Everything for a Living Wine

The Weingut in der Eben in Cardano was one of the first estate wineries to have been operated organically. As a pioneer at that time, Johannes Plattner moved forward, and his son Urban not only follows his father’s path today, but pushes ahead himself: with biodynamic management and “living wines”.

The Weingut in der Eben estate winery on the plain in Cardano has been in the possession of the Plattner family since 1982, and the grapes from three hectares of vineyards have been cultivated since 1996. It is Johannes Plattner who is to be thanked for these steps, although his son Urban has been at the controls since 2011. He converted the growing operation to biodynamic cultivation. Through the sowing of grasses and herbs, he promotes the diversity of species in the vineyard and thus also the beneficial insects which, in conjunction with prudent leaf care and selective harvesting, provides for healthy grapes.

Not only has Urban Plattner continued developing the method of management, he has also fundamentally changed the style of the wines of the Weingut in der Eben. Thus from Schiava, Pinot Noir, Malvasia, Merlot, Lagrein, and Sauvignon Blanc, wines of a completely particular type come into existence, “living wines” as Plattner calls them. He goes on to explain, “I allow my wines to ferment spontaneously and age them for a very long time in large wooden barrels because only with time, patience, hardly any sulfur, and the correct sensitivity do they take on the depth that I wish them to have.”

In the end, another part of the particular drinking experience is that all of the wines from the estate winery on the plain in Cardano come to the market unfiltered. In fact, as living wines.