Peter Zemmer

South Tyrol's soul in a glass. The Vernatsch – italian Schiava – is the most widely cultivated red wine variety in the region and is currently experiencing a renaissance in quality. Peter Zemmer grows this autochthonous grape variety on the calcareous clay and gravel soils of the sun-drenched slopes around Kurtatsch, traditionally cultivated on the pergola – the typical pergola shape that has characterised the South Tyrolean landscape for centuries.

A Pinot Gris as it finds its most beautiful expression in the South Tyrolean lowlands. Peter Zemmer selects the best grapes for this wine from vineyards on the valley floor and steep slopes around Kurtinig. The special microclimate, the calcareous gravel soils from moraine sediments and the sandy alluvial soils create optimal conditions for this noble Burgundy variety. The "Ora", the warm southerly wind from Lake Garda, ensures perfect aeration of the berries and guarantees healthy, fully ripe harvest. Maturation on the fine lees for several months gives the wine complexity and a creamy mouthfeel.

A white wine from the heights. Peter Zemmer's Müller Thurgau thrives at 800 metres above sea level on terraced slopes in the South Tyrolean lowlands. The cross between Riesling and Madeleine Royal – named after the Swiss botanist Hermann Müller from the canton of Thurgau – finds ideal conditions here on calcareous gravel soils from moraine sediments. The exposed altitude, gentle slope and optimal sunlight ensure that the grapes ripen slowly and evenly.

South Tyrol's very own red wine variety, vinified by a master of his trade. Peter Zemmer cultivates his Lagrein on the warm clay soils of the municipality of Auer in the South Tyrolean lowlands – where the indigenous grape variety has been at home for centuries. The outstanding location and careful cultivation of the vineyards create ideal conditions for grapes of particular concentration. After fermentation, the must is kept in contact with the skins through regular pumping over and gentle crushing, which ensures optimum colour yield and accentuated fruitiness. 70% of the wine is then matured in large oak barrels, the remaining 30% in two- to three-year-old barriques. Further bottle ageing follows the assemblage.

450 metres above sea level, on stony limestone soils around Tramin and Montan: this is where Sauvignon Blanc finds those striking day-night fluctuations that make its aromatic intensity possible in the first place. The mild, sunny climate of Bassa Atesina ensures optimum ripeness, while cool nights preserve the flavours. In the cellar, the grapes undergo an 8–10-hour cold maceration – longer than the other white wines from the estate –to release the full flavour potential from the skins. After gentle pressing and natural sedimentation, the must ferments at 19 °C in stainless steel.

Rhine Riesling in South Tyrol? What sounds unusual at first glance makes perfect sense in the valley floor around Kurtinig. The loose, well-aerated sandy soils with calcareous gravel offer ideal conditions for the demanding Rheinriesling. The microclimate does the rest: the warm afternoon wind from Lake Garda alternates with cool morning breezes from the north, ensuring constant ventilation from April to October. The grapes undergo a 6–8-hour cold maceration before pressing – a process that releases the fine fruit flavours from the skins. Fermentation takes place at a controlled 19 °C in stainless steel.

The aromatic soul of South Tyrol. Gewürztraminer is considered the most typical of all South Tyrolean white wines – full-bodied and unmistakably aromatic. At Peter Zemmer, this grape variety grows on low-growing rootstock in the Guyot system, in the best vineyard sites on the valley floor around Kurtinig at 220–230 metres above sea level. The favourable location, ideal sunshine and good aeration of the grapes create ideal conditions for this demanding variety. After destemming, a six to eight-hour cold maceration follows, which transfers the valuable flavours from the skins into the must and intensifies the characteristic bouquet. Gentle pressing and subsequent fermentation at a controlled temperature of 19 °C in stainless steel preserve the varietal aromas in all their splendour.

A vintage South Tyrolean sparkling wine of elegant lightness. The Chardonnay grapes grow at an altitude of 450 metres around Buchholz in the South Tyrolean lowlands, where ideal sunshine and perfect aeration guarantee an excellent acid-sugar ratio. After pressing and destemming, fermentation takes place with pure yeasts at a controlled temperature of 19°C in stainless steel tanks. The second fermentation takes place according to the Metodo Charmat in pressurised tanks, where the wine matures on the lees for six to nine months at 14°C, developing aroma and body. After separation from the yeast and cooling, the wine is left to mature in the bottle for a further three months.

Buchholz – in the Austrian land register of 1858, the name already referred to the valley slopes above Salurn, where terraced vineyards lie on dolomite sedimentary rock between 400 and 800 metres above sea level. Peter Zemmer, whose family has been making wine in Kurtinig an der Weinstraße since 1928, has chosen this heterogeneous location for his Chardonnay: A mosaic of microclimates and soils that combines alpine freshness with southern ripeness. In the morning, the breeze from the north cools, in the afternoon the "Ora" from the south warms: a daily breathing space that gives the grapes time. The vinification remains deliberately restrained: short cold maceration to preserve the fruit, fermentation at 19°C in large wooden barrels.

"Frauenrigl" – an old field name for one of the warmest vineyard sites above the wine route near Kurtatsch in the South Tyrolean lowlands. On calcareous gravel soils with loamy earth, a Gewürztraminer full of character thrives here under ideal sunlight and perfect aeration, which fulfils all the requirements of this demanding grape variety. After six to eight hours of cold maceration, the grapes are gently pressed and clarified by natural sedimentation before controlled fermentation takes place at 18°C in stainless steel tanks.

Pinzon. A location that has long been considered by connoisseurs to be synonymous with South Tyrolean Pinot Noir of the highest calibre. The small wine village on the eastern side of the Adige Valley, first mentioned in a document in 1230, lies in the middle of the vineyards along the Pinot Noir Trail, which are among the best Pinot Noir terroirs in Italy. Here, at an altitude of around 550 metres in the municipality of Montan, Peter Zemmer cultivates his vines on porphyry soils with dolomite-carbonate rock deposits – a geological combination that gives the wine its characteristic minerality. The microclimate of the site is characterised by the altitude above the Adige valley and the north-western exposure, which gives the vineyards long periods of evening sunshine. The "Ora", the famous valley wind that rises from Lake Garda through the Adige Valley, ventilates the vines in the afternoon hours and regulates the humidity – ideal conditions for the demanding Burgundy variety.

"Giatl" means "small plot of land" in the local dialect – and this name carries history. The ten-hectare single vineyard in the Kurtinig valley floor is one of the most exceptional terroirs for Pinot Grigio in the South Tyrolean lowlands. On sandy alluvial soils with calcareous gravel, vines grafted onto low-growing rootstock using the Guyot system thrive here under ideal conditions. The special microclimate of this sun trap is characterised by two contrasting wind systems: The warm "Ora" blows northwards from Lake Garda in the afternoon and moderates the heat of the day, while cool downslope winds from the Dolomites provide cooling at night. These extreme temperature fluctuations enable long, slow ripening phases with perfect acidity retention and flavour concentration. After manual harvesting and destemming, a short cold maceration is carried out to emphasise the fruitiness. The gently pressed grapes are clarified by natural sedimentation before alcoholic fermentation takes place in small and large French oak barrels (12 months) and in stainless steel tanks (6 months). The ageing on the lees gives the wine valuable complexity and depth, while further months of bottle ageing round off the profile.

Furggl is a field name that burns itself into the memory. In the municipality of Auer, in the heart of the South Tyrolean lowlands, this single vineyard is situated on alluvial soils of limestone and porphyry gravel, interspersed with sand and clay. A terroir that offers the late-ripening Lagrein exactly what it needs: Warmth, depth and the soil moisture that ensures an even supply even in dry years. The vines, grafted onto low-growing rootstock and trained using the Guyot system, produce concentrated yields of just 45 hectolitres per hectare. After manual harvesting at the beginning of October, the destemmed grapes undergo a one-day cold maceration before fermentation at 28–30 °C for ten days. Regular pumping over and gentle submersion keep the must in contact with the skins – this allows colour and fruit flavours to migrate into the heart of the wine. After two gentle racking, the long maturation process begins: 12 months in French barriques, followed by 6 months in stainless steel, then a further 6 months in the bottle. Only after 24 months of total maturation does this wine reach the customer – ready to drink, but with potential for a decade or more.

Punggl is a word from the dialect of the South Tyrolean lowlands that refers to a small hill. But this inconspicuous name stands for one of the region's most renowned vineyards: at the foot of the Fennberg, south of Margreid, rises the eponymous hill with its precious alluvial soils of fine sand, silt and clay deposits. Here, where the Mediterranean climate of the warm valley floor meets the thermals of the Alps, the Merlot finds ideal conditions for a ripeness that combines vigour and finesse. From April to October, constant air currents characterise the microclimate of the site. The warm afternoon wind that rises from Lake Garda through the Adige Valley and the cool morning breeze from the north create an interplay that allows the grapes to ripen slowly and evenly. The vines, grafted onto low-growing rootstock and trained using the Guyot system, are tended with the utmost care.

Vigna Crivelli is one of the most renowned white wine vineyards in the South Tyrolean lowlands. Named after Count Crivelli, a leading member of an old noble family from Margreid, the Chardonnay thrives here on alluvial soils of fine sand with silt and clay deposits under ideal conditions. The special microclimate of this single vineyard is characterised by strong downslope winds from the Fennberg and the daily south wind "Ora", which ensures perfect aeration of the grapes. The marked day-night temperature fluctuations allow for a long ripening period with optimal flavour development. The vines are grown on low-growing rootstock and are trained using the Guyot system.

At an altitude of 1,030 metres, where thirty years ago there were still apple trees, today one of the most remarkable Pinot Noirs in Italy grows. Peter Zemmer took the plunge a good decade ago: he planted Burgundy vines on the south-facing slopes of the Koflhof farm in Aldein – an experiment at an altitude that is exceptional even by South Tyrolean standards. The first vintages remained unofficial, and in 2016 hail struck. But since 2017, Vigna Kofl has shown what is possible when porphyry soils meet dolomite carbonate and the daily "Ora" breeze from the south provides the cool tension that Pinot Noir loves so much. Vinification follows the rhythm of the site: seven days of fermentation at a controlled temperature, gentle extraction by remontage, then two gentle racking without centrifugation – an amount of time reserved for fine wines. Twelve months in French barriques, a further six in stainless steel and finally six months of ageing in the bottle.