2022 Tiefenbrunner Pinot Grigio, Alto Adige

Alto Adige is my favorite place in Italy for Pinot Grigio and Tiefenbrunner is one of the very best. This is not your typical lemon water Pinot Grigio; this is floral, mineral, and thirst quenching. 

Founded in 1848, the Tiefenbrunner Castel Turmhof Winery owes its name to the ancient castle known today as the home of the Tiefenbrunner family. The winery is in the hamlet Entiklar, in the town of Kurtatsch, which is in the South Tyrolean province of Bozen amid the awe-inspiring Italian Alps. 

Tiefenbrunner’s vineyards are located along the enchanting Südtyroler Weinstrasse, the Wine Route of South Tyrol, in one of the most beautiful wine-growing areas in Alto Adige. The vines are grown mainly on the mountain slopes around the Turmhof Castle, with other vines located in the flatter areas of the valley. The primarily southward-facing slopes and their loamy, chalk-rich soils represent the best environment for producing high-quality wines. The Mediterranean climate, characterized by moderate rainfall and cooling evening winds, allows for a substantial difference between day and night temperatures, providing ideal conditions for the perfect ripening of the grapes. Rich in extracts and potent in aroma, the grapes are turned into wines of unmistakable character. At 3280 feet above sea level, it is the highest vineyard in Europe. The philosophy of the Tiefenbrunner family, in the vineyards and in the cellar, is to relentlessly improve the grape quality and to highlight the varietal character of each wine. This guiding principle is both a philosophy and the basis for the winery’s viticultural practice in harmony with nature, reflected in the cultivation and protection of the vines. When new vines are planted, the optimal combination of location and varietal is sought. The carefully selected vine stocks are no longer planted strictly in the traditional pergola system, but trained on wire frames regardless of the location. In the last few years, however, the traditional pergola system has been re-introduced to the steep rock slopes in a slightly altered form. The open pergola offers the vine an ideal balance between sun and shade, which contributes to the development of particularly good grape aroma.