Tenuta Ebner

The oldest red wine variety in South Tyrol finds ideal conditions at the Ebnerhof in a wind-protected, warm south-east location. On the terraced vineyards, which the Unterthiner family has been cultivating for generations, Vernatsch thrives on Pergel vines that are up to 18 years old – the traditional form of cultivation that is part of the South Tyrolean landscape. After gentle processing, the wine ferments in stainless steel tanks before maturing in large wooden barrels – just the right balance between freshness and structure.

At the Ebnerhof farm in Atzwang, the Unterthiner family works on sandy marl at an altitude of 500 to 550 metres. The eastern slopes benefit from warm winds from the Bolzano valley basin, while cool downdraughts provide freshness at night – ideal conditions for a Pinot Blanc with substance. After temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel tanks, the wine matures on the fine lees, part of it in acacia wood barrels, which gives it additional depth.

A real rarity: Ebnerhof is home to the southernmost Grüner-Veltliner vineyards in South Tyrol. What is mainstream in Austria is exclusive in the Isarco Valley – the grape variety has felt at home here for generations, but only a few winegrowers dare to try their hand at it. The Unterthiner family cultivates this Austrian legend on mineral-rich, gravelly soils at an altitude of 500 to 550 metres, where the special soil conditions give the wine its unmistakable signature. After gentle processing, the must ferments at a controlled temperature in stainless steel tanks, after which the wine matures on the fine lees – partly in small wooden barrels –which gives it additional depth.

Since the end of the 19th century, this French grape variety has been at home in the southern Eisack Valley. At the Ebnerhof, Sauvignon grows on barren, stony gravel-marl soil – and it is precisely this barrenness that makes all the difference. The Unterthiner family employs rigorous yield control, manual leaf removal and thinning to ensure concentrated grape material. In the cellar, they rely on temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless-steel tanks to preserve the variety's characteristic freshness.

Gewürztraminer does not bear its name for nothing – it is one of the autochthonous South Tyrolean grape varieties and finds ideal conditions at the Ebnerhof on calcareous, loamy sandy soils. The vines thrive on the eastern slopes at an altitude of 500 to 550 metres, where Mediterranean influences from the Bolzano basin meet Alpine freshness. After gentle pressing, the Unterthiner family gives the wine six months to mature on the fine lees in stainless steel tanks.

The Kerner grape variety originates from Weinsberg; it was bred in 1929 from a cross between Trollinger and Riesling and named after the poet and doctor Justinus Kerner. In the Eisack Valley, the variety has been planted in frost-prone areas since 1981, as it is considered hardy, and today the valley is its most important growing region in South Tyrol. The Ebner Winery is situated on the sunny Ritten plateau, on a rocky outcrop above Atzwang in the southernmost part of the Eisack Valley. Florian and Brigitte Unterthiner are the third generation to work there. The estate's white wines are grown on well-ventilated south-easterly slopes; the soils are sandy-loam, rich in limestone and contain porphyry.

Alongside Grüner Veltliner, Zweigelt is the second Austrian rarity at Ebnerhof – and is as rare as it is prized in South Tyrol. The cross between St. Laurent and Blaufränkisch, bred in Austria in 1922, feels amazingly at home in the very sheltered south-east-facing vineyards near Atzwang. On sandy-loamy, calcareous and porphyry soil at an altitude of 500 metres – with a remarkable 55 per cent slope – the Unterthiner family works with consistent yield regulation in Guyot training in order to obtain concentrated grape material. After fermentation in stainless steel tanks, the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation and then matures in small oak barrels, which gives it structure and depth.

The only thing that has actually changed is the name. The Unterthiner family have always vinified their Pinot Noir in the manner befitting a serious Pinot Noir – with the necessary time in the cellar. The wine matures in small wooden barrels for at least twelve months, often longer, because at the Ebnerhof decisions are never made according to the calendar, but according to taste. This ageing period meets the DOC requirements for a Riserva, so the wine now bears this designation. The approach remains unchanged: following a selective hand-harvest from the limestone-rich, sandy south-facing slopes, the wine undergoes controlled maceration in stainless-steel tanks before being transferred to small wooden barrels, which lend it depth and complexity.

Perched on a rocky outcrop above Atzwang, on the Ritten sun-drenched plateau, lies the Ebner Winery, now run by the third generation of the Unterthiner family. "Fetter Acker" is the name of a historic single vineyard in the Eisack Valley, mentioned as far back as in ancient writings. The forty-year-old vines are rooted in volcanic porphyry, facing south-east, at an altitude of around 450 metres, in an Alpine-Mediterranean climate and sheltered from the north winds. The yield is around 45 hectolitres per hectare, and the Riserva is produced exclusively from this plot. The grapes undergo five hours of cold maceration on the skins, are gently pressed, and the must is clarified through natural settling; fermentation takes place under temperature control in oak barrels. The wine matures on its fine lees for 36 months in oak, 24 months in stainless steel and six months in the bottle before being released for sale.