The Vine Seniors
Seventy year-old grapevines as the basis for classic Santa Maddalena
In Santa Maddalena, tradition is written with capital letters, and the Plonerhof Estate Winery in Bolzano is no exception to that. On the contrary, the farmhouse itself goes back to the thirteenth century, and the vines with which Simon Geier works are over seventy years old. So with so much history, a careful, gentle approach is practically a self-evident fact.
In
the vineyard of the Plonerhof Estate Winery in Maddalena di Sotto,
therefore, prudence and work that is close to nature are called for,
which in turn means: a lot of work by hand. That is in fact associated
with a certain degree of toil, but it also has its effect upon the
quality of the grapes. “When we work in the vineyards by hand, we
achieve a great degree of control because we experience the grapes with all five senses,” Geier explains.
Added
to work by hand is the fact that herbicides are totally avoided, and
they almost completely do without insecticides. “We only have to act
against the spotted wing drosophila, because otherwise it would destroy
the entire harvest,” the winegrower tells us.
Once the harvest
is brought in, classic Santa Maddalena is made from Schiava and Lagrein
grapes in the estate’s own winery, as well as a fruity Lagrein and a
cuvée of Yellow Muscat and Pinot Blanc. With their wines, the Plonerhof
Estate Winery has also brought home a whole series of prizes and
awards. So anyone who understands how to deal with ancient grapevines
is rewarded with the highest quality. The Methuselahs are, so it seems, in a generous mood.
info@weingut-plonerhof.com
www.magdalenerwein.it
Wine shop
Monday - Firday 9AM - 12 PM and 2PM - 8PM
Saturday and Sunday 9AM - 6PM
Guided tours
On request