Wineries in South Tyrol

Twenty-one generations. That’s how far the Schmid family at the Schmid Oberrautner Wine Estate in Bolzano-Gries can trace back their family tree. Thus without a doubt, they are among the oldest winegrowing families in all of Alto Adige. Today it is Florian Schmid who continues the heritage at the Schmid Oberrautner Wine Estate.

In 1411, and thus long before Columbus visited America, Andrä Schmid laid the cornerstone in Bolzano-Gries for the Schmid Oberrautner Wine Estate, and he did so in the truest sense of the word. He had a farm complex built with agricultural and residential buildings, parts of which still stand today. Thus it was solid workmanship that became second nature to the Schmids.

And that also holds true for the wine production which, starting from the seventeenth century, played a greater and greater role and today is the most important pillar of the Schmid Oberrautner Wine Estate – and also because of its outstanding wines: “It is important to me to bring character into the glass year after year,” explains Florian Schmid. The conditions for that are unmistakable soils in good locations, know-how, and that gut feeling. “For that reason, there is a piece of me in my wines, of my personality, of my style, and above all else of my passion for mineral-rich, fresh, quaffable wines,” the winegrower says.

The raw materials for these wines grow on a good nine hectares of vineyards of the Schmid Oberrautner Wine Estate. These are primarily Lagrein and Schiava, added to which are Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Merlot, and Chardonnay. And with them, around 50,000 bottles per year are produced from the winery at the Schmid Oberrautner Wine Estate. Right in the middle of Gries.

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

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

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

Roberto Ferrari came into winegrowing from a different field. And yet not exactly. After all, he has been active forever in the world of wine, specifically as a winemaker. “After having done that for years, I wanted to create wines under my own name,” Ferrari says. For that reason, he runs the Profil Wine Factory in Termeno.

In 2007, Ferrari made the leap, quit his position in a renowned winery, and went independent with four hectares of vineyards. Since that time, he has been growing Chardonnay, Lagrein, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, and Merlot, tending them organically even if not certified. The former employee now makes three lines of his own: Profil, Pulsar, and, as a select wine in the best vintages, RF Selection.

In the winery, Ferrari pursues the goal of creating extraordinary wines, wines which, as he himself puts it, are characterized by passion, expertise, and creativity. “I always attempt to mix that extra breath of personality into my wines, and in that way, wines are created with my name, my signature,” explains the head of the winery.

Today, around 18,000 bottles per year leave the Profil Wine Factory in Termeno: aromatic and mineral rich, surprising and genuine, but above all else natural wines, That was also the reason why Ferrari wanted to go independent. He wanted to create his own wines: with strong character, individual, but not overbearing.
If winegrower Ferrari’s life had a navigation system, it would now announce, “You have arrived at your destination.”

For generations, the Seppi family has had strong ties to wine growing—even stronger than usual in a village such as Caldaro, where wine plays an important role to begin with. These days, the family-owned Seppi Vineyards in Caldaro are run by Werner Seppi—supported by his family—, and have been for more than 20 years.
In 2005, it was decided to venture away from the conventional ways and lead the vineyards down a new path. “Gradually our wish grew to remold the vineyards according to our personal, more individual ideas. We wanted to depart from well-trod paths and develop something special and sustainable,” says Werner Seppi. And so they switched to biodynamic agriculture—first in the vineyards and in 2016 in the wine cellar, too.
This second milestone was born from the decision to take a portion of the grapes for the wine in their own cellars to create wines that reflected the special characteristic of the wine estate and its locations. They even go so far as to vinify the grapes from the different vineyards separately. “In Caldaro, we refer to small geographic units as ‘riegel’,” says Werner Seppi, “and we mature the grapes grown in those riegel units separately.”
Consequently, wines from the Seppi Vineyards can be traced back to the smallest geographic unit. Gewürztraminer and Pinot Blanc, for example, are grown on the Panigl riegel; Sauvignon, on the Prey riegel; Schiava (Vernatsch), on the See riegel, and Cabernet Franc on the Feld riegel. In other words: they are taking the idea of terroir very seriously at Seppi Vineyards.

The Mumelter family has been living at the Griesbauerhof in Santa Maddalena above Bolzano since 1785, so the estate winery is now being run by its seventh generation. It is represented by Lukas Mumelter, who took over his parent’s estate in 2018 – with the best preparation.

Lukas laid his professional foundation with the study of winegrowing and oenology in Geisenheim, Germany, after which he gathered practical experience: in Tuscany, Piemonte, and New Zealand. All of this has now flowed together in the vineyards and the winery of the Griesbauerhof, starting with a professional evaluation of the location and soils: “The airy location and the sandy loam soils of a porphyry origin characterize our wines,” Mumelter explains, “with both the alluvial soils at the south of Bolzano and the moraine soils in Appiano.”

These soils, the locations he described, and the diligence with work in the vineyards all come together in the harvest of Cabernet, Merlot, Lagrein, Schiava, and Pinot Grigio, which he turns into fruity, velvety, authentic wines. These can be tasted at the farmhouse inn “Freiraum mumi” which is run by Lukas’ brother Michael and which is supplied by their mother Margareth Mumelter with homegrown tomatoes – some thirty different varieties.

But even with all that variety, the main attention of the Griesbauerhof still goes to tradition. Thus Lukas Mumelter indicates the goal of his work: “To make great wines from the indigenous varieties of Schiava and Lagrein.” So even if he feels at home anywhere in the world, his roots will always be in Bolzano.

In the late 1980s, Franz Pratzner took a risky step. He turned his back on solid fruit growing and transformed his operation to focus completely on wine. He turned an apple farm into the Falkenstein Estate Winery in Naturno.

If Pratzner is asked why he replaced his last apple trees with grapevines in 1989, he make reference to a societal development. “Just like others, I realized at that time that wine had gone from being a routine food accompaniment to a gourmet item and for that reason, other wines were coming into demand than was the case before.” By the age of twenty, he had already made his first own wine and felt the fascination that comes from the profession of being a winegrower. “It has to be more than just a job,” he says. “Only then will challenging wines be successful.”

Today, the Pratzner family of the Falkenstein Estate Winery manages no fewer than 12 hectares of grape growing areas at elevations between 550 and 900 meters which are planted with Gewürztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Noir, but first and foremost Riesling. The entire harvest is made into wine in their own winery – according to Pratzner’s own philosophy: “Wines are like children,” he says. “During their development, they both need support until they are mature enough to assert themselves on their own.”

Thus at the Falkenstein Winery, 90,000 bottles are made every year which are now sold all over the globe and also brought to the table at their own Buschenschank farmhouse inn. So the risky step from fruit to wine has proven to be worthwhile. Especially for the guests.

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.”

“Fritz” was not just the first name of the founder of the Kupelwieser Estate Winery in Cortina sulla Strada di Vino. It is also the name of the fresh, youthful line of this estate winery. Through his passionate commitment, as early as the founding in 1878 Fritz Kupelwieser already paved the way for later developments, and his enthusiasm for people, nature, and environment can still clearly be felt even today.

Kupelwieser’s wines clearly express the characteristics of the terroir and the varieties, whereby excellent soils, numerous hours of sunshine, and prominent temperature differentials between day and night are the guarantee for the constantly high quality. What is bottled is exclusively the core varieties that are typical for Alto Adige, the unambiguous representatives of their kind. Within that context, attention is paid to traditional processing and adherence to the strictest quality standards. 

In “Fritz”, the spirit of innovation of Kupelwieser is shown: stylish, tasteful bottles designs bring out the exquisite quality wines in an appealing, contemporary form. The connecting element is value. Which creates trust – as it did yesterday, so it continues to do so today.

In 1907, Josef Hofstätter founded a winery in Termeno which has developed today into the largest family estate winery in all of Alto Adige. Although the designation “Alto Adige” restricts the sphere of activity of J. Hofstätter too much, since the view of the Foradori family that runs it does in fact extend beyond the provincial borders. Far beyond.

Areas of cultivation of 50 hectares in the west and the east of the Bassa Atesina, in the south of Trentino and, as the first winegrower from Italy, even to the Saarland in Germany are tended under the direction of Martin Foradori and the J. Hofstätter brand. But no matter how broad the sphere of activity is, the philosophy always remains the same: “In Alto Adige, Hofstätter has been the forerunner with the idea of location, and thus the orientation that wines should taste like the location in which the grapes mature,” Foradori explains.

Soils, climate, elevation: all of these should be reflected by the wines of J. Hofstätter. “Seven of our wines carry the Vigna designation of origin, a rating that is comparable to the French ‘Grand Cru,’” says Foradori, who traces the idea of location back to a simple piece of wisdom: “When the grape variety and the location interact, a unique wine comes into existence.”

Added to that is a gentle working of the vineyards, which has a long traditions at J. Hofstätter: “Early on, we made use of a gentle kind of vine pruning, minimized the interventions, and let healthy, strong grapevines grow,” the winegrower explains. And there is also an obligation with the selection of varieties. They focus on local grapes: Pinot Blanc, Lagrein, Schiava, Gewürztraminer, and Pinot Noir.

Sometimes it’s best to let figures speak for themselves. With the Cornaiano Winery, for instance, which was founded in 1923 as a cooperative, today two hundred winegrowing families cultivate 230 hectares of grape growing area and concentrate on five varieties. Figures that are impressive but do not tell the whole story.
They don’t say everything, for example, about the Oltradige and Bassa Atesina, those zones in which the vineyards of the Cornaiano Cooperative Winery are located. Protected to the north and open to the south, a mild climate dominates here. “The high temperature differentials between day and night, above all else in the autumn, lend the wines a fine, prominent aroma and the capability to last long,” explains winemaker Gerhard Kofler. Infertile gravel as well as loamy soils and vineyards with a good airflow make their contribution.

“Starting out from these characteristics of our area of cultivation, our focus is on five leading varieties,” says Kofler: with the white wines, these are Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay, and with the reds Schiava and Pinot Noir. It is above all the latter which has bestowed great international attention upon the Cornaiano Winery, winning praise year after year from leading wine critics.

This recognition, along with the mineral-rich freshness, fruity structure, and prominent authenticity have led to the wines of the Cornaiano Winery having acquired a worldwide market, being sold in no fewer than thirty countries in the world. What are esteemed are wines with character or, as Kofler puts it, down-to-earth top wines.

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

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

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

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

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.

At the Moarhof in Postal, they have dedicated themselves to Schiava – perhaps because not only that wine but also the estate have a lengthy tradition. The Moarhof appeared in a document for the first time in 1324, so its roots reach back nearly 700 years. And they are still cared for today.

Originally in the possession of the church, the Moarhof in Postal has belonged to the Pertoll family since 1923. Today it is Florian Klotz Pertoll who is at the helm at the estate. He already earned his stripes in fruitgrowing and winegrowing operations in Friuli at the age of sixteen, and he brought what he learned there into his father’s operation. “My father recognized that, and from that moment onward, he supported me in professionalizing the operation,” Klotz Pertoll says today.

Professionalizing also includes the expansion of the estate through the leasing of additional areas of cultivation. Thus today, the Schiava grapes, which are processed into the calling card of the Moarhof, no longer originate from the porphyry soils in Postal, but rather from the loam slopes in San Valentino. “They are grown very traditionally on pergola trellises,” Klotz Pertoll says, “because Schiava cannot be exposed too long to full sun.”

Once they are in the winery, the wines of the Moarhof in Postal – which in addition to Schiava also include Cabernet Sauvignon, Lagrein, and Merlot – are first matured in stainless steel tanks and then in large oak barrels which lie in the historical vaulted cellar. Where else?

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

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

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

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

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.

In the search for the best Gewürztraminer vineyards, sooner or later the seeker also arrives in Sella above Termeno, where wine has been grown for four centuries. For a good two hundred years now, that is also the location of the Plattenhof Estate Winery that is run by the Dissertori family – today along with the hotel and restaurant of the same name.

The Dissertoris are therefore winegrowers, restaurateurs, and hoteliers all in one, but if the question is posed as to how they would describe themselves, the answer comes out clear and simple. They are first and foremost wine connoisseurs and wine lovers, as Werner Dissertori replies. Whereby “wine” in this case stands for Gewürztraminer, as the Plattenhof Estate Winery is in fact one that has dedicated itself completely to a single grape variety. And to the goal of producing top-quality wines as a small, hands-on winery.

The preconditions for this are in any case present: the location of the Plattenhof Estate Winery is blessed for that grape, their know-how is broad, and the family’s experience ranges over many years. As a small family-run operation, every detail is attended to here by themselves, and everyone has a clear role in the operation, whether that is in the hotel, the traditional dining establishment, or in fact in the winery.

But in any case, wine plays a weighty role in all three pillars of the operation. And we in fact know what wine means in Sella above Termeno: the best Gewürztraminer, of course.

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.

Mentioned in documents for the first time in 1545, the Perlhof Estate Winery, Max Thurner has existed for almost 500 years but is known more for its innovations than for its long tradition: “Never stand still, onward and upward, be brave enough to try new things, that’s what keeps us going,” explains Max Thurner, who, together with his family, is responsible for the entire wine production process at the Perlhof in Bozen-Oberleitach/Costa di Sopra-Bolzano: from growing the grapes all the way to bottling the wine.

The grapes for Max Thurner’s wines are grown in four different locations at altitudes ranging from 270 up to 550 meters above sea level on vineyards facing different directions, but all with excellent conditions. “The steep south-facing slopes around Bolzano/Bozen offer the perfect climate: masses of warm air rise from the Bolzano valley basin, while cooler streams of air come from the Eisacktal/Valle Isarco valley,” explains Thurner. In addition, the old vine stocks at the Perlhof grow on skeletal soil made up of quartz porphyry.

Not only four different locations but also four different wines characterize the range of products offered by the Perlhof Estate Winery. Aside from Santa Maddalena and Sauvignon, two classic wines, there is also a rosé made from Merlot grapes and the “Milo,” a cuvée made from Merlot and Schiava (Vernatsch). As the Perlhof never wants to stand still, it is continuously growing its range of wines.
 

The fact that winegrowing has a great deal to do with tradition becomes clear with the Peter Sölva & Söhne Estate Winery in Caldaro. Since 1731, and thus for ten generations now, wine has been produced here – and it is done so today with the same passion in both the vineyard and the winery. Wines come into existence with an edge – “No mainstream wines,” as Stephan Sölva puts it, who runs the estate winery today.

Twelve hectares of grape growing areas make up the traditional estate winery encompasses, which Sölva describes looking both forward and back equally, “Having a centuries-old history in the wine industry, respecting it, and running it authentically in the present and the future,” this is the hallmark of his estate.
Tradition and authenticity are therefore the keywords according to which the work is done at Sölva, and consistency could be added as a third. Thus Peter Sölva follows his own path that is characterized by consciousness of quality and a broad palette of grape varieties, some of which are unusual for the area: Lagrein, Gewürztraminer, Teroldego, Petit Verdot, Tannat, and Grenache.

The results of this combination are two lines with a very unique signature: the designation “Amitar” is carried by Sölva’s late-harvest wines, while “Desilva” designates terroir wines from old vines. “What is important is that the origin from our vineyards can be noticed in the character of the wine, and that our wines carry the signature of our estate,” Sölva tells us.

As can be seen with this estate winery in Caldaro, that which is new can thus best be combined with tradition. And the results can clearly be seen each time.

Selling wine twice with three hundred years in between. At the Haidenhof in Cermes, wine was already being sold out of the cellar in the eighteenth century. The winery is still there, and the Erb family has been selling wine again since 2006. Their own, mind you, and not just out of the cellar.

Around 15,000 bottles are produced every year by three generations who currently run the operation together at the Haidenhof in Cermes. And with success. “Over the past fifteen years, we have steadily increased the quality of our wines and also expanded the number of varieties,” explains Johann Karl Erb.

Today there are eight varieties that carry the Haidenhof label. Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Kerner, Gewürztraminer, Merlot, Schiava, Pinot Noir, and Diva “Every variety requires a special processing and aging,” Erb says, although he also attaches even greater importance to another topic: the selection of the right point in time for the harvest. Only when that is attained is the entire potential of a vintage available.

Erb attributes the wines from the Haidenhof as being rather fruity and full-bodied in style and thus having their own profiles. These are formed not in the winery, but rather already in the steep vineyard situated at an elevation of 450 meters with its loamy soil and Mediterranean climate. This is the place where the raw materials grow for the wines of the Haidenhof, and thus the raw materials for the continuation of a three hundred year tradition. After a pause.

Up until 1932, there were no fewer than five wineries in the winegrowing village of Caldaro. United under the umbrella of the Cantina Kaltern since 2016, the 590 members of the cooperative tend grape growing areas of 440 hectares and now produce around 4 million bottles of wine per year.

“Our cooperative is one big family,” emphasizes Christian Sinn, general manager of the Cantina Kaltern. “It holds together the many small family winegrower structures, guarantees quality and safety, and gives its members the opportunity of participating in something great.” Bringing forth this “greatness” is a complex undertaking. It is necessary to coordinate all of the members from the pruning of the vines to education and training and to commit them to the winery’s quality policy. That, in turn, includes having to establish and inspect the yield goals for around two thousand plots.

All of that in order to create the best conditions for the best wines. Within that context, the production supports above all else five leading varieties. These are – hardly astonishing – Schiava in the form of Lago di Caldaro, Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Yellow Muscat for the noble sweet Passito.

But it doesn’t matter which wines are being made or which grape varieties are being grown. For the Cantina Kaltern, the uppermost maxim that is followed both in the vineyard and the winery is sustainability. Thus the winery is the first wine producer in Italy and the first cooperative anywhere to be awarded with the Certification of Sustainability by FAIR ‘N GREEN. And with around 15 hectares that are managed biodynamically, the Cantina Kaltern has also taken on the role of forerunner in this area among cooperative wineries.

 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.

 

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

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

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

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

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

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.