Vintage

Quality is the top priority in the vineyard, and that includes the cultivation of vines. In September and October the grapes in South Tyrol are mature enough to be harvested. They must be picked as quickly as possible in a dry period - if the grapes get wet, they loose sugar and finally rot.

This vintage is done mainly by hand pickers. The ripe grapes - called "Weimer" in dialect - are cut by hand and can therefore be selected. Only the ripest grapes are used for high quality wines. Once the grapes have arrived to the wineries, they are pressed by cellar masters and put into huge barrels, such as barrique barrels - that's to say barrels made of oak wood -, for maturing.

During the grape and fruit harvest in autumn, also a visit to a wine museum or a walk along one of the theme paths is recommendable. Among them there are the Tirolo Wine Trail, the Caldaro Wine Trail, the Cortaccia Wine Trail and the Castel Sallegg Wine Trail. And in late autumn it's time for the Toerggele evenings, where you may taste the grape must and new wine, called "Nuier".