Cantina Bolzano, (South Tyrol), Alto Adige, Italy

Cantina Bolzano represents the best of both worlds in South Tyrol, combining the growing traditions of over 224 growers from 350 hectares of Bolzano’s finest vineyards. The region’s largest co-op, Cantina Bolzano, or Kellerai Bozen, its moniker in the regional German tongue, merged some of the region’s oldest indigenous varietal producers in 2001, bringing in prized plots to their already impressive collection of vineyard sites spread throughout Bolzano. The winemakers behind Cantina Bolzano label themselves “young and full of vision for the future.” By joining this intriguing region's traditions with this innovative group's youthful mentality, we can expect nothing but greatness from this already decorated winery. 

The Bolzano wine cooperative is the joint venture of two historical wineries in Bolzano, each bringing a different focus and specialty to the collaboration. The Gries Winery, founded in 1908, set out to make red wine with the Lagrein grape native to Gries. The St. Magdalena Winery, founded in 1930, began as a cooperative intent on making St. Magdalener, a red wine made from the Vernatsch grape. In 2001, they became the Cantina Produttori Bolzano, South Tyrol's youngest cooperative winery.

Cantina Bolzano sources fruit from 350 hectares of Bolzano’s best vineyards between 240 and 800 meters above sea level. Vineyards in the undulating valley floor are characterized by deep, alluvial, warm, and well-aerated soils, while soils in the sun-drenched hillsides are light and sandy. The grapes that go into St. Magdalener are sourced from the loose, sandy soil on the warm slopes at the foot of the Renon, from the hamlets of Santa Maddalena, Santa Giustina, and Coste. Lagrein grapes are grown on the porous, warm soils of Gries and S. Maurizio. Vineyards at San Giorgio, Guncina, Settequerce, San Maurizio, and Missiano also lie within the production area. The enormous diversity of soils and microclimates enables them to produce a wide range of wines, each grown under ideal conditions. They employ green cultivation methods and rigorous selection of only the best quality, healthiest grapes at harvest time. They maintain three lines of wines- Classic, Election, and Riserva.