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With the exception of the Bolzano Winery and the Muri-Gries Monastery Winery, the wineries in Bolzano are long-established family businesses of manageable size. All of them have a pronounced sense of hospitality and a good feeling for traditions that are worth preserving, which is reflected, among other things, in the fact that the Bolzano classics Lagrein and Vernatsch or St. Magdalener are the most important wines everywhere.


In its current form, the Bolzano Winery was created by the merger of the Bolzano winery cooperatives Gries and St. Magdalener in 2001. With an average of 3 million bottles a year, the Bolzano Winery is the largest cooperatively organised winery in South Tyrol. The fact that size and top quality are not mutually exclusive is shown by the wide range of very good and excellent wines produced here every year (see here ).

Stephan Filippi has been cellar master of the Bolzano Winery since 1988, making him one of the longest-serving cellar masters in South Tyrol, along with Hans Terzer and Willi Stürz. Like his two colleagues from St. Michael - Eppan and Tramin, Stephan Filippi's work has contributed not only to the success of his own business but also to the high reputation of the wine region of South Tyrol as a whole. Despite the high number of bottles to be sold, which suggests a certain orientation towards a broader public taste, even in times when this was not a matter of course, he always insisted that the typical South Tyrolean varieties, especially those predominant in Bolzano, play the determining role in his business.

Long before the renaissance of autochthonous wines, the Bolzano winery produced top wines from the dark, powerful South Tyrolean classic with its Lagrein selections 'Taber', 'Gries' and 'Baron von Eyrl'. With the merger of the two wineries in 2001, this attention was also given to the Klassischer St. Magdalener and the selection 'Huck am Bach' was created, which with its consistently high quality has contributed significantly to the current reputation of the Klassischer St. Magdalener. Apart from these merits for wine quality, what fascinated me most about Stephan Filippi was his strong attachment to and enthusiasm for the origin. I had the impression during the day that he knows every grape supplier by their first name and knows exactly about every square centimetre of soil from which the grapes are delivered to his winery.

This attachment to origin is also evident in his love for 'his' city and its diverse gastronomy. Better than any restaurant guide, he knows where to go for a really fine meal, where things are pleasant and uncomplicated, and where in Bolzano you can simply drink a good beer or a good glass of wine in a pleasant atmosphere at the end of the evening. (I owe the recommendations at the end of this article almost entirely to him). At the Cantina Bolzano, appreciation for origins is demonstrated, among other things, by the fact that members of the Cantina are obliged to manage their vineyards according to environmentally friendly guidelines. With the expert support of the South Tyrolean Advisory Council for Fruit Growing and Viticulture, integrated plant protection is implemented at the Bolzano Winery.

The Bolzano Winery's range currently comprises 37 wines, half of which are divided into a classic line and half into a site line. In the former, the focus is on varietal typicity and the fresh mountain wine character; in the latter, the typical character of the respective single vineyard sites that characterise the wines. The premium wines include Lagrein Riserva "Taber", Lagrein Riserva "Prestige", Cabernet Riserva "Mumelter", Merlot Riserva "Siebeneich", Pinot Nero "Riserva", Gewürztraminer "Kleinstein", Pinot Blanc "Dellago" and Sauvignon "Mock".

The wines of the Bolzano Winery in the Wein-Plus wine guide.

Prices range from 7 to 25 euros ex farm. Tasting and sale during opening hours: Monday to Friday from 08.30 to 12.30 and from 14.30 to 18.00, Saturdays from 08.00 to 12.00.


The history of the Muri-Gries monastery complex dates back to the 11th century when a fortification was built in the centre of today's Gries (then Cheller) against the city of Bolzano, which was dominated by the Trentino bishops. Today, Gries is a well-integrated district of the once hostile city of Bolzano and the Muri-Gries monastery, which emerged from the former fortifications, is an important cultural, tourist and, above all, economic factor with its wine and fruit production.

As early as the 1960s, Muri-Gries began to concentrate on the production of typical, local varieties, thus laying the foundation for a quality-oriented farm philosophy. Today, the monastery produces a wide range of South Tyrolean quality wines, divided into a basic line consisting of six white wines, one rosé and five reds, all of which are vinified single-varietal, and a top line 'Abtei Muri', which consists of a white wine cuvée, two red wines and the South Tyrolean dessert wine speciality Rosenmuskateller.

As with most wineries based within Bolzano, Lagrein is the most important wine here and the Muri-Grieser have a very special Lagrein fillet with their 'Klosteranger' located within the monastery walls. According to cellarmaster Christian Werth, the 'Klosteranger' site is to be designated as single vineyard in the future and a Lagrein 'Grand Cru' will be pressed, which should top the already high level of the Lagrein Riserva 'Abtei Muri'. However, that is still a long way off.

At present, the Riserva 'Abtei Muri' is made from the best grapes of the Klosteranger together with grapes from the Moritzing vineyard. For many, this Riserva is the best Lagrein ever. Of course, this is a matter of taste and always depends on the vintage - but this wine is certainly one of the five best Lagrein wines every year. It is a Lagrein that should not be drunk too early. In my opinion, it needs at least six to eight years to show what it is really made of and then it can easily mature for another six to eight years.

The other wines of the Abbey Muri line show that Muri-Gries is not only Lagrein. Both the white wine cuvée of Pinot Blanc and Pinot Grigio with its ripe, deep fruit and its distinct, fine minerality as well as the finely tart, spicy Rosenmuskateller show that only the best is bottled under the name 'Abtei Muri'. The Klosterkellerei's welcome private customers are very important to it, which is why it offers its wines at extremely moderate ex-farm prices.

The wines of the Klosterkellerei Muri-Gries in the Wein-Plus wine guide

The wines cost between 7 and 19.50 euros. Opening hours of the vinotheque: Monday to Friday: 08.00 - 12.00 and 14.00 - 18.00; Saturday and Sunday closed.


Florian Schmid has always been more than just a winemaker. Among other things, he played in a rock band and sat as a member of the Bolzano city council. Currently, in addition to his work as a winemaker, he manages the vinotheque attached to his winery as well as a wine and delicatessen shop in Benediktbeuern, Upper Bavaria, where he offers a wide selection of South Tyrolean and Italian wines and delicacies in addition to his own products. Direct communication with other people is Florian Schmid's great passion, which he lives in this multifaceted way.

His business, the Schmid-Oberrautner winery in the Gries district of Bolzano, is one of the oldest wineries in South Tyrol. The farm was built in 1365 and has been run by the Schmid-Oberrautner family for 19 generations. For Florian Schmid, this tradition is a commitment to quality and to sensibly limiting the range to the classic varieties or those best suited to the particular location.

The winery's own vineyards and those of its contract suppliers are spread over almost the whole of South Tyrol and range from Entiklar, where Merlot, Cabernet, Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay are grown, to Missian in Überetsch (Vernatsch) and St. Georgen for classic St. Magdalener to Gries (Lagrein). "I only get the best qualities at the most suitable location, and anything else makes no sense. Nowadays you can't afford it anyway, and I can't afford it twice over. After all, how would it look if my own wines were worse than those of my colleagues in my wine shop?" You can see here that he doesn't need to hide with his wines - especially with his "showpiece" Lagrein from Gries. The range is divided into two lines. A classic line, which, in addition to the white wines and the rosé, includes the light red wines Kalterersee and St. Magdalner, which can be drunk young, the basic version of Lagrein, as well as Cabernet and Merlot. The premium line is reserved for the best bottlings of the Grieser Lagrein (Riserve and the selection 'Villa Schmid') as well as the Pinot Noir.

The wines of the Schmid-Oberrautner winery in the Wein-Plus wine guide.

Prices range from 7.50 euros to 15 euros. You can taste and buy the wines during a visit to the vinotheque. Opening hours for wine sales: Mon - Fri 9.00-12.00 & 14.00-19.00, Sat. 09.00 - 12.00. Opening hours for the wine bar: Mon - Wed 17.00- 21.00 h, Thu - Fri 17.00 - 22.30 h.


"Egger-Ramer is Lagrein", this is Peter Egger-Ramer's answer to my question about what characterises his business. The Egger-Ramer winery is not only Lagrein, because many classic South Tyrolean wines are produced here, but Lagrein is undisputedly the 'boss'. No wonder, because with the best sites in Gries, the winery has the ideal conditions to press great wines from this grape variety. And Peter Egger-Ramer knows how to play this trump card of Bolzano perfectly. His Lagrein wines have become sought-after classics in South Tyrol. Especially the Riserva 'Kristan', a selection of the best grapes from Gries, in which he succeeds better every year in combining the dark, powerful, striking components of Lagrein with fine, cool fruit (see here ).

Before he became a winemaker, Peter Egger-Ramer played in the Italian professional ice hockey league. I don't know where and how he played. But I can well imagine that there was always a good atmosphere in his teams - even off the pitch. Despite all his ambition and desire to win, Peter Egger-Ramer is a very sociable person with whom things get cosy pretty quickly. But for him, cosiness is not to be confused with "everything is wonderful, it's nice here and there's nothing to criticise". He is simply a direct person and the honesty associated with this directness is important to him, especially when it comes to commenting on his wines. Praise based on misunderstood politeness is anathema to him. He wants to know exactly what people think of his wines, "because that's the only way I can continue to develop. Certainly, all our wines are good, but there is certainly room for improvement - only with Lagrein it is becoming difficult to go one better. But he still tries. In recent years, he has added a portion of slightly dried grapes - partly on the vine, partly in the attic after the harvest - to the 'Kristan' Riserva. The results so far make him confident, though he makes no religion out of this method of winemaking. "Whether this method is appropriate or what proportion of dried grapes is good for the wine always depends on the vintage."

The Egger-Ramer winery is nominally a commercial winery that also processes grapes from other winegrowers into wine. Apart from the fact that this only accounts for 20% of the total production here, these suppliers are the aunt, the son of the father's best friend, who has unfortunately already passed away, and other winegrowers close to the family, who are advised by Peter Egger-Ramer regarding the work in the vineyard throughout the year. "In the end, there is no difference to the grapes that come from our own vineyards," says Peter Egger-Ramer. In addition to his Lagrein wines, Peter Egger-Ramer also produces Müller-Thurgau from Eisacktal grapes, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, a Lagrein Kretzer Rosé and the Klassischer St. Magdalener. Of the latter, I particularly liked the selection 'Reiseggerhof', from the vineyard of the same name on the Magdalener hill.

The wines of the Egger-Ramer Winery in the Wein-Plus wine guide.

Visitors are always welcome by appointment. Prices range from 6 to 25 euros.


The Malojer family's Gummerhof is the winery I visit most often in Bolzano, and each visit offers me great pleasure and always generates renewed respect and admiration for the work that is done here. The reason for my frequent visits - apart from the good wine - is that probably the best Schlutzkrapfen in town are served here. Because attached to the winery is a small bistro where hearty South Tyrolean specialities are offered to accompany the wines of the house.

The Malojer family earns respect and admiration for producing excellent wines under rather difficult conditions. The Gummerhof winery is a so-called commercial winery that, in addition to grapes from its own vineyards in the city of Bolzano (Gur zu Sand im Viertel, Loamerhof in St. Magdalena, the Gummerhof in Gries and vineyards in St. Justina), also processes grapes from contract winemakers. And if you are not one of the stars of the South Tyrolean wine scene like Hofstätter, Lageder or Franz Haas, you do not have it easy as a commercial winery. You don't benefit from the tax advantages granted to cooperatives, but you also can't achieve the cult status of a small, exclusive self-made winery as easily as many self-marketers have managed to do in recent years.

The Malojer family has impressively mastered the balancing act of offering a certain amount of good wine at a good price and at the same time setting some qualitative highlights, and is getting better at it every year (see here ). Urban Malojer has been responsible for this for a good 20 years now. Together with his parents, he has adapted the business to the requirements of modern times. Like his father, Urban Malojer is a pleasantly businesslike, reserved person. With calm and level-headedness, he has completely converted the winery, which until the mid-1980s almost exclusively produced large quantities of Vernatsch wines open or in litre bottles, to quality wine. Apart from a few cement barrels in the cellar, which are now mostly empty, nothing remains of the Gummerhof of the 60s and 70s.

All the wines in the extensive range are of a very high quality level. The white wines and the light Vernat wines are clear, varietal-typical, drinkable growths. The Gummerhof's production is at its best with Lagrein and Cabernet wines. These are vinified as single-varietal wines as well as in the cuvée 'Bautzanum' and produce very structured wines that need to mature and at the same time are pleasantly cool and fresh. In recent years, Urban Malojer has also taken on the challenge of 'Pinot Noir' and produces fine, hearty wines from this difficult grape variety. At the National Pinot Noir Competition 2015, the Riserva from 2012, whose grapes come exclusively from a very high site in Unterinn on the Ritten, came 4th out of 99 wines from all over Italy.

The wines of the Gummerhof in the Wein-Plus wine guide.

Prices range from 7 to 16 euros. Opening hours of the wine shop: Mon-Thu-Med: 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. and 2.30 p.m. - 9 p.m., Thu-Fri: 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. and 2.30 p.m. - 11 p.m., Sat: 8 a.m. - 1 p.m.


The Rottensteiner family is one of the oldest wine-growing families in South Tyrol. The name derives from the "red stone", the porphyry soils at the exit of the Sarntal valley, on which the vine thrives particularly well. The winery in its present form was founded in 1956 by Hans Rottensteiner and has been managed together with his son Toni since the 1980s. In addition to the 10 hectares of the estate's own vineyards, the grapes are processed by 60 farmers from the surrounding area.

The Rottensteiner family's own vineyards are all located near Bolzano and offer very different conditions due to their respective exposure and soil composition, so that the Rottensteiner family can offer a wide range of classic South Tyrolean wines. The range consists of 23 (!) different wines. All of them are single-varietal and divided into three lines - Select, Linea Cru and Classic. In addition, there is a Passito (straw wine) made from Gewürztraminer grapes. The Classic line are typical South Tyrolean classics. Eight white wines, one rosé and five red wines. These wines focus on immediate drinking pleasure and varietal typicity. The Cru line includes two white wines (Pinot Blanc and Gewürztraminer) and two red wines (Edelvernatsch and Klassischer St. Magdalener). "Due to their origin, these wines express the typicality of the grape variety particularly well," says Toni Rottensteiner.

The Select line includes the "heavyweights" of the Hans Rottensteiner Winery - Vernatsch, Pinot Noir Riserva, Cabernet Riserva and Lagrein Riserva. Although you can already see from the grape variety of the first two wines that "heavyweight" at Kellerei Hans Rottensteiner has nothing to do with heavy, over-concentrated wine. "Drinkability is the top priority for all our wines. I prefer to offer wines that might only get a maximum of "two glasses" in the tastings, but of which people are happy to drink three - or more - than vice versa," says Toni Rottensteiner.

This philosophy, as well as prices that keep them down to earth, are the guarantors of a large and, above all, loyal clientele, and the quiet, relaxed Rottensteiners prefer that to a scramble for the top spots in the scores of the supposedly important wine guides.

Great importance is attached to the natural cultivation of the vineyards. On their own farms, this is a matter of course, and the grape suppliers are also encouraged to do so and supported with advice. The Premstallerhof in St. Magdalena, which is not owned by the Rottensteiners, is even farmed bio-dynamically.

Wines from the Hans Rottensteiner Winery in the Wine-Plus Wine Guide


Prices range from 7 to 25 euros. Visitors are always welcome during opening hours. These are: Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.


I was certainly not the first, nor will I be the last, to have doubts about the functionality of my sat nav while driving to Andreas Berger's Thurnhof winery. The device shows only a few hundred metres until arrival and you are still on a busy thoroughfare. Once you have arrived, you see an industrial estate on the right and a much smaller and more inviting building on the left - the Thurnhof. When you enter the courtyard, you have a clear view of the steeply rising vineyards of the Virgilberg behind you, and the estate, which is over 800 years old and has been in the Bergers' family for 150 years, welcomes visitors with its quiet, timeless atmosphere. Although time has not stood still here. Andreas Berger, who is also rather quiet and reserved, is one of the most innovative and courageous winemakers in South Tyrol. He was one of the first to provide his white wines and the young reds with a screw cap - an extremely courageous decision in Italy, which is very conservative in this respect.

The varietal character of the wines is important to Andreas Berger. His white wines - the aromatic Goldmuskateller and Sauvignon Blanc - present themselves with the intense, typical aromas of their respective grape varieties without being overbearing or ostensibly fruity. Above all, the Sauvignon, which comes from vineyards at an altitude of 800 metres on Bolzano's local mountain, Ritten, has very good substance and can also mature for three to four years. St. Magdalener is similarly structured. Made from pergola plants, some of which are over 25 years old, it combines the youthful freshness of Vernatsch with a certain depth and does not necessarily have to be drunk young. With the dark, heavy red wines, Andreas Berger has in recent years increasingly said goodbye to long ageing in wood or to small barrel sizes and places value on clear, fresh and animating fruit. "These wines also don't need wood to show their powerful, spicy character. What is important is good, healthy grape material, gentle processing and time." A speciality of the Thurnhof is the sweet wine 'Passaurum'. It is made from dried grapes - mainly Goldmuskateller as well as some Sauvignon Blanc. For Andreas Berger, the freshness of this very concentrated straw wine is particularly important.

The vineyards are worked as close to nature as possible. For Andreas Berger, this means "without herbicides and insecticides, and in most cases also without organic fungicides. Every two years we carry out alternating soil cultivation and sow soil-improving seeds - to improve soil fertility and strengthen the root system." Membership in the producers' association 'Tirolensis Ars Vini' and the exchange of ideas that takes place here with like-minded colleagues (including the South Tyrolean organic pioneer Loacker) facilitate this type of near-natural cultivation.

The wines of the Thurnhof in the Wein-Plus wine guide

Visitors are welcome at any time by appointment. Prices range from 9 to 18 euros


Almost all South Tyrolean winemakers are currently doing well and can go about their work in a fairly relaxed manner. Hardly anyone, however, is as relaxed as Heiner Oberrauch. This is because winemaking is "pure joy" for him, because he has already earned his money as co-owner of the outdoor company Sportler in Bolzano. This enables him to produce the wines he appreciates completely independently of any marketing considerations. And when it comes to wine, he appreciates above all the uncomplicated.

"For me, wine is first and foremost a beverage that I like to drink with friends in convivial gatherings". And because it can sometimes be a glass more in such gatherings, Heiner Oberrauch has thought about how the optimal wine for such occasions should be, namely "light, unobtrusive and at the same time tasteful" and created exactly such a wine according to his ideas.

He called it 'Edel-Leps', because 'Leps' used to be the name given to wines that were 'light' because they "consisted more of water than wine. If you were lucky, they tasted of very, very little. Most of the time they were just bad. My noble Leps is also light - it has only 9.5% alcohol - but you don't have to do without good taste with it. It is a typical mild Vernatsch that can be drunk chilled on the terrace or goes excellently with a South Tyrolean snack of bacon, Kaminwurzen and Schüttelbrot."

Uncomplicated, direct fruit also characterises Heiner Oberrauch's other red wines. With St. Magdalener, this is part of its characteristics anyway, but with a Cabernet Sauvignon it is not necessarily to be expected. "But I also want the heavy wines to be a pleasure to drink and not to 'torture' you with them," says Heiner Oberrauch. You certainly don't have to torture yourself with the wines of the Heinrichshof, especially since the prices are extremely moderate. They range between 5 and 12 euros.

Visitors are welcome at any time by appointment.

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