A Champion of Santa Maddalena

The Trogerhof in Bolzano is among the oldest estates in the classic Santa Maddalena zone. And winegrower Josef “Pepi” Staffler is among those who uphold the Santa Maddalena tradition. “Santa Maddalena is a light, fruity Alto Adige red wine that is typical to the region,” he says. And it should remain so – that, too, can be read from this sentence.

The overwhelmingly largest component of Santa Maddalena is the Schiava grape. “Because of the hot climate in the Bolzano basin and the small portion of powerful Lagrein, the Santa Maddalena is fuller and more intense than other Schiava variants,” says Staffler, explaining the secrets of the wine, to which he has dedicated his winegrowing life.

The Schiava and Lagrein grapes of the Trogerhof grow on the moraine detritus soils in Maddalena di Sotto, and thus on slopes that run up to the Renon plateau. Both of the varieties are harvested at the same time and they are also fermented together. Staffler matures his Santa Maddalena in classic large oak barrels in the historical vaulted cellar of the Trogerhof. That is due less to a nod to tradition than to the conditions which the ancient cellar offers. “Our cellar was built from natural stone, it has natural stone floors, and a pleasant indoor climate,” the winegrower says.

Staffler’s goal is to make the Santa Maddalena from the Trogerhof a “good everyday wine” with which price and quality match. Nothing more. But also nothing less.