The co-operative winery is located in the municipality of Kurtatsch (Cortaccia) in the Italian wine-growing area of South Tyrol ( Trentino-South Tyrol region). It was founded in 1900. The Freienfeld manor house in the centre of the village, built in 1521, was the headquarters of the winery until 1923. The current winery building was then built on the wine route. Today, the Ansitz cellar is used as a barrique warehouse and wine archive and is the venue for exclusive tastings. Andreas Kofler is the chairman and Othmar Doná is the cellar master. Vineyard walks are also organised, followed by wine tastings.
Vineyards
The vineyards cover 190 hectares of vines, which are sustainably cultivated by 190 members. They extend from 220 to 900 metres above sea level, mostly on steep slopes. Following the French model, an ideal balance of vineyard sites and varieties is common. The white wine varieties used are Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Müller-Thurgau, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer and Goldmuskateller, as well as the red wine varieties Lagrein, Vernatsch, Rosenmuskateller,Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot.
Grape varieties
The best red wine vineyards are located on the slopes below Kurtatsch with temperatures of up to 40 °Celsius in midsummer. The Merlot grapes ripen in the steeply sloping vineyards of the Brenntal site on heavy, red clay soil. Below the rock faces, the Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc varieties are cultivated on loose, deep soils with a high gravel content. The white wine grapes grow predominantly on steep calcareous soils at lofty altitudes of up to 900 metres above sea level and benefit greatly from the cooling downdraughts at night. With reduced yields, strictly controlled cultivation and single-varietal vinification, terroir-typical wines are produced. The wines are vinified from strictly selected grapes with optimum physiological ripeness.
Product range
Depending on the type of wine, ageing takes place in stainless steel tanks, large wooden barrels or barriques. A strict taste test is carried out before bottling. The extensive product range includes over 30 wines and sparkling wines. There are two lines: TERROIR (top-quality line with special regional or site character, certain wines only in the best vintages) and SELECTION (first selection with reduced yields and a strictly controlled cultivation programme).
The premium wines include "Chardonnay Riserva Freienfeld", "Cabernet Sauvignon Riserva Freienfeld", "Gewürztraminer Riserva Brenntal", "Merlot Riserva Brenntal", "Cuvée Weis Amos" and the Passito "Aruna" (Gewürztraminer, Goldmuskateller). The winery is a member of the Association of South Tyrolean Sparkling Wine Producers.
