The winery is located in the municipality of Tramin on the Wine Road (Termeno sulla Strada del Vino) in the Italian wine-growing region of South Tyrol ( Trentino-Alto Adige region). The traditional family business has been owned by the Walch family for several generations and is now run by Elena Walch with her two daughters Julia and Karoline. Attached is the bistro "Le verre capricieux" in the centre of Tramin.
The vineyards cover a total of 60 hectares of vines over a span of almost 800 metres in altitude and reflect the geological and climatic versatility of South Tyrol. The two most important vineyards, Vigna "Castel Ringberg" and Vigna "Kastelaz", have the status of Vigna, which in Italy is a geographical unit of a historically / cartographically registered vineyard. The "Vigna Kastelaz" is a south-facing steep slope above Tramin at 360 metres above sea level on limestone soils. Here the Gewürztraminer and Merlot varieties are cultivated at a high planting density of 7,500 vines/hectare with extremely low yields of 38 hl/ha.
The "Vigna Castel Ringberg" is situated above Lake Kaltern at 300 to 400 metres above sea level on soils of Adige gravel, moraine deposits and limestone rubble. The white wine varieties Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio (Pinot Gris), as well as the red wine varieties Cabernet Sauvignon and Lagrein are cultivated here. The Renaissance castle, built by the Habsburgs in 1620, houses an estate tavern, a wine shop and a barrique cellar. Guided tours of the vineyards are also organised.
Both vineyards are cultivated according to the rules of sustainability. Yields range from 30 to 55 hl/ha, depending on the variety. The underground natural stone cellar was extended by a modern fermentation cellar in 2015. The applied gravity enables an absolutely gentle processing of the grapes. Depending on the type of wine, the wines are matured in steel tanks, in large wooden barrels or in barriques. The premium wines include the white wine cuvée "Beyond the Clouds" and the red wine cuvée "Kermesse", which are aged in barrique. A total of 580,000 bottles of wine are produced annually.
