Blog: Muri Gries | South Tyrol
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Winemaking through the ages
Wine and the right way to handle it were already a topical issue for Benedict of Nursia, the founder of Monte Cassino, 1,500 years ago. This has remained the case to this day: Wine and monasteries have always been closely linked. On the one hand, there is the religious and liturgical significance of wine. Even the Bible is full of references to the juice of the vine. In Psalm 104, for example, the Creator is praised for the good things he makes grow, including 'the wine that gladdens the heart of man'. Wine has always been part of Judeo-Christian culture and tradition. Mass wine is needed for the Christian service. With its invigorating and healing effects, wine - consumed in the right quantities - has been a natural part of our way of life since time immemorial. It is no coincidence that the monasteries in central and southern Europe played a significant role in the spread of European viticulture.

The Muri-Gries Monastery has followed this tradition since its foundation. We are committed to managing the vineyards that have been entrusted to the monastery for centuries as carefully as possible. The Muri-Gries monastery winery relies on the possibilities of manageable in-house production: from the vineyard to the historic monastery cellar, from the barrel to the bottle, is our primary goal. We are delighted that our wines are held in such high esteem today. But this is also a mission and an obligation for the Klosterkellerei. The aim is to continue a centuries-old tradition with a great deal of commitment, a sense of proportion and enthusiasm.

Since 1788, when the old Gothic monastery church was moved to the newly built Baroque church, the wines of Muri-Gries have been stored in the venerable walls of the former Augustinian canons. Here, in the heart of the monastery complex, tradition is lived and history can be experienced. For centuries, everything here has revolved around wine. In the inner courtyard stands a large wooden wine press, a Torggl, with the date 1549. It is both a mission and an obligation for those responsible for the Muri-Gries monastery winery. Modern cellar technology blends harmoniously into the old monastery walls. The fermentation cellar, the so-called 'Ansetz', and stainless steel barrels for storage are located in the old abbey church. The large wooden barrels and barriques are stored in the old cellar of the 13th century castle complex. Gentle processing methods, traditional working methods with the simultaneous use of modern cellar technology - but with a conscious renunciation of many of the finesses of the same - these are just some of the basic principles of Muri-Gries' cellar philosophy. Here the wine has its say! The cellar master and his staff create all the conditions for the wine to express itself in the best possible way.

1845 marked the birth of Muri-Gries, when the Benedictine monks from the Muri monastery in Switzerland moved into the Augustinian monastery of Gries. Since then, the winery has continued to develop. At the beginning of the 20th century, the monastery winery opened up and began bottling its own wines on a larger scale.

The people behind Muri-Gries
Walter Bernard and Christian Werth play key roles in the wine production of Muri-Gries. They are experts in their field and are passionate about the quality and tradition of the monastery winery.

Walter Bernard, born in 1970, has been responsible for viticulture at the monastery since 1990. Every single phase of growth in nature is carefully observed and followed: from the first budding to maturity. 'How can I create the ideal conditions in the vineyard for the vines and their environment? Walter Bernard faces this challenge anew every day: 'We try to educate the vine like a child: to understand it, to see what it needs and then to give it what it needs. We try to treat it in such a way that it produces the best quality grapes at harvest.

Christian Werth, born in 1961, has been an oenologist at the Klosterkellerei with heart and soul since 1988. For him, his work is both a hobby and a passion. The monastery community is open-mindedly behind his dedicated path between tradition and innovation. 'Every vintage is a new, great challenge for me,' says Christian Werth happily. 'The most beautiful and exciting experience of the year for the cellar master is always the tasting and the first sip of the new, young wine. It is so fascinating what nature produces every year in terms of convincing quality and new surprises. - Gerardo [TS02/24]