Wineries along the Alto Adige Wine Road

The Kettmeir Winery in Caldaro has existed since 1919. Or to put it better, the winery has existed since 1919, but they have also been making sparkling wine since 1964. Today, Kettmeir relies upon 60 suppliers who cover a broad winegrowing area. It ranges from Caldaro up to Soprabolzano on the Renon plateau in the north and down to Pochi above Salorno in the south.

Shortly after the end of the First World War, the agronomist Giuseppe Kettmeir built a winery in Caldaro. For nearly 50 years, the production of quality wines was the only pillar of the Kettmeir Winery, until the potential of sparkling wines was recognized in 1964. “As far as the production of sparkling wine is concerned, we are among the pioneers in Alto Adige and have made our contribution to reviving this tradition,” they say at the Kettmeir Winery.

Since 1986, this winery in Caldaro has belonged to the Santa Margherita winegrowing group, but the focus of its activity did not change with this event. Today, 60 winegrowers supply the winery with grapes that originate from 55 hectares of vineyards. The core is those in Caldaro, from which Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Red Muscat originate. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are also supplied by estates in Pochi, while the Ebnicherhof in Soprabolzano provides the winery with Müller Thurgau grapes.

Out of this diversity, Kettmeir creates exquisite sparkling wines – and since 1992 using only the classic méthode champenoise. “It is the most complex way of producing sparkling wine,” they say at the winery, “but also the most elegant.”

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.

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.

Two wines come from the Milla Estate Winery in Cortaccia. No more. Both are cuvées, both contain the same three grape varieties, both ferment in open wooden barrels, and both can be aged for a long time. Winegrower Gert Pomella thus concentrates on a small product line. But good things come in small packages.

Pomella tends nearly four hectares of grape growing areas at the Milla Estate Winery in Cortaccia. It is divided into seven different vineyards, all of which are on steep slopes and have heavy loam soils. That makes them the ideal location for Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot, which are grown at the Milla Estate Winery in Cortaccia. In different proportions, these three grape varieties form the foundation for the two wines from Gert Pomella: “Centa” and “Milla”.

When making the two wines, Pomella follows his own path. The fermentation takes place in open wooden and steel barrels, the cap of pressings is circulated several times a day – by hand. “I use the pressed wine to extend the physiological maturity of the wines,” the winegrower-slash-winemaker explains. Both wines then mature in small casks of French oak, and for a full 24 months. “I age my ‘Centa’ wine in used barrels and my ‘Milla’ in one hundred percent new barrels,” says Pomella, who then also lets his wines age for at least one year in the bottle.

A lot of time, a lot of expense, a lot of work for two wines. But you can taste it.

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.”

Here the brute force of a bunker, there the elegance of a sparkling wine: the San Paolo Winery has brought together two apparent opposites, and it has been doing so since 1979. In that year, the first bottles of sparkling wine were filled and stored to mature in a bunker from World War Two. The result of that experiment is Praeclarus, which today is one of the calling cards of the San Paolo Winery.

Two hundred winegrowing families belong to the cooperative. They tend 185 hectares (457 acres) of vineyards in a spectrum of elevations that ranges from 300 to 700 meters (900 to 2,300 feet). The Chardonnay grapes that make their way into Praeclarus grow above the village at an elevation of around 500 meters (1,600 feet).

“This is the place where the grapevines find their optimal conditions,” explains Philipp Zublasing, winemaker at the San Paolo Winery. “On one hand, deep chalky soils; on the other hand, prominent temperature differentials between day and night which contribute to the special aroma of Praeclarus.”

This sparkling wine is produced strictly according to the classic méthode champenoise, with the second fermentation taking place in the bottle. The maturation time on the fine yeast amounts to at least forty-eight months, which the Praeclarus spends in the bunker. The temperature there is at a constant 12 degrees Celsius (54 degrees Fahrenheit), which is therefore ideal for a maturing sparkling wine. And incidentally, visitors can be convinced twice over: with a visit to the winery along with an excursion into the sparkling wine bunker, and of course with a bubbly glass.  

“My wines are made for people who know that wine is much more than just a drink.” Klaus Lentsch’s credo indicates the path that he follows with his Klaus Lentsch Estate Winery in San Paolo. The path to cru wines from the Valle Isarco, fresh white wines from the Oltradige, and powerful reds from the Bassa Atesina.

Lentsch comes from a winegrowing family rich in tradition from Bronzolo in the Bassa Atesina. In 2008, along with his wife Sylvia, he put his winemaking knowledge on his own two feet and founded the Klaus Lentsch Estate Winery in San Paolo. The goal: to blaze new trails and also create wines that are typical for the region.

“The region” in that regard is not just San Paolo or Oltradige. Rather, under the Klaus Lentsch name, three winegrowing areas are tended which are completely different and yet classic. On five hectares in San Paolo, three hectares in Campodazzo, and two more in Bronzolo, Pinot Noir, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Blanc, Grüner Veltliner, Gewürztraminer, Yellow Muscat, and Lagrein all grow.

But it doesn’t matter at all where the vineyards are located: “Striving for quality already starts in the vineyard, and specifically right at the vine,” Lentsch says, “and it continues in the winery and the marketing.” Only when the ideas about quality encompass every link of the chain are outstanding wines created. Those that are more than just a drink.

A castle, an estate winery, a family of counts: what sounds like the abridged version of the plot from a dime novel is in fact that of the Englar Castle Estate Winery in San Michele-Appiano, which has been in the possession of the Khuen-Belasi counts since 1640. After a pause of more than eighty years, in 2012 they began making wine here themselves once again from their own grapes.

Because Englar Castle is found in San Michele-Appiano and thus in an area that is virtually predestined for winegrowing, grapes have from the very beginning been a part of the economic pillars of the castle estate. Up until 1930, the Khuen-Belasi counts also ran their own winery which, however, was then shut down. For more than eighty years, the grapes from Englar were then supplied to the cooperative wineries until a little less than ten years ago, when Count Johannes Khuen-Belasi began to once again make the castle wines.

“Our goal is excellent wines, and they require grapevines that grow harmoniously in a healthy environment,” says Khuen-Belasi, describing the philosophy that he follows at the Englar Castle Estate Winery in San Michele-Appiano. What results from them is a prudent selection of varieties that is coordinated with the soils and climate, cultivation methods that are close to nature, gentle work processes, and a corresponding control of harvest yields. “We intentionally reduce the yield per hectare, and specifically to match each corresponding grapevine, in order to be able to harvest top-quality grapes,” says the castle winegrower.

A total of seven hectares of grape growing areas belong to the Englar Estate Winery. They are planted with Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer, and Schiava. A traditional assortment for a traditional estate winery.

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

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

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

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

“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.

Steep locations require a lot of work, sweat, and devotion, but they certainly also have their advantages. Thus 190 hectares of cultivation area are divided among the same number of members of the Cantina Kurtatsch at elevations from 220 to 900 meters – and all of that in just one community.

That is unique in all of Europe. And this winery also holds another record: Andreas Kofler is responsible for the young and dynamic team, and he took the helm in Cortaccia at the age of just 32 as the youngest president in the history of Alto Adige cooperative wineries. “In our vineyards, every grape variety finds its optimal location, its ideal terroir,” Kofler says.

The lower locations are among the warmest in Alto Adige and are ideal for Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. “The soil composition between Cortaccia and Termeno is completely similar to that of Pomerol in France,” the president explains. But up to 900 meters, on the other hand, grow varieties that prefer to have things cooler and airier and thrive best on calcareous dolomite soils – following the strictest guidelines for sustainability.

With a firm commitment and great respect for nature and resources, that is how unmistakable terroir wines that are strong in character are created at the Cantina Kurtatsch. “They each reflect their location without embellishment,” Kofler says, as he also tips his hand on the simple recipe as to why that is so: “In the winery, we just let the wine reveal itself.”

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

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

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

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.

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.

“Five hectares, respect for nature, and no hocus pocus.” The philosophy of an estate winery cannot be described more briefly – or more accurately – than Kurt Rottensteiner does for his Brunnenhof in Egna. A philosophy that is also supported by the fact that the Brunnenhof is situated in Mazzon, one of Alto Adige’s best Pinot Noir areas.

Nature has therefore meant well for the vineyards of the Brunnenhof in Egna-Mazzon, for which the Rottensteiner family is grateful: since 2011, they have been running their estate winery according to ecological guidelines, and it is organic certified. “Our vineyards need to stay lively,” Kurt Rottensteiner says, since “The more vitality and fullness in the vineyards, the more will later on be in the wine.”

That holds true without making sacrifices for all of the locations and varieties at the Brunnenhof. Manzoni Bianco grapes have been thriving on the scree cone of the Rio Trodena and, since 1921, Lagrein vines! Added to these are Gewürztraminer, and Yellow Muscat, but above all else Pinot Noir. “The sandy loam soils, the wind exposure, the midday sun, the Ora wind from Lake Garda, and the cool nights: all of these are the perfect conditions,” explains Rottensteiner.

And the winegrower also abstains from hocus pocus above all else in the winery. In the vaulted cellars of the Brunnenhof that stay pleasantly cool in the summer, white and red wines mature, whereby the latter are without any small oak casks. “We don’t want the tannin and the vanilla flavor of wood, but rather more of the wine’s own tannins and its own fruit,” says Rottensteiner, aiming for wines that tell their own story. Without, in fact, any hocus pocus.

Anyone who has been passionately active in the wine sector for a long time wants to put their own stamp on wines at some point. That may be at their own risk, but in fact also with their own signature. That is precisely what the Martini family has done, and it was now more than forty years ago that the K. Martini & Sohn Winery in Cornaiano was brought to life.

The K in K. Martini & Sohn stands for the father Karl Martini, who founded the winery in 1979 with his son Gabriel, and specifically in the middle of their own vineyards in the winegrowing village of Cornaiano, which belongs to the community of Appiano. At that time, both father and son had already made their careers in the sector, so they brought along the necessary know-how and the experience regarding wine that was essential for their success.
In spite of that, the step to being on their own was not an easy one: “Building up the winery was a hard piece of work,” Gabriel Martini recounts today. “We filled, sealed, and labeled the first bottles by hand.”

Because they were well aware of their size (or lack thereof), they understood themselves at K. Martini & Sohn from the very beginning to be a small but fine operation that focuses not only on comprehensive and friendly service, but also above all else on quality. “That alone justifies the existence of a small family operation,” says Martini.
In addition, it is built upon a palette of wines that is astonishingly large for a small operation which today comprises four lines and ranges from Pinot Blanc, Pinot Grigio, and Pinot Noir to Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Schiava, and Lagrein all the way to Yellow Muscat and Red Muscat.

In the colorful mosaic of Alto Adige winegrowing, there are larger and smaller tiles. The Kiemberger Estate Winery in Terlano, with an annual production of just around 8,000 bottles, is among the smaller. Nevertheless, something would be missing if this tile weren’t there.

The Kiemberger Estate Winery is located in the winegrowing village of Terlano in the Adige Valley, with its vineyards in the village itself and in neighboring Andriano. On a total of just 1.5 hectares of grape growing areas, Chardonnay, Müller Thurgau, Riesling, and Sauvignon Blanc are grown, which form the basis for the classic Terlano wine. “The first three grow on a sandy-loamy limestone soil in Andriano, while the Sauvignon Blanc, on the other hand, is planted in Terlano, where it finds a sandy porphyry soil,” explains Norbert Kofler, winegrower at the Kiemberger Estate Winery.

Kofler has been making his own wines since 2007 and also markets them independently. “Our wines must first and foremost meet our own demands,” Kofler says. To do so, the grapes are harvested in the second half of September, they are pressed gently, and then the mash is fermented in stainless steel tanks at a constant temperature of 19 degrees Celsius. “Our wines are matured on the fine yeast, primarily in small and medium-sized oak casks, for at least eight months with the Terlano Classico and up to 32 months with the Lagrein Riserva,” the winegrower says.

The wines that are created in this way are “originals strong in character,” says Kofler, in which the properties of the soil and the vintage can be tasted. “Our wine is anything but mainstream,” the head of the small but impressive Kiemberger Estate Winery says. He goes on to add, “And yet it is somehow classic.”

Now in its seventh generation of winegrowers, the Clemens Waldthaler Estate Winery is based in Ora in the heart of the Lagrein and Pinot Noir areas in the Bassa Atesina. Today, Clemens Waldthaler focuses not just on those two calling card varieties, but also has white wines and Bordeaux varieties in the selection.

Ora is a traditional winegrowing village in the Bassa Atesina. It is on a porphyry scree cone which lends the wines grown here a mineral-rich tone. In addition, the climate and slight slopes provide the conditions that are optimal for winegrowing. The Waldthalers also recognized that, but it was back in 1735. That was when the family purchased the estate winery which today bears their name and comprises seven hectares of grape growing areas.

In the vineyards of the Clemens Waldthaler Estate Winery in Ora, it is not just the two varieties that are classic for the Bassa Atesina that grow there, Pinot Noir and Lagrein, but also Cabernet and Merlot. The best grapes of the latter three varieties are made into the wines that are the calling card of the Clemens Waldthaler Estate Winery: the Raut line. In addition to the reds, there are also white wines in the assortment on offer consisting of Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Blanc.

“We focus on gentle processing of the grapes, controlled fermentation, and the constant inspection and care of the wines,” Waldthaler says, going on to also explain the goal of this guiding principle: “All of that is imperative for the quality and drinkability of the wine.”

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

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

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

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

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.

The A. von Elzenbaum Estate Winery in Termeno was mentioned in a document for the first time in 1530, and its wines officially won their first awards in 1886. So it is not surprising, then, that as a result of this, there is still a focus on tradition, on typical cultivation, and respect for nature, in view of their history that dates back nearly 500 years.

A tradition of that length could represent a burden to many, but for winegrower Josef von Elzenbaum, it is more of an obligation. He safeguards it in a tried and true, long-established manner, but at the same time he keeps his eyes open for new, innovative, interesting, and promising paths and techniques.

In spite of that, or maybe specifically because of that, the wines of the A. von Elzenbaum Estate Winery are rooted in their terroir. “For me, it first and foremost has to do with preserving the character of my wines that is typical of the location and carefully coordinating the selection of the variety to the location,” the winegrower says. Elevation, soil composition, microclimate: all of that has to be involved in the evaluation of a location in order to find the optimal grapevine.

This care with the matching has led over the years to a broad palette of wines which the A. von Elzenbaum Estate Winery has in its product line: Lagrein and Cabernet, Pinot Noir and Lago di Caldaro superiore, Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay, and Red Muscat. But it doesn’t matter which wine you sample: you will taste Termeno, you will taste A. von Elzenbaum.

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.

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.

Winegrowing in Appiano has no fewer than two thousand years of tradition. Two thousand years in which winegrowers of all eras have made use of the ideal location, the mild climate, and the fertile soils on the ridge near the Passo Mendola for growing grapes and making wine from them.

It is not surprising that such a lengthy tradition is anchored in the winegrowing operations and winegrower families. And at the Weinberghof, the Romen family does not constitute an exception. It is in the district of Appiano-Monte in which history and tradition become especially tangible, as there is a density here of manors, castles, and fortresses that knows no equal.

The Weinberghof in its typical Oltradige style joins in this tradition. The view from the terrace looks out on the surrounding countryside and the numerous vineyards – including those of the Romen family. “We make use of the ideal location here with numerous hours of sunshine that is especially beneficial to the maturing of the grapes,” explains Alois Romen. “And during the night, katabatic winds provide cooler temperatures. These substantial temperature differentials between day and night are responsible for the prominent aroma of our wines.”
But wine enthusiasts can convince themselves of this, and specifically right at the Weinberghof. Their own wines can be tasted here properly – in the winery which, with its old stone arches, is reminiscent of olden days. As one learns, tradition extends into the details.

Three generations of vintners – With a passion for wine-making

We are down to earth, but also innovative. We have great respect for Nature, and cultivate grapes only at the appropriate locations. That describes, in a nutshell, the philosophy of the Niklas winery. We view our family heritage as a responsibility to shape and maintain a South Tyrolean wine-growing estate like no other. It embodies the know-how and motivation of three generations of vintners, and is a place where outstanding South Tyrolean red wines typical for their location are created. In the meantime, Dieter Sölva guides the estate’s continued development. Dieter learned the business from his father, Josef, the founder of the Niklas winery, whom he succeeded. Dieter’s son Michael is already adding his unique handwriting to the family business – whose wines are now being marketed throughout the world.

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. ”

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.