August 2024 - a Castel story by Ivana Capraro

Grüner Veltliner 2022 - Winery Kuenhof

Every month we present a wine from our cellar recommended by our sommelier Ivana Capraro for that month.

August 2024

The prince of Austrian wines and his second home

It's not far from Austria to South Tyrol. The Brenner Pass is located in the municipality of the same name at an altitude of around 1,374 metres in the upper Eisack Valley and 80 km north of Bolzano.

The grape variety, which is also known as the "Prince of Austrian wines", has found its second home in the hills around Brixen, fairly centrally between Brenner and Bolzano.

The right climate and ideal soil ensure that exciting Grüner Veltliner also grows in South Tyrol and retains its beautiful characteristics: It is not a fat, opulent wine, but seduces with its subtle profile and is wonderfully savoury at the same time.

The winery

Kuenhof Winery

I have known Brigitte and Peter Pliger since my first days in South Tyrol. While winegrowing has a long tradition on their farm - the Kuenhof - they both found their vocation as winegrowers late in life.

His grandparents pressed some wine for their Buschenschank, while his parents sold the grapes to the Stiftskellerei Neustift winery. It was Peter - a trained carpenter - who then took the step towards independence and self-marketing in 1990.

The initiator was Karl Mair from the Pretzhof restaurant (highly recommended when travelling to Castel), who was so enthusiastic about one of the wines for the Buschenschank that he was able to convince the two of them to become full-time winemakers.

In the early years, Ignaz Niedrist - a friend and experienced winemaker from the winery of the same name - helped with the realisation. There was a lot to do, from restoring the building and old cellar to renovating the many dry stone walls across the entire vineyard area. The vineyard thus grew from 2.5 to 6.5 hectares.

The wine

Grüner Veltliner 2022

"Our goal is a balanced symbiosis between people, crops and nature. You can feel it from the vineyard to the cellar."

Of the four wines produced by the Pliger family, I deliberately chose Grüner Veltliner because its minerality makes it a good choice for midsummer. However, all the wines are characterised by the same basic values.

They always work in harmony with nature - in the vineyard and cellar - without the use of chemicals and are cultivated according to organic and biodynamic principles.

The Grüner Veltliner grapes come from the Kuenhof and Nafen vineyards - both with a high proportion of slate and quartz phyllite - south of Brixen at an altitude of 550 - 700 metres above sea level. The microclimate there is warm, with strong temperature differences between day and night.

The wine shows the typical characteristics of the grape variety and is particularly balanced in terms of fullness, flavour and aromas.

Grape variety:

100% Grüner Veltliner

Colour:

Light yellow with green reflections.

On the nose:

Pepper, grass and peach aromas.

On the palate:

Persistent salty finish.

Pairing:

Definitely try in combination with the Wiener Schnitzel. Ideally at lunchtime in the Castel, because Chef Wieser makes a superlative Wiener Schnitzel (in my opinion 😊).

Salute!

Would you like to try it?

Enjoy Castel wines at home

You can enjoy this refined wine and other wines from the Kuenhof at the Castel and take some home with you from our hotel's own wine shop at attractive prices. Alternatively, we will be happy to send you your favourite wines directly.

Cheers!

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