations that the Abraham Estate Winery has. Their vineyards are scattered between San Paolo, San Michele, and Cornaiano at elevations from 450 to 700 meters. And because every vineyard has its own special features, the Abrahams have seen to it that only the most suited grape varieties grow in each one.

    And with the selection of them, they also go back to tradition. Thus the vineyard above San Paolo has been planted for more than sixty years with Pinot Blanc. The grapevines in Appiano also have deep roots. In the hamlet of Weißhaus, the grandfather of today’s operator had already planted Pinot Blanc as early as 1955. And the small-berried Schiava grapes also grow between Appiano and Cornaiano on vines that are more than fifty years old.

    So time seems to play a particular role at the Abraham Estate Winery. Because they take their time not only in the vineyards, but also inside the winery. Particular attention is paid to time: that, too, is part of the balancing act between acting and letting go.
    Wineries
    Wilhelm Walch 1869
    Tramin an der Weinstraße/Termeno sulla Strada del Vino, Alto Adige Wine Road
    The Wilhelm Walch Estate Winery has its headquarters in a former Jesuit monastery in the picturesque winegrowing village of Termeno. The estate has existed since 1869, and today, five generations after its founding, it is one of the largest private estate wineries in Alto Adige.

    Precisely because of the lengthy history and the unusual location, it is worthwhile to first take a look at its headquarters when visiting the Wilhelm Walch Estate Winery. Not only is it housed in a former monastery, it also has one of the loveliest historical cellars in the region. In it, large wooden barrels decorated with artistic carvings age, while the barrique cellars with the small oak casks are housed in the deep vaulted cellar.

    Because this area is so picturesque and puts its stamp on the estate winery but hardly even allows functional work, the manor was extended several years ago with a fermenting cellar. “Through the use of highly modern technology, the new winery makes possible the gentlest possible grape processing for the production of the finest quality wines,” explains Walch, the one who provided his name to the estate winery.

    The raw material for these quality wines grows and thrives – tended in a sustainable manner in a way that is gentle on the environment – in vineyards on the Mendel Pass filled with Gewurztraminer, as well as in Caldaro and Cortaccia. These are distributed across elevations from 250 to 700 meters and the largest section is extremely steep. That already implies that the harvest takes place with great commitment and by hand. There are also advantages to the steep location. “These vineyards,” Walch is convinced, “lend our wines the fresh, precise fruit.”
    Wineries
    Erste+Neue
    Kaltern an der Weinstraße/Caldaro sulla Strada del Vino, Alto Adige Wine Road
    Wine and mountains have a lot in common. They can be exciting, challenging, fulfilling. Pressing a good wine is like scaling a peak. It requires hard work, determination, expertise, and routine.

    Erste+Neue have broken new ground time and again for over a century, combining Alto Adige wine culture and tradition with innovation. Always on the lookout for new paths to take, we have ventured to undertake many a first ascent and made history in the Alto Adige wine scene. We were founded in 1986 following the merger of two wineries, Erste Kellerei (1900) and Neue Kellerei (1925), and entered into yet another trendsetting union in 2016 with Cantina Kaltern.

    Today, Erste+Neue stands for premium Alpine wines pressed in harmony with nature and using state-of-the-art technology, complemented by a generational legacy of expertise and love of experimentation.
    Wineries
    Morandell Winery
    Kaltern an der Weinstraße/Caldaro sulla Strada del Vino, Alto Adige Wine Road
    From egg to caterpillar to cocoon to butterfly. Or, rather, from shoot to blossom to grape to wine. Armin Morandell of the estate winery of the same name in Caldaro recognized the similarities of two impressive processes of metamorphosis in nature. So it is no wonder that all of the Morandell wines are named after butterflies.

    The Morandell Estate Winery is located above Lake Caldaro, and his vineyards extend across different locations and elevations from 200 to 500 meters. All of them may well be pampered by the son, but otherwise they have different microclimates and soils, the palette of which ranges from lime gravel to red loam. “This variety makes it possible for us to purposefully grow top-quality varieties that thrive especially well at each respective location and bring forth wines with strong character,” Morandell explains.

    He concentrates on Pinot Grigio, Schiava, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon, “On a handful of wines,” as he himself puts it, “that we produce according to all the rules of the art.” And market. And so the butterfly was made the trademark and the wines from the Morandell Estate Winery are named after species of butterflies with the labels related to their wings. “Wines and butterflies: both of them are the unbelievable result of a completed transformation,” explains Morandell, providing the idea behind it.

    And because in addition, the butterfly is a sensitive creature, it also matches quite well with the philosophy of the Morandell Estate Winery, which is: “We work according to a holistic approach, devote ourselves with dedication to the care of our grapevines, and focus on sustainable management.”
    Wineries
    Winery Eichenstein
    Meran/Merano, Meran/Merano and environs
    The winegrowing tradition of a family being older than that of the estate winery itself is rare, but that is the case with the Waldner family. The family has been growing grapes in Marlengo for 350 years, but it was only in 2007 that Josef Waldner built the Eichenstein Estate Winery in Merano, to which its own winery, a wine bar, and a guest chalet were added step by step.

    The vineyards of the Eichenstein Estate Winery lie in Montefranco above Merano at an elevation of 550 to 600 meters. “The interplay between microclimate, terrain, geology, and soil composition is extraordinary at Eichenstein,” Waldner explains. In concrete terms, that means that the estate winery’s grapevines grow on porphyry-quartzite and granite soils, in a Mediterranean climate, and on an Alpine landscape.

    Added to these natural conditions is the know-how of the experienced winegrower, who focuses on a consistent quality policy, harvesting by hand, and vinification that is adapted to each grape variety. Thus the white wine grapes are pressed gently, fermented in stainless steel or wood, and the new wine is kept on the yeast for several months. The red wine grapes, on the other hand, are kept in maceration vats for around three weeks in contact with the skins, and only after the completion of the alcoholic fermentation are the red wines placed in small oak casks for biological malolactic fermentation, where they are aged for an additional twelve months. “Our selections age for up to two years in the winery before they are put up for sale,” Waldner explains.

    The results are authentic wines filled with character which, as the winegrower says, “remain in the memory”. “The soul of our wines,” Waldner says, “has to move the drinker.”
    Wineries
    STEFLHOF
    Kaltern an der Weinstraße/Caldaro sulla Strada del Vino, Alto Adige Wine Road
    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.
    Wineries
    Mitterer Anita - Pardellerhof
    Marling/Marlengo, Meran/Merano and environs
    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.
    Wineries
    Unterwirt Winery
    St.Martin in Passeier/San Martino in Passiria, Meran/Merano and environs
    There is a vineyard in the Passiria Valley. One single one. It belongs to the Unterwirt Winery of the Martinerhof in S. Martino, by which the Fontana and Schweigl families have expanded their universe that previously consisted of a beer experience hotel, pizzeria, and in-house brewery. At the same time, they brought back to life an inn in which Tyrolean freedom fighter Andreas Hofer came and went.

    The Unterwirt Winery of the Martinerhof carries two names at once. That of the Martinerhof is used because it is a part of the gastronomy world around the farmhouse, but it is also right at home with Unterwirt. The inn was first mentioned in a document in 1694, and it was renovated in 2012. “Because the vineyard of the neighboring Hianhof is the first one in the valley and also the only one, we set up a winery in the Unterwirt, and also to breathe new life into the establishment,” says Florian Fontana.

    A remarkable assortment of wines are produced in the winery today. They range from Schiava and Pinot Noir to Sylvaner and all the way to Kerner and Pinot Blanc. So even though there is only one estate winery in the Passeier Valley, its results can easily be seen. And speaking of being seen: at the Unterwirt Winery of the Martinerhof, experience tours are also offered.

    Even if the significance of winegrowing in the Passiria Valley is easy to understand, the importance of the wine there is not. Andreas Hofer, the Tyrolean hero from this valley, was a wine dealer and wine connoisseur. Perhaps it is also for that reason that before his execution by Napoleon’s troops in 1810, he ordered, “For all good friends, there will be soup and meat at the Unterwirt, along with a half bottle of wine.”
    Wineries
    Thomas Niedermayr Hof Gandberg
    Eppan an der Weinstaße/Appiano sulla Strada del Vino, Alto Adige Wine Road
    “Anyone who has specialized in the production of natural wines has to accompany the wine along its entire path.” Thomas Niedermayr of the estate winery of the same name in Appiano views himself as just such a companion, as someone who wishes to guarantee purity and wants to support nature in its own production. “In the end,” his credo goes, “nature is the highest form of quality.”

    The fact that top-quality wines can only come from grapes that are grown in a healthy environment is obvious for Niedermayr. For that reason, he manages his Gandberg estate ecologically. Growing and thriving between the grapevines, the visitor is greeted by chickens and runner ducks, the vines themselves are fungus-resistant, and the use of chemicals and other artificial aids is avoided. “We leave room for nature,” Niedermayr says.

    In the case of the Gandberg Hof, nature starts right around the farmhouse. The vineyards are located at an elevation between 500 and 530 meters. Their microclimate is influenced on one hand by the ice holes and on the other hand by the Gandberg mountain itself, which rises up behind the farmhouse.

    The special natural features and the sustainable management can be tasted in the wines from the Thomas Niedermayr Eppan Winery in Appiano. And that should also be tasted, says Niedermayr. “My entire commitment is targeted toward my wines radiating that which accompanies and guides their creation process” the winegrower says: “tranquility and relaxation, depth and the force of nature, lightheartedness and the pleasure of enjoyment.”
    Wineries
    Prackfol Winery
    Völs am Schlern/Fiè allo Sciliar, Dolomites Region Seiser Alm
    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.
    Wineries
    Tenuta Moser
    Kaltern an der Weinstraße/Caldaro sulla Strada del Vino, Alto Adige Wine Road
    The Moser winegrowing estate in Pianizza di Sotto (Caldaro) was inaugurated in 2018. That makes it one of the youngest in Alto Adige, but it is also among the largest and, without a doubt, the most ambitious. The vines, for example, are grown on two different locations on 10 hectares of land. The red varieties thrive on the heat and the Mediterranean climate of Lago Caldaro whereas the whites find optimum conditions on the glacial moraine in Monticolo. They all are then matured in different wooden barrels.

    Everyone at the Moser winegrowing estate is striving for perfection, and it shows—for example, in the new, fully equipped cellar and the identity of the cellarer: none other than Gerhard Sarin is in charge here, the man who already achieved international renown as the cellarer of ERSTE + NEUE.

    Approximately 55,000 bottles a year are produced at the Moser winegrowing estate under his aegis. The varieties on offer range from the fungus-resistant (PIWI) Souvignier Gris and the classics Ruländer, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon to Lagrein Rosé, Kalterersee, and Lagrein Riserva as well as the Toscarosso and Merlot Cabernet cuvées.

    Those who have always wanted to be a fly on the wall in the cellar can take one of the weekly tours (tasting included). And those who love not only wine but beer, too, will be delighted to learn that the Moser wine estate is home to the only brewery-in-a-winery in Europe.
    Wineries
    Baron di Pauli
    Kaltern an der Weinstraße/Caldaro sulla Strada del Vino, Alto Adige Wine Road
    The wines from Baron Di Pauli were already drunk at the court of the emperor in Vienna and that of the tsar in St. Petersburg. And in 1999, a new chapter was added to the long history of the Baron Di Pauli Estate Winery in Caldaro. That was when the foundation was laid for the cooperation with the Cantina Kaltern, which drove forward a prestige project with upper echelon wines.

    The Baron Di Pauli Estate Winery consists of two farms: the 10.5 hectare Arzenhof, that is located on a hill at Lake Caldaro and, at 4.5 hectares, the substantially smaller Höfl unterm Stein in Sella above Termeno. Because the locations of the vineyards are so different, the two locations also deliver very different grapes. Thus the Arzenhof grapes are made into the Bordeaux blend Arzio, the Carano Lagrein, and the Kalkofen Lago di Caldaro, while the grapes from Sella turn into the Exilissi and Enosi Gewürztraminers and a cuvée of Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Blanc.

    But it doesn’t matter which grape variety or which wine – one guiding principle holds true for all of them: no compromise! “The yields in the vineyard are reduced to a minimum so that the vines can concentrate all of their energy on a few grapes which are then harvested by hand,” explains estate manager Baron Carl Philipp von Hohenbühel. The ideal composition of the soils, the Mediterranean climate, and the considerable temperature differentials between day and night make their contribution to top wines being created at the Baron Di Pauli Estate Winery.

    Wines that would also be drunk at imperial courts. If there still were any left.
    Wineries
    Weingut Tenuta Rohregger
    Kaltern an der Weinstraße/Caldaro sulla Strada del Vino, Alto Adige Wine Road
    It was only in 2019 that Stephan Rohregger took over the Prälatenhof Estate Winery in Caldaro from his parents. But to believe that the young winegrower was lacking in experience would be totally wrong. After all, not only did Rohregger have an education as an oenologist behind him, he also had a huge amount of experience as winemaker at a large, renowned private winery in Alto Adige.

    Rohregger describes himself as “determined and quality-oriented.” In concrete terms, that means: the goal is quality and the winegrower and winemaker in one consistently heads for it. “All wines are made by us in a characteristic and authentic manner in ceramic or wood and are matured for at least a year,” Rohregger says. That which is created are not only wines of high quality, but also those with a high degree of recognition value. They are also not mainstream, but rather wines which reflect well the vineyards of the Prälatenhof Estate Winery in Pianizza di Sotto in the community of Caldaro.

    These vineyards are described by the winegrower at the Prälatenhof in Caldaro with the term “very interesting”. On one hand, the vineyards are located in Caldaro at an elevation of 440 meters. Schiava is grown there on vines that are up to 90 years old, as is Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc. On the other hand, the Prälatenhof had vineyards in the community of Cortaccia, and specifically in Corona, at 800 meters above sea level, where Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Blanc grapes are grown. Two vineyards, two completely different locations, five grape varieties, and yet just one challenge for the three generations of Rohreggers at the tenuta Rohregger: to produce top-quality wines.
    Wineries
    Kandlerhof
    Bolzano/Bozen, Bolzano/Bozen and environs
    It may well sound like a cliché, but: when one door closes, another one opens. When transferred to the Kandlerhof in Santa Maddalena/Bolzano: when in the late 1960s, grape buyers were putting the financial screws on, the Spornberger family decided to make their own wine. And that’s how success stories begin.

    But the roots of this success story of the Kandlerhof in Santa Maddalena/Bolzano reach far deeper. As early as 1278, the estate already existed which, in the eighteenth century, was renamed “Kandler” because this is where a tinsmith (in German, “Kandler”) carried out his handcraft. The Spornberger family took over the estate from him in 1793, and since that time it has remained in the possession of the family.

    Gregor Spornberger made the switch from pure grape production to winemaking and to being one of the forerunners of the increased use of machines in Alto Adige winegrowing. He hands over the Kandlerhof in Santa Maddalena/Bolzano to his son Martin, who learned the work by hand in winegrowing and oenology from the very bottom up, all the way to his university degree.

    In 2023, the generational story continues. Martin has passed the farm on to his son Hannes. The trained winemaker is full of thirst for action. You can already taste his more modern interpretation of the wines.

    In addition the two hectares of grape growing areas in Santa Maddalena, which are planted with the indigenous red wine varieties of Schiava and Lagrein, with Merlot, and with the white variety Sauvignon Blanc, the current project covers 2.5 hectares and is located in the municipality of Fiè allo Sciliar. A new farm site, acquired in 2020, is being completely converted from livestock farming (pastures) to viticulture. The farm is located at an altitude of over 700 m above sea level. It is a south-facing site with very calcareous soils. Chardonnay is the main variety there. The first wines will be on the market in a few years.

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