Cantina bolzano — Winery in Bolzano

Founded in 1908 (as the merger of the cooperatives of Gries and Santa Maddalena, officially united in 2001), this is the beating heart of a cooperative of more than two hundred winegrowers who together farm over three hundred hectares of beautifully located vineyards around Bolzano. It is housed in a striking, modern cube in the middle of the city. A tour begins where the grapes arrive during the harvest and takes you past the different vineyard sites: the red grapes (from Cabernet to Lagrein) ripen lower down, in Gries, San Maurizio, Settequerce, Santa Maddalena and Coste; the white grapes (from Pinot Grigio to Gewürztraminer) a little higher, at Missiano, San Giorgio, Santa Giustina and Renon. Around forty different wines are made, divided over six lines (Riserva, Election, Classici, Collection, Bio and Dessert). In a tasting you try a selection from several collections, often around fifteen to sixteen wines in small sips. Many of the wines have won awards from Gambero Rosso, Robert Parker, Decanter and The Wine Hunter, among others.