Blog: St. Michael-Eppan | South Tyrol
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The Coop
In the St. Michael-Eppan Winery, 350 cooperative members and winegrowers with their families have dedicated themselves to a common goal: quality. From the vineyard to the finished wine in the bottle, this guiding principle runs through like a red thread. From the hobby farmer with a few thousand square meters of vineyards, to the part-time farmer who works his vineyards with love on the weekends and in his free time, to the dedicated smaller and larger family farms: It is a colorful mosaic of characters and personalities, all working under the common umbrella of the winery - with a rich diversity of sites and varieties. The work in the vineyard is often hard and arduous for the winegrowers. On the sometimes steep slopes, a lot of diligence and dedication is necessary to produce the best qualities. When, at harvest time, the whole family is at work in the vineyard, rolling up their sleeves and bringing a year's yield to the winery, this is probably the most beautiful moment in the annual cycle of every winegrower. The effort has been worthwhile. The prize for all members is the joint success of their winery. And the good drops with which everyone enjoys toasting to their common good.

The Vineyards
The work begins in the vineyard. Climate, topography and soils are the natural environment of the vine. Taking care of this environment and working it as close to nature and as gently as possible is a crucial task. Environmentally friendly work in the vineyard helps to promote the biological balance of the vine in a natural way. Green seeding between the rows of vines regulates the air and water balance in the soil, promotes humus formation, protects against erosion and is a welcome habitat for beneficial insects. Organic fertilizers are used primarily and selectively. Biological pest control measures are becoming increasingly popular. Timely and targeted foliage work also promotes light and air permeability and prevents infestation by pests and diseases of the grapes. The classic South Tyrolean method of cultivation on the slopes is still the pergola. However, this is increasingly being replaced by wire frame training, the Gujot system. In the plains and on gentle slopes, the Gujot system has become established for all grape varieties, with the exception of Vernasch. It is not only the lower cost of production and the reduced workload that speak in favor of this new system of cultivation. Smaller yields with higher grape quality have induced the winegrowers to change over in the vineyards. Consultation and discussion with the winegrowers, local field inspections, recommendations for varieties, new plants, training systems and maintenance measures are on the agenda. In addition, there is the preparation of the harvest plan together with the winegrowers.

Appius
The new edition of Appius, Hans Terzer's personal dream wine, also remains true to the principle of its creator: '... to give the best expression to the respective vintage through selection and targeted maturation of excellent grape lots'. The Appius cuvee, whose main ingredient is Chardonnay, is combined with portions of Sauvignon blanc, Pinot Grigio and Pinot Blanc. The result is a layered and complex creation that evokes exotic fruit notes on the nose such as pineapple, papaya, passion fruit as well as Williams pear and apple. The palate is dense and creamy with mineral acidity and a never-ending finish. It is a finesse-rich, elegant yet complex white wine that does justice to the vintage and promises exceptional drinking pleasure even after many years. - Gerardo [TS06/22]