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For wine to mature underground in the cellar is not especially impressive. But the fact that this wine cellar was created by hand is, in fact, extremely impressive. To that extent, the wine cellar of the Dominikus Estate Winery in Caldaro is something special. And the wines that come into existence there are, as well, not least of which is the Dominikus Lago di Caldaro superiore, which was also named “Schiava of the Year. ”

Georg Morandell is responsible for the wines of the Dominikus Estate Winery in Caldaro, but the infrastructure in San Giuseppe al Lago is the work of his father. “His life’s work,” as Morandell puts it. With only a pick and shovel, the elder Morandell spent over thirty years digging out a wine cellar under his vineyard. “An unbelievable human accomplishment,” Georg Morandell finds it to be.

He inherited from his father not just a unique winery, but also a passion for wine. “For decades, we have been making wine ourselves from the grapes from our vineyards, and we sell our wine exclusively from the estate,” the winegrower says. All of the work is carried out by the family – with a great deal of experience and a healthy portion of know-how.

Thus what is created are top-quality wines filled with character: Pinot Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Schiava, Lagrein – and the Dominikus sparkling wine, for which Morandell is again and again traversing new paths. “In 2017, I tried for the first time to age a portion of our grapes in clay amphorae,” the winegrower recalls. He place the amphorae in a niche in his cellar labyrinth and awaited the result with excitement. His conclusion: “In the clay caves, the wine can mature at a constant temperature and ideal humidity – just like centuries ago.”

Only few wineries can look back on seven hundred years of tradition. But the Josef Brigl Winery in Appiano can. Founded in the early fourteenth century and with four farmhouses and 50 hectares of cultivation area, it is among the largest private wineries in Alto Adige. And among the leaders.

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

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

Seven hundred years of history do in fact provide for a deep rooting in tradition – both their own and that of Alto Adige winegrowing in general.

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 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.”

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.”

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.

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.

The Moser winegrowing estate in Pianizza di Sotto (Caldaro) was inaugurated in 2018. That makes it one of the youngest in Alto Adige, but it is also among the largest and, without a doubt, the most ambitious. The vines, for example, are grown on two different locations on 10 hectares of land. The red varieties thrive on the heat and the Mediterranean climate of Lago Caldaro whereas the whites find optimum conditions on the glacial moraine in Monticolo. They all are then matured in different wooden barrels.

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

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

Those who have always wanted to be a fly on the wall in the cellar can take one of the weekly tours (tasting included). And those who love not only wine but beer, too, will be delighted to learn that the Moser wine estate is home to the only brewery-in-a-winery in Europe.

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.  

Standing out through continuity and quality is the goal which the Cornaiano Winery pursues with its H. Lun brand. It took over the traditional winery of the same name and continues the brand in the same way as the founder.

In 1840, Alois H. Lun launched a wine product line for the first time that bore his name and combined exquisite wines from the best locations. Since that time, H. Lun has been regarded as a brand that has to meet the highest standards. Thus the grapes are carefully selected by winemaker Gerhard Kofler by location and quality in order to fully express the multifaceted terroir. “Both earlier on and today, the art has lain in growing each variety at the right location in order to reinforce the independent character of H. Lun wines,” Kofler says.

Thus a broad product line has been created: Pinot Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Müller Thurgau, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Yellow Muscat, Lagrein, and Schiava – a cross section of the great variety found in Alto Adige wine. And not only do they find the ideal climatic conditions, the variety of soils also provides the best preconditions: “The spectrum ranges from volcanic porphyry to weathered primitive rock soils to sandy marl,” winemaker Kofler explains, “and thus every grape variety finds the most suitable substrate.”

All of this flows into the H. Lun wines, all of which still pushes the top line of the brand all the way to the pinnacle. It bears the name “Sandbichler” and stands for white wines that are intense in aroma and refined, and red wines with “comfortably lengthy aging”. But for all of them, the words of Gerhard Kofler ring true: “They are the result of a tradition that goes back many years.”

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.

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.

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.

“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.

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.

Stroblhof is a farm (‘maso’) with a long viticultur tradition: as early as 1600 documents mention winegrowing at this estate. It seems that from these early times, grapes were grown here at the base of the steep cliffs of the Mendelpass and benefitted from the optimal soils and unique diurnal temperatures variation.

We continue to work hard at this farm – both in the vineyards and the cellars – with the single minded scope of producing top quality wine. The low and select production allows us to guarantee the high quality of the wines. In fact, from 5.5 hectares, we only produce a maximum of 40,000 bottles, half of which is white, the other red. The altitude of 500 meters above sea level is an additional advantage to producing wines of unique character, good acidity, and with a good aging potential.

Stroblhof ranks with the top estates of South Tyrol and is the founding member of the small growers association, “Vignaioli dell’Alto Adige.”

In spring for the blossom time, in summer for swimming and in autumn for the grape harvest.

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.

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.

Three and a half hectares provide what can be called the liquid foundation of the Planitzer Buschenschank farmhouse inn in Gleno above Montagna. The use as a farmhouse inn is relatively young, but the winegrowing on the other hand is older. Much older. Its history dates back over three hundred years and is also tied to a convent in the Val Pusteria.

At the Sonnenburg (Castel Badia) convent near Brunico, wine from Planitzer in Gleno arrived for a long time on the table and in the chalice. In the end, the farm was obligated to pay taxes and therefore had to provide a portion of its harvest to the Val Pusteria which was not especially blessed with winegrowing.

Today, the situation here high above the Bassa Atesina is completely different. “Our farm complex comprises the upper house, the lower house with the added chapel of St. Cosmas and Damian, around three and a half hectares of vineyards, and more than four hectares of woods and meadows,” explains Judith Ainhauser Weissensteiner. Along with her family, she is responsible not just for the winegrowing at the farm, but also for the Planitzer Buschenschank farmhouse inn which was opened in the spring of 2014 – as the second pillar of the historical winegrowing farmhouse.

The Planitzer winegrowing and farmhouse inn operation in Gleno above Montagna is thus a genuine family-run operation in which three generations are assigned their respective tasks. Two of them, for instance, are in the kitchen: mother Doris is a trained chef, and daughter Judith lends her a hand. While the grapevines therefore provide the liquid foundation for the farmhouse inn, they take care of the solid one.

Lorenz San Nicolò was actually successful as an entrepreneur in Milan. But because his passion from wine never left him, since 2012, along with his wife Sissi, he has been running the Corahof in San Paolo – “as a politically motivated criminal” as he himself says.

And yet, the San Nicolò family did not leave the urbane completely behind them. Thus the main room of their small winery is dominated by a sparkling Art Nouveau chandelier that originated from what was left behind from the venerable Hotel Bristol in Merano and is completely out of place with the rest of the furnishings, machinery, and tractors. “The chandelier is a symbol for our love of elegance, to what is festive and exhilarating in life,” San Nicolò explains. And it is also for that reason that the chandelier was chosen as the logo for the Corahof in San Paolo.

So it decorates the labels of the wines, that basis of which is half a hectare of grape growing areas. And their basis, in turn, is formed by very particular Ice Age sediments. “‘Battle soil’ is what we call it in our dialect,” says the winegrower. “Hard and difficult to work, but fertile. And with the southeastern exposure of our vineyard and the intense sunshine in the early morning hours, they form the ideal conditions for our wine.”

The wine from Corahof is made in their own winery, where the harvest of Merlot and Yellow Muscat is processed cleanly and gently thanks to the most modern technology. Moreover, the minimalist approach of the San Nicolòs is also applied to the vinification, since, “Only in that way can we bring the precious aromas of the grapes into the bottle in as unadulterated manner as possible.”

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.”

#Herzblutmenschen [people of passion]. #Werteverfechter [champions of values]. #Emotionenschaffer [creators of emotion]. Anyone who follows the Castelfeder Estate Winery in Egna on Instagram knows that the wine production here may be linked with a lot of know-how, with the necessary knowledge, and with many years of experience, but also with a great deal of heart. “We are emotion, and we create emotion,” the Giovanett family says of itself, as its third generation is now running the estate winery.

The Castelfeder Estate Winery was founded in Egna more than 50 years ago by Alfons Giovanett, but since that time, hardly anything has remained the same. “The product line has been expanded, production has increased, the processes in the winery have been modernized, and the market has become more international,” says Günther Giovanett, who took over the estate from his father Alfons and runs it with his children Ivan and Ines. Today, the Castelfeder Estate Winery encompasses 65 hectares, on which 70 percent is planted with white wine varieties.

“The focus is on Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Grigio, and Sauvignon Blanc,” Giovanett explains. With the red wines, the concentration is on Pinot Noir.

But whether it is red wines or white wines, little has changed with the philosophy of the Castelfeder Estate Winery over the past 50 years. “The special feature of our wines is how they are grown,” Giovanett explains. “We divide every smallest plot in order to be able to attend to the needs of the grapes as well as possible.” That is how terroir wines with a particular character come into existence. Or, in keeping with Insta-jargon: #terroirwineswithheart

Family run house surrounded by fields and woods. Newly furnished rooms all with shower, WC and balcony.

“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.

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.

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.

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.