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The South Tyrolean wine village of Eppan stands for traditional classics - and for innovative wines made from Piwi varieties.
Roland Brunner visited the most important producers and presents them.

In the wine village of Eppan, south of Bolzano, there are only a few self-marketing producers compared to the neighbouring municipality of Kaltern. However, these handful of farms produce a great variety of individual and at the same time traditional wines. It is important to discover South Tyrolean classics such as Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noir, which can express their elegant character especially in the high vineyard sites of the village. But new wines made from Piwi varieties such as Bronner, Solaris or Souvignier gris are also convincing.

Abraham Winery

Martin and Marlies Abraham / Udo Bernhart, Alexander Gantioler (below)

Producer Info

Winery Abraham
Address: Maderneid 29
Maderneid 29
39057 Eppan an der Weinstraße

Tel.fax +39 0471 664192
E-mail
Website

Wine sales and tasting by appointment.

The hoopoe is a creature with many facets. With the impressive feather decoration on its head, it reminds one a little of an Indian. It used to be a welcome guest in the vineyards. It is not interested in ripe fruit, like most other birds, but decimates pests with its long beak. With the increasing use of pesticides, however, it has become rarer and rarer. In the vineyards of Marlies and Martin Abraham, however, he has turned up from time to time. He doesn't have to be afraid of not finding food, because chemicals are not used here. Because he felt so at home with the Abrahams, they quickly made him the symbol that adorns their wine labels.

Willpower, strength and joy in their own actions are the hallmarks of the young winemaking couple. In 2011, they began to process their grapes themselves. "We have always been fascinated by deep wines. Our vineyards have an interesting soil structure and very old vines. So we thought we could produce such wines ourselves instead of delivering the grapes to the cooperative. We wanted to make complex wines that are shaped by our soils and therefore not arbitrarily interchangeable. Wines that need time - and also cost a little more." The Abrahams had the luck of the brave and daring. Interest in their wines grew more and more, so that demand now exceeds supply.

A sense of tradition is evident in the selection of varieties: Pinot Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Vernatsch and Pinot Noir. The experimental wines are named after the hoopoe (Italian: Upupa). The red wine is mainly made from Vernatsch grapes from old vines that ripen on the vine for as long as possible. According to the traditional "Eppaner Verschnitt", there is also some Pinot Noir. The Gewürztraminer, spontaneously fermented with the mash and refined in used wooden barrels, is not only aromatic, spicy, but also very dry. With rough edges. The Pinot Blanc selections "Låmm" and "Vom Muschelkalk" each express the specific characteristics of these sites in Girlan and St. Michael. Pinot Noir spurs the Abrahams on the most. "We don't want power, colour, warmth and opulence, but elegance, finesse, length and saltiness," they say. Vinification is therefore purist, with spontaneous fermentation in the mash tun, followed by slow ageing in oak tonneaux. In special years, there are "Abraham Art" selections of Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noir. These are rare growths of which a maximum of 600 to 800 bottles are produced.

The wines of the Abraham winery in the
Wine reviews by wein.plus

Josef Brigl

Josef Brigl / Winery Josef Brigl

Producer Info

Winery Josef Brigl
Address:
RMaria-Rast-Weg 3
I-39057 Appiano on the Wine Road

Tel.: +39 0471 662419
E-mail
Website

Direct sales:
Daily except Sundays from 08:00-12:00 and 14:00-18:00.

The Josef Brigl Winery was founded in 1309, making it South Tyrol's oldest winery. The winery is committed to this tradition, which is why the founding year is emphasised on the newly designed label. The South Tyrolean classic Vernatsch is held in high esteem at Brigl. "Not only because it simply belongs to South Tyrol - just like our mountain world - but because it is a perfect wine for today," says Siegfried Prader, operations manager at the winery. "It is fine and delicate, goes well with almost all dishes, has a rather moderate alcohol content and a high recognition value. That's why it will always have a special place with us."

The range is divided into the Classic Line, the Courtyard Line and the Master Line. The former offers white, red and rosé wines that focus on freshness and the typical character of the grape variety. In the Höfe line, which with the exception of the St. Magdalener 'Rielerhof' consists of single-varietal wines, the characteristics that the varieties develop in the most suitable sites are brought out. The best grapes of the winery are vinified in the master line consisting of three wines - Chardonnay, Blauburgunder and Lagrein.

The farms from which the grapes for the eponymous line come were taken over by his granddaughters Elisabeth (Ansitz Windegg in Kaltern) and Monika (Rielerhof in St. Magdalena and Haslhof in Girlan) after the death of senior boss Ignaz Brigl in 2013. In Kaltern, in addition to Vernatsch, Kalterersee, Pinot Grigio, Gewürztraminer, Merlot and Cabernet are cultivated. At the Rielerhof they produce St. Magdalener, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling as well as the dessert wine speciality Rosenmuskateller, and at the Haslhof in Girlan, in addition to Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noir, they also produce some Edelvernatsch.

The wines of the Josef Brigl Winery in the
wine reviews by wein.plus

Englar Castle - Johannes Khuen-Belasi

Count Johannes Khuen-Belasi (r.) / Khuen-Belasi

Producer Info

Englar Castle
Address:
Pigenò 42
39057 Appiano on the Wine Route

Tel.: +39 0471 671854
E-mail
Website

Wine tasting and farm-gate sale by prior notice
Honey educational hike followed by tasting session
Room rates from 240 euros

Visible from afar and awe-inspiring because of its size, Englar Castle is enthroned in the vineyards of the Eppan district of Pigenò. Once you have arrived, however, the feeling quickly dissolves into well-being. Chickens, ducks and geese cavort in the courtyard of the 600-year-old estate. In the adjoining vineyards, one encounters horses, donkeys, rabbits and other animals. The buzzing of bees in the background makes the atmosphere of an intact farm perfect. This combination of luxurious historic property and naturalness is very important to the owner, Count Johannes Khuen-Belasi. "We have a long history that has left behind impressive architecture as well as valuable art treasures, and we are part of nature."

This is also evident in the way the vines are cultivated. Khuen-Belasi attaches great importance to natural cultivation. No chemicals have been used in the vineyards for years. The organic cultivation practised out of personal conviction will be officially confirmed with the official organic certification from 2023. In the cellar, the wines are treated gently. Corrections with artificial means are also unnecessary because the wines are given plenty of time to mature. The white wines, for example, are released for sale after two years at the earliest and the red wines after three to four years. Also the Vernatsch, which elsewhere is usually available in spring after the harvest.

"Our high sites with their limestone gravel and porphyry weathered soils and the partly very old vines produce complex wines. They need time to develop. They are treated accordingly in the cellar. All wines mature for a certain time in wooden barrels of different sizes, depending on the variety."

Anyone who thinks that the wines from Schloss Englar are powerful, heavy growths is wrong. All wines captivate with their fine, delicate fruit and animating character. The classic South Tyrolean varieties are produced: Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Vernatsch and Pinot Noir, as well as Riesling, which is rather rare here.

Until 2012, the grapes were sold to the local cooperative. Since then, Johannes Khuen-Belasi, together with his young cellar master Johannes Pichler, has managed to produce some of the most interesting wines of the growing region. Three awards with the wein.plus-heart (the symbol for the finest and most interesting wines in their style, category and price range) in three years as well as being named "Discovery of the Year 2018"' are impressive proof of this.

The wines of Schloss Englar in the
Wine reviews by wein.plus

Thomas Niedermayr - Hof Gandberg

Thomas Niedermayr / Thomas Niedermayr

Producer Info

Thomas Niedermayr - Farm Gandberg
Address:
Schulthauserweg 1
I-39057 Appiano on the Wine Route

Tel.: +39 0471 664 152
E-mail
Website

Direct sale:
by appointment

Thomas Niedermayr calls his wines "the wines of the future". For him, the future means high-quality wines produced without sprays. That is why he relies exclusively on fungus-resistant varieties (Piwis). The foundations for the "wines of the future" were laid more than 30 years ago by his father Rudolf. He was involved with these varieties at a time when many people did not even know what they were. Thomas has been responsible for the winery since 2013 and continues this work with the radicalism inherited from his father.

Sometimes he did it so radically that it brought beads of sweat to Rudolf Niedermayr's forehead. For example, when his son used sulphur to stabilise the wine, he went so far down the scale that he would never have dared to do himself in the past. Or when he did not intervene in a wine in which the fermentation was simply not progressing, but relied on the natural course of things with a lot of trust and patience.

"My goal is to produce wines that are characterised by depth, tension, refinement and complexity," says Thomas Niedermayr. The longevity of his wines is impressive, both in terms of their ability to mature in the bottle and once opened.

Today Niedermayr produces the wines Freistil, Summ³, Bronner, Solaris, Souvignier gris, the white Cuvée Sonnrain, the Orange Wine Abendrot and the red Cuvée Gandfels. In addition to the aforementioned ripeness, all wines are characterised by an intense, spicy, yet always fine and clear taste. They are all fermented spontaneously, matured in mostly used wooden barrels, which give off practically no flavour, but for the wines "offer an ambience that certainly suits their natural character better than a cold steel barrel." After this barrel ageing, the wines flow into the bottle unfiltered and unadulterated.

One thing should be mentioned, because it is really rare to hear it. Thomas Niedermayr has a lot of praise for the German tourists, because it was they - and almost exclusively they - who kept the farm alive in the difficult early years with their interest in organic wine and organic fruit.

The wines of Thomas Niedermayr in the
Wine reviews from wein.plus

Winery St. Michael Eppan

Hans Terzer / Thomas - Winery St. Michael Appiano

Producer Info

Winery St. Michael Appiano
Address:
Bypass road 17-19
I-39057 Appiano on the Wine Road

Tel.: +39 0471 664654
E-mail
Website

The wine shop, where all wines can be tasted, is open from: Monday to Friday: 9:00 a.m. - 6:30 p .m. , Saturday: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

"When I was hired in 1977, my mission was to press flawless wines with as little effort as possible," says Hans Terzer about his start as cellar master at the St. Michael Eppan Winery. At that time, today's model wine country South Tyrol produced almost exclusively simple mass-produced wines, especially Vernatsch. But as little as it satisfies a skilled musician merely not to play false notes, Hans Terzer did not want to resign himself to producing technically correct but inexpressive and simple wines.

He was helped by the fact that the demand for South Tyrolean cheap wines collapsed and they were forced to go other ways. Hans Terzer was one of the men of the first hour. Even in his student days in Laimburg, white wines were his great love. He realised even then that most of the vineyards in Eppan were better suited for white varieties than for red. But in the Eppan vineyards there were 85 percent red varieties and the yields were far too high. Hans Terzer set out to change this with determination and uncompromisingness. At the time, this did not only win him friends - on the contrary. The number of sceptics was certainly greater than those who thought his strategy was the right one. Fortunately for him - as well as for St. Michael Eppan and ultimately for all of South Tyrol - there was enough support for his way at the decisive general meeting. The rest is history. Today, the St. Michael Eppan Winery is one of the most important white wine producers in Italy. Its reputation as a top winery is undisputed internationally. The first step towards top wines was the 'Schulthauser', a Pinot Blanc from the best vineyards near Eppan Berg, where they went new, 'old' ways and aged part of the grapes in large wooden barrels.

In 1986, the St. Valentin line was added with three wines - Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and Gewürztraminer - and with it the final breakthrough for the winery. Especially on the Italian market, it celebrated one success after another. This silenced even the last critics. The high sales prices of the wines made it possible to pay members grape prices that no one would have thought possible before.

"That made the work towards even higher quality much easier. Because if I offer the winegrower a good payment for his extra work as well as for the necessary yield reduction, everyone is quickly convinced," says Hans Terzer. On the one hand, this new quality offensive has led to an upgrading of the basic and the selection line. Today, St. Valentin consists of five white wines - Sauvignon, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and Gewürztraminer, three red wines - Pinot Noir, Lagrein and a cuvée of Cabernet and Merlot. Since 1989, there has also been the noble sweet Gewürztraminer 'Comtess', for which the grapes are harvested just before Christmas.

For the 25th anniversary of the St. Valentin line, Hans Terzer wanted to show "that we can do even more". He produced the Appius. In contrast to the traditional single-varietal St. Valentin wines, this is a cuvée that combines the best of each vintage. For this purpose, the most valuable lots of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio are combined. The proportions vary from vintage to vintage - depending on the quality of the grapes. The individual grape varieties are matured in small wooden barrels for one year. This is followed by the assemblage, which matures for another three years on the fine lees in steel tanks before it is bottled. Hans Terzer gives the Appius an ageing period of 25 to 35 years. Since 2017, this new creation has been completed by two other wines from the Top Wine Collection made from Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. With these wines, Hans Terzer wants to make it clear that "in Eppan, qualities are also possible that can rank among the world's best".

The wines of the St. Michael Eppan Winery in the
Wine reviews by wein.plus

Stroblhof - Rosi and Andreas Nicolussi-Leck

Rosi Ausserer, Andreas Nicolussi-Leck and Thomas Nicolussi-Leck (from left) / Stroblhof

Producer Info

Korb Castle - Fritz Dellago
Address:
Pigenoer Weg 25,
I-39057 Appiano

Tel.: +39 0471 662 250
E-mail
Website

Direct sale at the hotel from April to November, in winter by appointment. Guided tastings by appointment at the price of 20 euros take place every Monday at 16.00.

Situated at 500 metres above sea level in the Pigenò district of Eppan, the Stroblhof has a long history. The farm's most important white wine is the 'Strahler', a blend of mostly Pinot Blanc and five percent each of Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio. "Pinot Blanc was already grown on the Stroblhof 200 years ago. The name Strahler first appeared in 1845 and referred to the espalier vines that were still planted in South Tyrol at that time, before they were almost universally replaced by pergola," explains Andreas Nicolussi-Leck. "Over thirty years ago, my father-in-law Josef Hanni began to replace the classic pergola with the modern wire frame for quality reasons. After his early death in 1993, we have consistently continued this path. We cleared the remaining fruit trees on the best slopes in favour of Burgundy varieties."

All white wines, including Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, are produced without biological acid reduction. They are therefore characterised by a very racy, animating character, which they retain for years. "I want you to feel the freshness of the mountains in our wines, which is even more pronounced in Pigenò than elsewhere in South Tyrol. In addition to the fall winds of the Mendel Mountains, the nearby ice holes also provide pleasantly cool freshness." Since the 1970s, when everywhere in South Tyrol almost exclusively cheap Vernatsch was produced, Stroblhof has increasingly distinguished itself with Pinot Noir. Three versions are on the market today: a juicy, spicy rosé, a basic version called 'Pigenò' and a Riserva, whose grapes come from vines that are at least 25 years old. The rosé is matured entirely in steel tanks, the two red wines in small oak barrels. For the two red wines, too, it is important to Andreas Nicolussi-Leck that one can taste the freshness of the high sites. Since 2018, the red wine range has been complemented by a Cabernet Franc-Merlot cuvée, whose grapes come from Lake Kaltern.

The Stroblhof is not only a winery, but also a 4-star hotel with excellent cuisine and a well-stocked wine cellar with the best wines from other South Tyrolean wine-growing regions.

The wines of the Stroblhof in the
wine reviews by wein.plus

© Photo: Roland Brunner

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