Wineries along the 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.”

Since its inception, Franz Haas winery has tirelessly worked to express the quality of the grapes at their finest. Founded in 1880, the winery has been handed down for eight generations to the firstborn son, to whom has always been given the same name, Franz.

In the 1980s most of the vineyards were renewed, leaving space to new varieties more suitable for the type of “terroir”. The grapes are sourced from 60 hectares of vineyards, divided between estate-owned properties, rentals and contract farmers. The vineyards start at an altitude of 220 meters, ascending to 1,150 meters with a great variety of microclimates and soils, from porphyry to clay and limestone.

In the year 2000, due to climate change, several hectares were rented at altitudes that reach up to 1,150 meters above sea level; these are among the highest vineyards in Alto Adige today. Now, more than twenty years later, the choice of planting vines at these altitudes has proven to be optimal to produce long-lasting, aromatic wines with a strong acidity. This is supported by the wide thermal excursions between day and night and the four additional hours of sunshine per day. The vineyards are all located in the municipalities of Montagna, Egna, Trodena and Aldino.

We have always given immense attention to our vineyards; we grow them exclusively with organic substances to enhance the natural process of cultivation and fertilization. Our vineyards do not always look like impeccably manicured gardens and often the grass among the rows grows high, but by doing so we bring forth the biological magic of nature, the pollination, the reproduction of flowers and insects that were otherwise absent, and, above all, we continue to make possible the opportunity for our children to see the beauty of blossomed fields.

Franz Haas has always been recognized as a leading enthusiast and an expert of the most arduous, sensitive, and most satisfying grape variety of all: Pinot Nero. Despite all the attention, commitment and hard work, the product is not always up to its original standards and therefore our selection, the "Schweizer", does not always get to the market. Various varieties belonging to the whole range of Alto Adige’s wines are vinified with the same attention.

Another detail that distinguishes Franz Haas is the connection with the brilliant artist Riccardo Schweizer who designed the winery’s labels. During his career, he collaborated with well-known artists such as Picasso, Chagall, Cocteau, Paul Éluard and Le Corbusier.

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.

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.

No Facebook, no Twitter, just wine. Peter Dipoli needs only a few words to describe the philosophy of the estate winery in Egna that carries his name. What holds true for him is that wine is not something that can be planned over the years, but rather a natural product that varies. Chasing after the latest trend therefore makes no sense. And also does not do justice to the wine.

Vegetation periods can be hotter or cooler, drier or wetter. It would be miraculous if the grapes tasted the same year after year. Dipoli is convinced that both winegrowers and wine drinkers have to accept this aspect. Winegrowers have to safeguard the natural variation potential of the wine as much as the uniqueness of the terroir. “The producer has the task of working the grapes – as the vineyard and the vines have delivered them – into a product that corresponds with the terroir, habitat, and vintage,” says the winegrower from Egna.

In that regard, Dipoli has come to grips with the fact that he has to work with grapes from completely different locations. The vineyards of the Peter Dipoli Estate Winery are located in Egna, Magré, Termeno, and Cortaccia, they are located at elevations from 300 to 600 meters, they have southern or eastern exposures, and are planted on sandy dolomite or loamy chalky soils.

What thrives here are Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon, with the grape varieties being carefully matched to the locations, the vineyards managed prudently, and the grapes processed respectfully. So no nonsense, just wine.

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

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

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

A Lagrein from Roverè della Luna, which was supposed to be better than those of the surrounding villages, was mentioned by the travel writer Max Sittich von Wolkenstein as early as the seventeenth century. So the bar for the Cantina Sociale Roverè della Luna, the northernmost in Trentino, was therefore set high. For the 270 members of today, that is more of a motivation than a burden.

Roverè della Luna is situated just south of the Chiusa di Salorno cleft on a limestone cone. Even though the Adige Valley has been predestined for winegrowing, the conditions here are rather rough. “Gravel and limestone don’t hold water very well,” says Carlo Alberto Gasperi, winemaker at the Cantina Roverè della Luna, “so the vines only grow here with difficulty.” But what is a challenge for grapevines and winegrowers is for him a stroke of luck: “Because of the slow growth, an especially fruity wine comes into existence,” the winemaker says.

The Cantina Sociale Roverè della Luna was already founded as early as 1919, at that time with 24 winegrowers with great foresight. Today, the cooperative has 270 members who tend no fewer than 420 hectares of grape growing areas and, aside from the aforementioned literarily immortalized Roverè della Luna Lagrein, they also grow Teroldego, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir, Schiava, Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay, and Müller Thurgau.

In all of the still and sparkling wines from the Cantina Roverè della Luna, the terroir and its properties can be tasted, having been finished in a modern, rational winery. With a view forward, but also back to the roots of the cooperative. As is fitting for wines for which a literary monument was already put up four hundred years ago.

Nine generations of winegrowing and a farm name that goes back to the Latin. That is the Glassierhof in Egna, at which the Vaja family also shows that a long history in no way means standing still. The decision to run the vineyards organically and to turn the harvest into wine in their own winery was made in 2005.

But let’s begin with the history. The name “Glassierhof” goes back to the Latin term clausura which the estate was called, as it was enclosed by a wall.

Earlier on, it was common to surround the farmstead with an enclosing wall in order to protect the crops. This precious product that is worthy of protection today is the wine which the Vaja family produces from organic grapes that they grow at the farm. “With around two and a half hectares, our grape growing areas that are situated at 220 meters above sea level in the Villa district of Egna are in fact manageable, but nevertheless we focus on variety,” says winegrower Stefan Vaja. Some 35 percent of the area is each devoted to Pinot Blanc and Lagrein, followed by Merlot and Cabernet, which together occupy a quarter of the area, as well as a small section of Chardonnay.

In addition, the operation has Gewürztraminer in Sella, Sauvignon Blanc in Montagna, and Pinot Noir in Mazzon (Himalaya). With this mix, a tradition is continued that goes back a long time in the Vaja family. The Glassierhof has been in their possession for no fewer than nine generations, so winegrowing is in their blood. But what is newer, and substantially newer, is the decision to no longer supply the harvest to a cooperative winery, but rather to make the wine themselves. They have been doing that at the Glassierhof since 2007. And they have done so with great success.

Creating long-lasting, multilayered wines with character: that is the goal that is pursued in the Cantina Terlano. Its roots as a cooperative winery date back to 1893. Tradition therefore plays just as central of a role in the grape and wine production as new knowledge and modern technology do.

Some 143 members belong to the Terlano cooperative winery today. They tend no fewer than 190 hectares of vineyards that profit from a very particular soil. “The Petersbach stream created a mud and scree cone in Terlano which distinguishes itself by a high coarse portion of stones and sand and which therefore warms up very easily,” explains winemaker Rudi Kofler.

As head oenologist at the Cantina Terlano, he is responsible for the total number of 1.5 million bottles per year, all of which carry the DOC designation. “White wines represent 70 percent of our production, so the reds don’t even make up a third,” Kofler says. In the white assortment, the Cantina Terlano has above all else Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Grigio, while the reds consist of Lagrein, Pinot Noir, and Merlot.

In order for the white and red wines to be able to mature into long-lasting, multilayered wines with character, which winemaker Kofler has set for himself as a goal, technological upgrades have been enlisted in recent years. Thus the storeroom at the Cantina Terlano has been expanded over time to 18,000 cubic meters. Because great wines need both time and space.

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.

In 2005 Andreas Sölva takes over the parental vineyard in “Kaltern/Caldaro”; Since 2007 he vinifies his own wines, as “Garage vintner and individualist”  he´s aspiring to demonstrate the uniqueness and variety of the region around the lake Caldaro. He follows the evolution of the grapes, supporting the natural processes and focuses his work exclusively on quality. His goal is to
harvest them at their best state or ripeness. The vineyards are located in and around “Kaltern/Caldaro”. The “Riegel Pulvernoa” (around 300m. a.s.l.) is planted with 80 to 100 year-old vine grape varieties of “Großand Mittervernatsch” and part of it is planted with Cabernet Franc and Tannat. On the “Riegel Barleit” (around 400m. a.s.l.) I am cultivating exclusively “Weissburgunder”
(pinot Blanc). The third site (around 420m. a.s.l.) lies in the district of “Oberplanitzing” and since 2008 it is planted with “Riesling”.

Thomas Pichler knows wine in all of its facets and, in fact, in greater detail than most others. And that is not just because he comes from a family of Caldaro winegrowers and therefore himself grew up with wine cultivation. Rather, it is because he has worked for nearly three decades in different wine laboratories. But since wine under laboratory conditions obviously was not sufficient for him, he also now produces wine himself – at the Thomas Pichler Estate Winery in Caldaro.

The question that immediately comes to mind with such a career is: how does the know-how from the laboratory get transferred into practice? And the answer from Pichler is surprising: “With winemaking, I do not depend very much upon theory,” he says, “but rather with all of my decisions, I rely upon feeling, upon my nose and mouth.” In the end, it is not about bottling some trendy wine with all sorts of aids, but rather producing independent wines that are characteristic for the variety, area, and grower.
 The winegrower places correspondingly great value upon the selection of variety, whereby his heart lies above all else with indigenous grapes and classic wines.

Thus Lago di Caldaro and Lagrein make up nearly half of the production, followed by Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. And with sales, as well, Pichler follows the long-established routes. His wines are sold at the winery, at select wine bars, and to dining establishments.

Step by step to their own wine: at the Kobler winegrowing estate in Magré, it has been shown how an estate winery can grow with a great deal of patience, lots of diligence, and the necessary consistency. The step toward making their own wine, which the Koblers took in 2006, was only a logical one. And certainly not the final one.

It was Erich Kobler who, in the 1950s, laid the foundation for the Kobler winegrowing estate in Magré. In 1958, he planted the first vineyard, half of which was Chardonnay. In 1972, a second location was added that he filled with Pinot Grigio, Merlot, and Carménère, and a third with Merlot came in 1993. In the 2000s, the assortment of grape varieties was expanded by Cabernet Franc and Gewürztraminer.

A decisive step for the Kobler winegrowing estate in Magré followed in the mid-2000s. “With the 2006 harvest, my wife Monika and I began to make wine ourselves from some of our grapes,” recounts Armin Kobler, son of the operation’s founder. Thus the grapes from two hectares of the estate’s own grape growing areas are made into wine in-house. “We reach a production of an average of 15,000 bottles of DOC wines per year,” Kobler says. The remainder of the harvest goes to the Cantina Kurtatsch.
Even if the production is currently still manageable, the goal of the Koblers continuing with their own wines is clear. “We want to make wines,” Kobler explains, “which reflect as much as possible the character of the location, the variety, and the vintage.”

With the founding of the Cantina Produttori San Michele Appiano in 1907, an eventful success story began, and today the name stands for great wines and extraordinary quality. The 320 members of the cooperative winery work their vineyards in harmony with nature, and the secret to their success is the combination of decades of experience and constantly striving for perfection. The unique terroir, the respectful dealing with the grapes, and careful processing guarantee unique wines filled with character. In particular, the vineyards in and around Appiano offer the ideal conditions for varieties such as Pinot Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Yellow Muscat, and Pinot Noir.

But for well-structures red wines, outstanding small vineyards are found at lower elevations and along the Wine Route. The mild and sunny climate forms the basis for the unique quality of the wines. Today, San Michele-Appiano is one of the most renowned wineries in Alto Adige and Italy, with wines winning prizes both within the country and abroad. Experts attribute finesse, elegance, depth, and longevity to the wines from the Cantina Produttori San Michele Appiano.

These qualities are just as valid for both the winery’s larger productions, such as the “Sanct Valentin” line, and for the super selections, such as APPIUS and “The Wine Collection”. With them, San Michele-Appiano has made a name for itself around the globe.

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.

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

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

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

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

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. ”

For more than thirty years, Ignaz and Elisabeth Niedrist have been running their estate in Cornaiano, which lies in the midst of one of the classic winegrowing zones of our province and thus has the best conditions for the production of quality wines. The vineyards are located in three different cultivation areas: Cornaiano, Appiano-Monte, and Gries.

Although they are relatively close to each other, they differ fundamentally in their properties. Among other things, it is this contrast and variety which lend the wines their expression and excitement. “Our main attention goes to the soils and the particularities of the individual vineyards,” says Ignaz Niedrist. “We try to bring soil, plant, and our actions into harmony. Work is done with great dedication, with attention to nature and in a sustainable way.” Ignaz Niedrist, his wife Elisabeth, and their children Maria, Franz, and Johannes all make the effort to continue to educate themselves and use their knowledge in the best possible way. A great degree of intuition and intense experience in the vineyard are very important to them.

Work with the soil is done as gently as possible. And thus in the carefully renovated cellar of the Niedrist Estate Winery in Cornaiano, lively, harmonious wines with character are created. The red assortment includes Pinot Noir, Lagrein, Merlot, and Lago di Caldaro superiore. With the white wines, the Niedrist Estate Winery focuses on Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Riesling.

At the end of the fifteenth century, an artist from Nuremberg hiked from Salorno to the Val di Cembra. His name was Albrecht Dürer. As an homage to the artist and his cross-border journey, it is not only the path which Dürer covered at the time which today bears his name, but also the Dürer Weg Estate Winery in Salorno. A project that truly crosses boundaries.

The Dürer Weg Estate Winery may in fact be located in Salorno, at the extreme south of Alto Adige, but it is a part of the LaVis Winery which, in turn, has its headquarters in the town of the same name, Lavis, in Trentino. So this is where two historical parts of old Tyrol grow together. The winery itself is a cooperative that is broadly structured: with vineyards that cover elevations from 200 to 800 meters and an assortment that ranges from Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, and Müller Thurgau through Merlot and Pinot Noir to Schiava and Lagrein.

The Dürer Weg Estate Winery in Salorno plays a special role in this portfolio – not least because of its particular climate. “This is the place where the mild Mediterranean climate meets its harsh counterpart from the Alps,” explains Pietro Patton, president of the LaVis Winery. “Along with the special composition of the soils, this forms the basis for a mineral-rich flavor tone through which the wines from this region stand out.”

The mountainous area thus puts its stamp on the wines from the Dürer Weg Estate Winery, just as it also influences the way of doing business. For instance, it is necessary to be thrifty with resources. “Our wines reflect a tradition of winemaking in which nature and technology are united,” says Patton. So here, as well, boundaries are crossed.

Creating a typical wine: it sounds simple, but it’s actually highly complex. Because “Typical wines have to reflect the uniqueness of the grapevine, the soil, the microclimate, the people, the location, and the specific vintage,” says Hansjörg Donà, who is responsible for his family’s Donà Estate Winery in San Paolo.

Therefore, anyone who wants to create typical wines has to not only be familiar with the location, soil, and climate down to the last detail, but also know which grape variety feels especially at home where. At the Donà Estate Winery in San Paolo (in the community of Appiano), the decision was made for Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Blanc, and the indigenous varieties of Schiava and Lagrein. “The foundation of our wines is formed by the traditional grape varieties,” Donà explains.

The harvest also takes place traditionally. The grapes of the Donà Estate Winery are harvested by hand – with a great deal of commitment, help from the family, and particular attention to quality. “We focus on top-quality grapes, gentle and modern winemaking technology, and long-term, sustainable planning,” explains the winegrower, who brings his many years of experience and all of his wine know-how into the winery. The goal of the efforts is authentic wines with an independent character which, both with white wines and red wines, are aged in 500 liter medium-sized oak barrels.

The aging is also a part of creating an authentic, typical wine. Which sounds simple, as was said, but is actually highly complex.

When real estate agents say that a home has “potential”, then you usually think that you’re standing in front of ruins. Against this background, the Putzenhof in Laives-S. Giacomo had a heap of potential back in the 1950s. And in actuality, the Schweigkofler-Mottironi family took full advantage of it.

In 1956, Viktoria and Johann Schweigkofler bought the Putzenhof in S. Giacomo, a part of Laives. The vineyards were old, some of them hadn’t been tended for years, the buildings were dilapidated, the approach on the road was arduous. But behind that realtor’s word “potential”, the Schweigkoflers recognized the reality: “The vineyard at the foot of a porphyry wall, the slopes with a southwestern exposure, and the climatic conditions were virtually ideal for winegrowing,” says grandson Roman Mottironi, who runs the estate winery today.

The ideal conditions were exploited by the owners over three generations to turn ruins into a functioning estate winery. Today, it has grape growing areas of 5.5 hectares that are worked in a manner close to nature. For instance, herbicides have been avoided for years.

And thus the raw materials grow for a series of wines: gentle and close to nature. And likewise created gently in the cellars of the Putzenhof in Laives are a white assortment with Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Kerner as well as a red line with Lagrein, Pinot Noir, and a Colli di Bolzano cuvée made from Schiava, Lagrein, and Pinot Noir. Some 37,000 bottles are filled every year. So the potential of the Putzenhof has in fact proven itself with numbers.

The family history of the Carlottos reads like a novel, with the dust cover blurb saying, “In three generations from sharecroppers to an estate winery dynasty.” Ferruccio Carlotto takes responsibility for this today in Ora – right in the heart of the Alto Adige Pinot Noir cultivation zone.

The cornerstone for the family’s success story was already laid by Umberto Carlotto as early as 1940 when he signed up as a sharecropper at the Schlosshof in Mazzon. As such, he did in fact work the estate under his own responsibility, but the financial risk lay with the proprietors – as did the profits. In spite of that, Umberto carried out his tasks with passion for fifty years, flanked at first by his brother and then by his son Ferruccio.

And the latter was also the one who ventured to make the leap into independence in 2000 – new millennium, new luck – along with his daughter Michela and on the basis of six hectares of winegrowing area in Ora. The two of them devote 70 percent of this area to Pinot Noir – and not by chance. “The north-south alignment of the vineyards and the soil with its clay content are good preconditions for a round, spicy Pinot Noir with pleasant tannin and fine tones of fruit,” Ferruccio Carlotto explains.

Aside from the Pinot Noir, Lagrein makes up a quarter of the annual production of the Ferruccio Carlotto Estate Winery. His grapes grow on the rocky alluvial soils of the Rio Nero, while the winery’s Schiava is raised in a small vineyard, also in Ora, that was planted in 2013. As a bow to tradition.

Working in harmony with nature and not against it is the credo to which Alois Lageder has dedicated himself as one of the first with his estate winery in Magré. The expression of that is the strictly biodynamic method of cultivation in the family’s own 55 hectares of vineyards.

Recognizing the estate as a self-contained microcosm with a diversity of plants and animals: that is what biodynamics professes, according to which the Lageder Estate Winery is oriented: “As an estate winery, we have set ourselves the goal of maintaining and expanding this complex ecosystem,” explains Lageder.

And a second goal is pursued in Magré: the palette of grape varieties of the Lageder Estate Winery ought to reflect the diversity in Alto Adige – as should the wines that are made from them. They are subdivided into classic grape varieties, compositions, and masterpieces. With the classic varieties, the product line ranges from Gewürztraminer to Lagrein to Schiava, while the components from the vineyard and the winery for the compositions are newly combined with each other each year. In that way, no vintage is similar to another.

The flagship of the Lageder Estate Winery is the masterpieces. “With these, we strive to perfect all of the aspects of winemaking,” says Lageder. Nothing less than perfection is therefore the goal. But within that context, Alois Lageder as both a lover and patron of the arts (the Löwengang Manor as the headquarters of the estate winery is an eloquent sign of this passion) is well aware that perfection is unattainable. But one can always try to get as close to it as possible.

The term “member” is avoided at the Cantina Tramin, with “co-owner” being preferable when it comes to the 300 winegrowers who form the cooperative. After all, the entire foundation of the winery that was founded in 1998 is based upon its winegrowers, their families, and the 260 hectares of vineyards that they tend.

The vineyards of the inhabitants of Termeno lie at elevations from 250 to 850 meters, and therefore a broad palette of locations, soils, and microclimates can be drawn upon. For the work in the vineyards, there are strict specifications, and at the Cantina Tramin, great value is placed above all else upon the precise timing of the harvest. “Our specifications form the basis for the constantly high quality of our wines, for their extraordinary aroma tones, and the flavor with prominent fruit,” explains winemaker Willi Stürz.

And precisely the prominent fruit also has natural causes, first and foremost the large temperature differentials between day and night. “During the day, the warm, dry Ora wind from Lake Garda blows over our vineyards and prevents the occurrence of rot,” Stürz says. And at night, the temperatures sink to 10 degrees C. and below. The mix of, on one hand, nature being especially gracious and, on the other hand, the care, diligence, and consistency of the co-owners is therefore the Cantina Tramin’s recipe for success, from which the winery’s calling card profits: Gewürztraminer. Thus the Epokale is the first white wine from Italy to score 100 out of 100 points from the Wine Advocate of Robert Parker.

Founded in 1960, the Colterenzio winery is one of the youngest winegrowers’ cooperative in Alto Adige. In 1960, 26 winegrowers founded their own winery to be more independent – and named it after the hamlet they came from: Schreckbichl in German, Colterenzio in Italian. These winegrowers can be considered rebels but at the same time pioneers for right after the foundation of their own winery they were setting the course towards quality.

Today, 300 winegrowers together with the people working at Colterenzio continued this path.

The winegrowers grow their grapes on a total of 300 hectares; the vineyards are located in one of the best wine growing areas of Alto Adige, on altitudes from 230 to 650 meters. 14 different varieties are cultivated. 35% of the wines at Colterenzio are red, 65% are white. The Colterenzio winery cares about the environment, not only in the vineyards, but also in the cellar. In the vineyard this means sustainable viticulture and handpicked grapes. In the winery itself most of the electric energy used in the winery is supplied by a photovoltaic installation, 100% of the electric power is certified green and 70% of hot water requirements is provided by solar panels and a heat recovery system.

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.

Luis Oberrauch is someone who did not get his passion for wine right from the cradle but nevertheless has lived it since his childhood. However, it is only since 2017 that he has run his own Luis Oberrauch Estate Winery in Ora in which all of his knowledge and experience flow together.

Already as a child, Oberrauch went hand in hand with his godfather through his vineyards, and at age 13 he made his first wine under that uncle’s tutelage. This was followed by agricultural high school, oenology studies in Geisenheim, Germany, and work at the Cantina Tramin at which even today, Oberrauch lends a hand to winemaker Willi Stürz.

Then in 2017, the opportunity presented itself to lease vineyards in Ora. “There are around five thousand grapevines in my vineyards, and even though it may sound silly, I know every single one of them,” Oberrauch says. He deals carefully and gently with his vines that grow on Pergola trellises. “In the face of more and more frequent extreme weather events, the pergola trellis has a series of advantages,” the winegrowing expert explains. These include deeper root systems (and thus less drought stress) and natural shading that prevents a burning of the grapes.

“Just like in the vineyard, it is also important for me in the winery to make only minimal interventions,” Oberrauch says. His wines are therefore only coarsely filtered just shortly before bottling, and Oberrauch does without fining. His lifelong roots in the world of wine also shows itself in his selection of grape varieties. Thus what grows at the Luis Oberrauch Estate Winery is only the indigenous varieties of Lagrein and Schiava.