In addition to the work in the vineyard and cellar, the weather laid the foundation for impressive wines, and in 2021, it was generally kind to South Tyrolean winegrowers. Although the vines budded at a similar time to previous years, cool temperatures in the spring slowed down budding. "Comparing soil temperatures over the last 20 years, April 2021 was the coolest," explains Hansjörg Hafner, head of viticulture at the Fruit and Wine Growing Advisory Service.

Late ripening, hardly any frost, but challenging rainfall

The cool temperatures and the resulting vegetation delay of around ten to 14 days proved to be a blessing for winegrowers. There was only isolated frost damage, while elsewhere – in central Italy or France, for example – there were enormous losses. The delay that the vines had incurred in the spring could not be made up for later on, even though June was the third warmest in the advisory group's weather records.

On the other hand, the rainfall situation in the summer was challenging for winegrowers. June, for example, was very dry, and some young and productive vines had to be irrigated. "The missing water then came in July," reports Hafner – in the form of heavy thunderstorms. In addition, there were several hailstorms in midsummer, the most severe on July 13, when a hail front moved across the Unterland and Eisack Valley to the Puster Valley. In the Kurtatsch area, the hail caused damage of up to 80 percent.

Fair weather in autumn ensures optimal grape quality

Winegrowers benefited from a prolonged period of fair weather in late summer and autumn, which created ideal conditions for ripening, especially for white and late-ripening red varieties. "Thanks to the beautiful autumn, we were able to harvest very healthy, high-quality grapes across the board," Hafner notes. In terms of quantity, however, the 2021 harvest was comparable to that of the previous year. Only in the Bolzano and Eisack Valley areas were harvests slightly higher, while in the lowlands they were around five percent lower due to hailstorms. Vernatsch is an exception among the grape varieties, with significantly below-average harvests reported. Above-average whites, excellent Vernatsch Thanks to the very healthy harvest, good sugar levels, and acidity values, 2021 promises to be an above-average vintage for South Tyrolean white wines. "The Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc wines are all very nice," says Hafner. "The Pinot Blancs are crisp and juicy, and the Silvaner variety is very nice." The same applies to Riesling and Kerner, while the Gewürztraminers are particularly impressive, especially those whose grapes come from vineyards with a slightly lower yield. Significantly lower yields, small berries, and loose, very healthy grapes with good sugar levels and optimal coloration resulted in excellently developed Vernatsch wines. The Pinot Noir wines from the Unterland region receive a "very good" rating, Merlot and Cabernet a "good to very good" rating, while Lagrein develops from average to good.

Adige Valley/Merano: Fresh, lively white wines, balanced, powerful reds

Rudi Kofler, cellar master at the Terlan Winery, reacts almost euphorically when asked about the 2021 vintage in the Adige Valley and Merano area: "I am convinced that we have a very valuable vintage in the cellar that will give us much pleasure and enjoyment," says Kofler. Ideal weather conditions created the perfect conditions for this: late flowering, meaning hardly any frost damage, a dry June with low fungal pressure, and an August with pronounced temperature fluctuations between day and night. "This was extremely beneficial for the fruitiness and invigorating acidity of the 2021 vintage," explains the Terlan cellar master. His view of the white wines shows that they impress with fresh, precise fruit notes and a lively acidity structure. "Well-structured yet elegant wines indicate a very good vintage," says Kofler, who particularly highlights the Sauvignon Blanc. Among the red wine varieties, on the other hand, the slightly earlier ripening Pinot Noir and Lagrein stand out. "Their intense color, ripe and fine-grained tannins, and a balanced, powerful body promise a very good vintage," concludes Kofler.

Bolzano area: Just a few centimeters short of an exceptional vintage

Christian Werth, cellar master at the Muri-Gries monastery winery, expects a good but not great vintage for the classic red wine varieties in the Bolzano area. "A sharp drop in temperature at the end of September is the reason why we are just a few centimeters short of an exceptional vintage," explains Werth. While the late-ripening Cabernet and Merlot varieties suffered most from the low (ground) temperatures, Lagrein has a pronounced fruitiness and good acidity. The same applies to Vernatsch, which also gained an intense color from the cool nights in autumn.Werth is more enthusiastic about the situation with white wines. Pinot Blanc and Ruländer in particular benefited from the lower temperatures: they are leaner and have good fruit and crisp acidity. Gewürztraminer and Chardonnay are not quite as full-bodied and powerful as in other years, but "a touch more elegant," as Werth says. "2021 is a promising vintage for white wines," he explains. "And overall, in two or three years' time, the vintage could turn out to be even better than we currently believe."

Überetsch: Meticulous work for crisp white wines and surprising red wines

Hail in July caused enormous work in Überetsch. "Countless hours of work were spent removing damaged and bruised berries from the grapes," explains Hans Terzer, cellar master at the St. Michael-Eppan winery. "However, the meticulous selection of damaged grapes and a late harvest, which often involves risk, has provided us with very good grape material." The late harvest benefited the white wines in particular, especially Pinot Blanc and Sauvignon. "Basically, the wines have a slightly lower alcohol content than last year and slightly higher acidity," says Terzer. "This contributes to the wines presenting themselves as fresh, fruity with crisp acidity and fine aromas."

The experienced cellar master describes the red wines of the 2021 vintage as "the surprise par excellence." "I particularly like the Pinot Noir, characterized by beautiful fruit, freshness, and fine tannins," says Terzer. Merlot and Cabernet also benefited from the long ripening period. Overall, the 2021 vintage can be classified as good to very good, says Hans Terzer. "The wines are developing in the cellar to our complete satisfaction and we will once again have a beautiful vintage."

Unterland: Dream weather ensures plenty of color and aroma

The 2021 vintage in the Unterland region is a classic case of mixed fortunes. The downside is the hail, which caused enormous damage in and around Kurtatsch. "That's why there is a shortage of Gewürztraminer," explains Hannes Pfitscher from the Pfitscher winery in Montan. The good news, on the other hand, is the generally high quality of the grapes. "We had dream weather in the fall and cool nights early on, which were perfect for ripening," says Pfitscher.

This is particularly noticeable in the red varieties, such as Pinot Noir and Lagrein. "They are physiologically very ripe, have a lot of color and aroma compounds, and a nice tannin structure," explains the Montan winemaker. Pfitscher also attests to the "superb fruit, good fullness, and nice acidity" of the 2021 vintage Unterland white wines. And even though the Gewürztraminer was lacking in quantity, it is still very nice, floral, with tropical fruit and nice acidity, Pfitscher emphasizes. Hannes Pfitscher does not yet dare to make a judgment about the long-term development of the 2021 vintage, "but the basic material was top-notch," he says. "And that's why it's really fun in the cellar."

Vinschgau: A vintage for reds – and farmers with strong nerves

A late harvest and a beautiful September also ensured a very healthy harvest in Vinschgau, even though the yield for white wines remained below expectations, while that for red wines was slightly above. "I also prefer the reds in terms of quality," explains Heinrich Pohl from the Marinushof in Kastelbell. The Pinot Noir, for example, is developing very well – "fine fruit, very typical, mild tannins, medium body." Pohl even describes the 2021 Zweigelt as "super." "It is full, fruity, and dark."Heinrich Pohl rates the quality of the 2021 Vinschgau white wine vintage as good. The 2021 Pinot Blanc is typical: with medium acidity and fruitiness and high alcohol content. Pohl describes the 2021 Vinschgau Riesling as "very German" – distinctive acidity, peach notes, deep in alcohol. Overall, 2021 is a very good vintage with a clear advantage for red wine. "The early varieties, such as Burgundy and Kerner, were able to ripen optimally, while the late varieties Riesling and Zweigelt required a little more nerve – and impeccable work in the vineyard," says Pohl.

Eisack Valley: Late harvest produces exceptional white wines

The 2021 harvest in the Eisack Valley began about a week later than the long-term average and even two weeks later than in 2020. This was a plus for Eisack Valley white wines: "The grapes were able to ripen well and benefit from the large temperature differences between day and night," explains Celestino Luccin, cellar master at the Neustift Abbey Winery. "This is always an advantage for the aromatics." The only downside was the hail in July, a rare phenomenon in the Eisack Valley. "The winegrowers had to spend a lot of time carefully selecting the grapes," says the Neustift cellar master. Thanks in part to this work, Luccin expects a very good vintage for Eisack Valley white wines: with high acidity, fruitiness, freshness, and elegance. The cellar master even speaks of an "exceptional vintage" with regard to those varieties that benefit from high minerality, above all Müller-Thurgau, Kerner, Riesling, and Veltliner. The 2021 vintage is also very good for white wines such as Silvaner and Pinot Grigio. Overall, we can look forward to particularly aromatic, fruity wines. And one that Celestino Luccin attributes longevity to – "a high potential to mature."