Cantina Valle Isarco
(An Online Virtual Visit)
by
Terry Sullivan
Photos provided by
Cantina Valle Isarco unless otherwise noted.
This article about Cantina Valle Isarco is based on an online interview, online data and photos supplied by the winery. The winery graciously sent a sample of wine. The article was written during the time of the worldwide 2020-2021 pandemic. Armin Gratl, managing director for Cantina Valle Isarco, responded to our questions and supplied the photos.
Summary: In Northern Italy in the Alpine territory lies the Alto Adige wine region, one of the smallest wine regions in Italy. Within this region lies the Isarco Valley (Valle Isarco in Italian and Eisacktal in German). Cantina Valle Isarco is a cooperative of 130 families that grow mostly white grapes. The year 2021 marks their 60th anniversary.
In a peaceful place 200 meters above the village of Chiusa lies Sabiona (pictured right), an old monastery still in use today. Vineyards surround the monastery on the slopped land leading to the elevation. The only route to the monastery is by foot along a path from Chiusa. Although the monastery is closed to the public there is a church and chapels are open.
History
Grapes have been grown and wine has been made in the Isarco Valley for over 2,500 years. Cantina Valle Isarco was founded in 1961 by 24 farming families. However, this bucolic area had challenges to wine growing and winemaking. Armin commented,
“Throughout the years the Cantina has had some setbacks: just one year after being founded, a fire destroyed half of the facilities. The Cantina was rebuilt. In 1975 a major snowstorm crushed the production building. After this event the members decided to build a new, solid and modern structure.
“Looking back, we can say that these setbacks helped us get closer to each other and the solid group of 130 families that we have today, was created.”
One of the tag lines for this wine producer is “quality without compromises.” This was evident from the original founding farmers and continues today through descendants and additional members. Armin stated, “The families have always grown their grapes carefully and treated their vineyards with a lot of passion. This is still the same.”
Vineyards
The family members farm 150 hectares (370 acres). The average vineyard for each family is just a bit over one hectare (2.8 acres). Although white grapes predominate, there are a few red grapes sent to the cooperative. White grape varieties include: Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Grüner Veltliner, Kerner, Müller Thurgau, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Sauvignon and Sylvaner. Red varietal grapes include Lagrein, Pinot Nero, Schiava and Zweigelt. Characteristic of the vineyards are steep slopes up to 70% and high altitudes up to 3,300 feet. This makes the cooperative Italy’s northernmost cooperative and the cooperative with the average highest elevation. The members of the cooperative live near or sometimes in the middle of their vineyards.
Wine Trail Traveler asked about the relationship between growers and the winemaking team. Armin explained:
“The relationship between the Cantina and the farmers is very strong. Our agronomist and winemaker are in close dialogue with the farmers on a daily basis. Three days a week our agronomist is visiting the farmers in their vineyards to support them. All important decisions are made together with our members. When harvest begins, our winemaker and agronomist are deciding the harvest time with each single farmer, so that they harvest at the perfect time. We do an analysis of the grapes (in our intern laboratory: brix, ph, acidity, etc) before harvesting each variety. So practically every farmer gets his appointment for harvesting. This guarantees the best possible quality of the grapes.”
There are advantages for the growers to belong to a cooperative. Armin (pictured with winemaker Hannes Munter on the left and Armin Gratl on the right) wrote:
“In our case the growers are all very small. So being part of a larger group (cooperative) allows each farmer to benefit from the use of professional man power (employees of the Cantina) and also benefit from a modern and up to date structure. If you are a member of a Cantina, your job of producing top quality grapes can be done more easily. For vinification, administration and sales the growers don’t have worry – which is a big advantage.”
Winemaking
The winemaker for Cantina Valle Isarco is Hannes Munter. Typical for the Alto Adige area, Hannes was born in a small wine growing town. He grew up working with farmers, grapes and wines. When Hannes was sixteen years old, he worked at Cantina Bolzano. He enjoyed the winemaking side of the work and decided to study winemaking. Hannes’ most enjoyable aspects of winemaking are that he can, “work with a natural product that is grown locally, and every year there is a new challenge. Also in terms of vinification, every year he discovers new things.”
Wine
We received a sample of the 2019 Cantina Valle Isarco Pinot Grigio (pictured right by Wine Trail Traveler). This light yellow colored wine had a green hue. The wine was 14% alcohol. The aroma was crisp and refreshing reminiscent of a tropical fruit salad. The vibrant taste had hints of pineapple, lemon, melon and lime. The finish was fruity while the aftertaste lingered. This wine would make a good appetizer especially during warmer weather. We enjoyed it on our deck in early spring as the narcissus flowers were blooming. It could also pair well with fish and shellfish, white meats and white sauce pasta dishes.
Wine Tourism
Wine enthusiasts who visit Cantina Valle Isarco can taste and purchase wines in the sleek, modern wine shop. For those wishing to delve further into the winery and wines, iPads are available with additional details. Armin added, “The wine shop is also paired with a ‘historical pathway’ that you can follow to learn about the interesting vine-growing and wine-making past of our Valley.”
Tastings and tours are offered in Italian, German and English.
We were interested in what the winery was doing to connect with wine enthusiasts during the pandemic. Armin wrote, “During the pandemic we try to stay in contact with wine enthusiasts through digital systems: from Social Media to online tastings (we send bottles and taste them together with the enthusiasts). So we try to stay in contact with our friends.”
Food
We asked Armin about the local dishes that pair well with Valle Isarco wines. Armin wrote, “As we produce mainly white wines with fresh acidity, fruit and elegance these are very food friendly wines. From local dishes as Speck, dumplings and “Schlutzkrapfen” to the classical Italian dishes such as Pasta and Risotto. But you can have a glass of our white wines also by themself.”
Cantina Valle Isarco
Loc. Coste, 50
39043 Chiusa (Bolzano)
South Tyrol, Italy
Article written April 2021.
Visit these tour operators that partner with Wine Trail Traveler.
 |
 |
|||
|
Spain and Portugal |
SmoothRed London, England, United Kingdom |
